2014 Weinget Leitz, Dragonstone Riesling Sekt, Sparkling Wine, Rheingau Germany.
The beautiful and thrilling Dragonstone Riesling Sekt is another brilliant creation from Johannes Leitz, it is a slightly drier, leesy and bubbly version of his famed Dragonstone Riesling from Rudesheim on the Rhein. The Drachenstein sparkler is a wonderful addition to the Leitz family of wines and is not just a celebration once in a while offering, this is a serious food wine and drink often Riesling that goes with a wide range of cuisine, it has enough complexity and vitality to please in almost any setting. In other words this is not a novelty item, but a wine you’ll want around in numbers! The Leitz Dragonstone Sekt bubbles turns on the charm the second it hits the glass, in fact even before you taste it you’ll be licking your lips as the packaging is superb, it beads gracefully with fine small bubbles and the mousse is luxurious this is really fun stuff with a Riesling mineral driven character. The nose has golden fig, chalk dust, rosewater, hazelnut and apple start before a steely palate of lime, peach, yeasty notes and a touch of honey balanced with salty wet stones, dried pineapple and lemon oil tanginess in this slightly sweet, but focused sparkling wine. There is good extract and density here, same as the still wine version, though it feels delicate and the sugar level adds a welcoming caress of grace, texture and pleasure, it is the perfect foil to the natural acidity and overall the impression is about extra dry, making for a less severe style, but still very controlled, flexible and refreshing. I can see a lot of this in my future, and I highly recommend you chase this beauty down, last year’s Pinot Noir Sekt sold out fast, so don’t wait to long to get your hands on Leitz’s Dragonstone Bubbly! I sampled it at the famed Slanted Door, where it is BTG (by the glass) a perfect place to give it a test drive!
($24 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive
