2018 Schlossgut Diel, Riesling Trocken, Eierfels Dorsheim, Nahe, Germany.
One of my favorite dry bottlings at Schloss Diel is Caroline Diel’s Dorsheim Riesling Eierfels which is a special cuvée that Diel puts together and is a remarkable value, it offers layered complexity, striking mineral intensity and Caroline’s signature elegance and this 2018 vintage is a gorgeous yellow fruited and leesy version. Brilliantly golden in the glass, this 2018 Diel Dorsheim Riesling Eierfels is beautiful aromatic and has crystalline detailing with apple, peach, kiwi, tangerine and quince leading the way on the steely medium bodied palate along with saline notes, wet flinty stone, chamomile/mint tea and verbena notes. As the wine opens it gains dimension and presence, it casually reminds you of the pedigree it has and it is slyly confident in the way that Diel’s top GGs do, there’s a lot to admire here. The aromas lift from the glass with rosewater and apricot flesh delicately present and lingering, making this wine incredibly pleasing, with all the flavors given a lift by the natural acidity and crisp mouth watering dry extract. While taut and brisk, these dry Rieslings by Diel are generous and impeccable wines of which I try to never be without and I highly recommend them, especially this wine, it is a savvy buy for Riesling lovers that want guilt free quality and terroir distinction. The Nahe is one off Germany’s smallest regions, with a great diversity of soils fro slate to volcanic and gravels plus a warm climate and steep slopes, especially around Schlossgut Diel, making for a dramatic and picturesque setting for grapevines and a quality area for all types of wines, as witnessed by the stellar producers, like Schlossgut Diel, as well as Schafer Frohlich, Kruger-Rumpf, Hexemer and the absolutely awesome Weingut Donnhoff.
The Schlossgut Diel, founded by the Diel family in 1802, is one of the great wineries in the world, not just Germany or Europe, and is widely known for the amazing dry Rieslings bottlings, especially their set of Grand Cru or Grosses Gewachs from the legendary Pittermannchen, Burgberg and the majestic Goldloch crus. Caroline Diel’s wines are some of the finest white wines you’ll ever try no question with the Goldloch Grosses Gewachs being an epic dry Riesling and one highly coveted by collectors. Not only does Caroline have a gift with Riesling, she has also mastered Pinot Noir with her Cuvee C, her signature bottling being easily an equal to some of the Cote d’Or’s most fabled wines and she has quietly crafted some amazing vintage Sekt(s) sparkling wines that see up to eight years of lees aging, these seriously rival Krug Champagne, and or among the greatest sparkling wines I’ve ever tasted. The Eierfels Riesling is a special declassified selection from the GG vineyards of Burgberg and Goldloch with the fruit, as noted by the winery, is either whole-cluster pressed or, if vintage necessitates, de-stemmed by carefully by hand, with Diel adding it is very important to not break the skins and allow oxidation and or bitter extracts during the juicing. For the Rieslings, Caroline employs her primary fermentation(s) spontaneously in large German oak casks, using stuckfass and doppelstuck mostly, though some see cement tanks. Caroline Diel, who took over the estate in 2012, after joining the cellar team in 2006 also has enjoyed winemaking stints at some famous places including Domaine de la Romanee-Conti in Burgundy and Château Pichon-Lalande in Bordeaux, as well as prestigious German vineyards such as Robert Weil, Toni Jost and Dr. Deinhard/Von Winning. Her dad Armin, had put this famous winery on the world stage in the 1990s with his dry style wines and Caroline talent(s) has since taken Schlossgut Diel to even greater heights, from her little Kabinett(s) to her GGs, these wines are all fantastic, none should be missed.
($35 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive