2014 Weingut Leitz, Rose of Pinot Noir, Rheingau, Germany.
The new Leitz Spatburgunder Rose Trocken is a great summer wine with riveting acidity and mineral intensity, it drinks like a pink Riesling and it is wonderfully fresh and vibrant. This wine joins Meyer-Nakel and Schlossgut Diel in my short list of great German Roses, it is very serious, but uniquely festive and invigorating with subtle fruitiness and austere charm with it’s stony dry character. The 2014 Leitz Rose of Pinot Noir starts with liquid mineral, pepper and delicate rose oil with a bright pink and salmon hue leading to a zesty and zippy palate of eye popping limeade, grapefruit, tangerine, red peach, sour cherry, a hint of watermelon and a whisper of strawberry, but it is the tangy citrus that leads the way along with wet river stones, flinty spices and a steely core essence. This is mouth watering and crispy dry Rose that sings a refreshing and electric song throughout, it is absolutely delicious and vivid in detail, it is the perfect read a book by the pool wine, and or with almost any cuisine as a starter or picnics. There is more mineral and acidity than fruit giving a light and tight expression, and I really like that, though it should gain some benefits from age, I see this as a two or three year Rose, it might just fill out over the next year in bottle, but like I said I dig it just the way it is and will be quaffing plenty of this summer sizzle pink myself, thanks Johannes for making this stuff! Weingut Leitz is now imported by Schatzi Wines and you should check out the latest offerings beyond this outstanding Rose, the 2013 Rieslings are an amazing set of Rheingau wines, especially intriguing are the new G.G. Rudesheimer Berg Schlossberg Ehrenfels, the Roseneck Spatlese and the Drachenstein QbA, AKA Dragonstone, one of the best off dry Rieslings for the price anywhere!
($18 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive
