2013 Weingut Spreitzer, Riesling, Wisselbrunnen Grosses Gewachs, Rheingau, Germany.
It was a pleasure to taste through the up coming releases with Andreas Spreitzer and get a feel for the vintage and his unique Rheingau terroir, and especially the rare opportunity to sample his dry Grand Cru wines. The 2013 Grosses Gewachs were cask samples of the final blend, though they won’t be bottled for a bit more time as they are still on their lees, gaining richness and detail, but these incredible dry white wines are some of the finest of the region. The Spreitzer estate is vastly different to other areas with a totally proprietary mix of exposures and soils, this is why the two Grand Crus, the Wisselbrunnen and Rosengarten, as so contrasting with the Rosengarten being the more overt and fruity/flirty and the Wisselbrunnen the more reserved, austere and complex in style, both fabulous in their own ways, though I was really taken by the 2013 Wisselbrunnen. Andreas and his brother run the place and are becoming leading lights in their region, this is a winery to discover and collect, the value and range is exceptional with three great vintages under their belt this have moved to a new level and the wines are showing a deft touch and finesse. The 2013 Speitzer Wisselbrunnen Grand Cru dry Riesling is earthy, enchanting and mysterious with it’s loam and loess soils showing through with subtle fruit, spice and lengthy finish, there’s persimmon, kumquat, green apple, white tea, chalky stones and a core of lime and white peach. The leesy richness is matched by firm acidity and dynamic character, this is fantastic Riesling and with out question a great value in the this league of wines, look for lots more to come here, it should be hitting it’s stride in 3 to 5 years and drink well into the next decade, be sure to chase after this stunning Grosses Gewachs, and don’t miss the 2011 and 2012’s if you find them out there, Spreitzer is on a roll!
($45 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive
