2014 Eva Fricke, Riesling, Trocken, Rheingau, Germany.
Fricke is one of the most exciting young producers in Germany, she has a wealth of experience and is dedicated to her craft, after winemaking and vineyard management around the world, her CV has some impressive names on it with Pingus in the Ribera del Duero, Castello di Verduno in Piedmont and of course Leitz in Ruedesheim where most people became aware of her talents. She has also made wine in Bordeaux and Australia, but her home in the Rheingau and the vineyards of Lorch are her future and where her vine roots are deeply set into the quartzite and slate. She is a star and her wines are glittering with impressive character, terroir and beauty, especially her new set of 2014 wines, which are now available in the States, and in particular her latest Lorch Rheingau Trocken. Having tried most every vintage of Fricke’s wines, I can really see her style emerging and the 2014 for me have everything in harmony, the really burst with energy, detail and pleasure highlighting her love of quartzite with it’s delicacy and yellow fruit intensity. Having met her briefly while at Leitz, I found her deeply passionate about terroir and especially soils, and her wines all are a reflection of that, the 2014 Rheingau Trocken is a brisk mineral driven Riesling with classic extract, acidity and finessed fruity elements, it has wonderful aromatics, salty dryness and old school austere refinement. This vigorous Riesling pops in the glass with bright citrus, flinty spice, yellow peach, hints of tropical fruits learning on mango, apple skins, rose petal and lemon oil. This is her best vintage to date for this basic offering which can only get better in bottle, and while 2014 was a small crop and a difficult year for growers, this wine is the reward for hard work and talent, this a stylish wine and a killer value, be sure to search out Eva Fricke’s 2014’s and this one is a great place to start, drink now through 2024.
($20 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive
