2018 Schlossgut Diel, Riesling Kabinett, Dorsheimer Pittermanchen, Nahe Germany.
One of the most perfect Kabinett wines of the vintage so far is the gorgeous and impeccably balanced Pittermanchen by Schlossgut Diel and the stellar talents of Caroline Diel at this famous Nahe estate and highlights this years potential, especially in the slightly off dry styles and powerful Trockens in this region in particular. The Diel 2018 Pittermanchen, sourced from a slate driven VDP Grand Cru site in Dorsheim flows across the palate with amazing texture and a full array of flavors that feel a touch drier than one would expect, but still with a generous caress with green apple, lime, apricot and melon fruits along with flinty and wet stones, sea salt, crystalized ginger and a delicate essence of white flowers, finishing with a creamy rich detail, white still crunchy and jazzy at the same time. The latest Diel Kabinett perfectly captures the serious and elegant styling that is hallmark of Caroline’s wine with the playful and ease of use character of a Kabinett level wine, it’s brilliant stuff that gets more interesting with every sip and gains depth and complexity in the glass, especially with food, for a lighter Riesling it sure delivers an impressive performance. Diel’s current lineup is stellar stuff with many highlights and standouts, fans of this winery will be highly impressed with these latest wines, plus be sure to not overlook the incredible Sekt Brut Nature and Sekt Extra Brut sparkling Rieslings, they absolute blow away Champagne in their price class!
Located in the lower Nahe, the historic Schlossgut Diel, which the family established back in 1802, with a steep south-facing slopes, is, as noted by Terry Theise Diel’s Riesling guru importer, owned by prominent gourmand and wine aficionado Armin Diel, well regarded for his work to promote German wine, and whose daughter Caroline now oversees winemaking. The three prized Grosse Lage vineyards include Goldloch, Burgberg and Pittermännchen that comprise Diel’s esteemed holdings and were well documented as early as 1901 as an exceptional source for fine and high quality wines, a tradition that continues today, but with a focus on the dry wines, even though Diel still crafts some of the greatest fruity/sweeter Rieslings available. The Pittermännchen vineyard which benefits from those south-facing slopes and its mineral soils, mostly of slate, but with quartz and gravel gives complexity and zesty detail to the wines, as well as that great minerality found in them. Diel prefers whole cluster pressing and “Sponti” native yeast fermentations done in stuckfass, doppelstuck and cement tanks, along with severe selections of the grapes, which are farmed as organic and sustainable as possible with subtle lees aging to balance freshness and richness of form for long lived wines. This Dorsheimer Pittermanchen Kabinett is a savvy choice and one of my favorites, great with spicy Asian cuisine as well as with briny/savory dishes too, drink this joyous Riesling over the next 3 to 7 years, though it should live 20 years, maybe more!
($43 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive