2012 Weingut Georg Breuer, Riesling, Rudesheimer Berg Roseneck, Rheingau Germany.
Another wine tasted while in Germany was the Breuer 2012 Roseneck, a earthy and stylish old school wine from Theresa Breuer, who has turned this estate around and who has gone all organic in her plots in Roseneck and in fact all of her vineyards. I missed Theresa while I was in Ruedesheim, she was busy with the grapes and harvest, it was a particularly difficult year to do all organic work in the Rheingau with so much rain in July as well as hot and cold weather pattens in the Fall, but the grapes were looking pretty good, I did get to see and taste with her mother and see grapes come into the winery in small lots, with everything going well, and I enjoyed a private tour of the old cellar as well. Breuer plans to expand at the old town site in Rudesheim, to be able to house all the operation there will make it easier and while they get lots of visitors, it will make for an even more impressive center and attraction when completed. The 2012 Breuer Roseneck, is a trocken style non VDP, so it can’t say Grosses Gewachs or “Grand Cru” though no one who’s had Breuer will care about the labeling, this is a full and delightful wine of terroir and raw transparency with a core of earthy/mineral and loamy stoniness with rustic edges and purity showing apple, apricot, white cherry, baked peach, orange tea and passionfruit with subtle tart/tangy acidity and bite along with a elegant mouth feel and emerging maturity. The 2012 vintage was rich and opulent in character and it shows in the ripe flavor and length, it is drinking really well now, but it has enough extract and stuffing in reserve to last a long time, in fact it might get a little better in 5 to 10 years. All of the wines here are promising, I tasted a few of the 2015’s and while the 2012, 2013 and even the 2014’s all are pleasing, these 15’s stand out and will impress when ready, the 2015 Rudesheim Estate Trocken was my favorite, along with this 2012 Roseneck. While Riesling is the heart and soul here, Georg Breuer also does a fine Pinot Now and uniquely a Pinot Noir Port style wine, not my thing, but it has a huge following and a hit in their tasting room, which filled up the afternoon I was there like a subway train in rush hour! Good things are happening at Breuer, I’ve tasted and had Breuer since the nineties and I look forward to seeing where Theresa takes this winery in the next decade, watch this space.
($42 Est.) 91+ Points, grapelive