2021 Weingut Spreitzer, Riesling Trocken, Oestricher Lenchen “Rosengarten” Grosses Gewächs, Rheingau Germany.
The gorgeous and beautifully aromatic 2021 Spreitzer Rosengarten Grosses Gewachs, coming from their Oestrich Lenchen vineyard in the middle Rheingau, near the estate, is a fantastic and well structured Grand Cru dry Riesling that should impress for decades to come, and while I’m excited for the 2023s, this wine doesn’t disappoint and I high recommend not passing it by if you see it! This Rosengarten GG shows off a heady perfume with layers of sweet pea, white violet, a delicate steely minerallity and a deep palate of orchard stone and citrus fruits, including white peach, apricot, tangerine and lime in a firmly held together medium full bodied wine with great extract and stony elements. Additionally it adds Asian tea and spices, a touch of quince, saline, wet flint and sea shore notes. When full open this Riesling shows its leesy opulence and brings out even more floral detail, just like the 2018 did, with hints of lime flower and jasmine. Oestrich, which has a long wine-producing history, is a town on the banks of the Rhein river and has five VPD Grosse Lage or Grand Cru vineyards, each planted is (obviously) predominantly to Riesling, including Doosberg, Lenchen, Jesuitengarten, St. Nikolaus and Rosengarten, as seen here, and the Sprieitzer’s have significant parcels in each. Notably, Rosengarten, which i visited in 2016, is one of the best parts of the greater Oestricher Lenchen site which faces south and is partially enclosed by a small stone wall that stores heat during the day, warming the vines closest to it. This spectacular VDP Grosse Lage “Rosengarten vineyard is not just a one trick pony either, it can make both exceptional dry and sweet wines, and it has a combination of loam, loess and hard marl, plus an alluvial sandy element to the soils, which adds to the depth flavors as well as a transmission of a lovely mineral tone to the wines.
Weingut Josef Spreitzer, now run by the brothers, Andreas and Bernd Spreitzer, was originally founded back in 1641, making it one of the oldest family wineries in the Rheingau, is located not far from the Rhein villages of Hattenheim, Oestrich-Winkel and Etville, where the Rhein river is at its widest point, it creates an almost lake effect and the terroir is quite unique here with less slate than just down the river in Rudesheim and the soils here vary with areas of loess, clay, shell limestone, gravel, a bit of slates, quartzite, iron-rich stones and sand, all of which forms the individual characteristics and complexities in Spreitzer’s diverse offerings. As mentioned in my prior reviews, Weingut Spreitzer strives to maintain fruit intensity, vibrancy and freshness, looking for finesse, so they settle the must (juice) by gravity for 24 hours after a whole-cluster pressing, they then allow the wines to rest on their gross lees and only filter the wine once during the fermentation and aging period. They employ a long cool fermentation, and extended lees elevage to protect the juice from oxidation, using mostly ambient (natural) yeasts for fermentation in both temperature controlled stainless steel and their old wood. They used the classic 1,200 liter casks, made of German oak, which are called Stückfass, in which this Grosses Gewachs was matured for close to 9 months before bottling, after which the wine is held almost a year before release. The whole collection at Spreitzer is full of quality efforts, and my favorites include their Estate Trocken, a bargain bottling, as well as their expressive Kabinett, Spatlese and special Alte Reben (old vine) Feinherb(s), which are outrageous values too, and of course their majestic Premier Cru and powerful Grand Crus, like this GG Rosengarten. I have been to Spreitzer, as mentioned, back in 2016 and always will be grateful of the experiences touring their most prized vineyards and tasting in the ancient cellars, and most recently caught up with Andreas in San Francisco where I tasted through an exciting set of 2021, 2022 and barrel samples of 2023s, all of which were impeccable made and distinctive Rieslings.
($60 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive