2004 - Rudesheimer Berg Schlossberg Riesling Spatlese, Leitz

Pale golden yellow. Ethereal aromas of papaya, white chocolate and mint leaves waft are complicated by a hint of spicy botrytis. Impressively rich and creamy, with honey-glazed exotic fruit flavors and a sublime slate minerality. In spite of its sheer size, this Riesling is exceptionally well balanced and stunningly long. A show-stopper in its youth, this was one of my early candidates for the finest spätlese of the vintage. Although still first-class, it does not quite have the elegance or pedigree of the three medalists.

Leitz’s 2004 Rudesheimer Berg Schlossberg Riesling Spatlese trocken A.P. #20 evinces subtle white peach, herb and piquant spices in the nose. In the mouth it preserves the counterpoint of textural creaminess with mouthwatering acidity, and salt and wet stone minerality that typify both this vintage and site. “Schlossberg,” says Leitz, “is one of a kind – a wine that can only be from Rudesheim. It is sleek and minerally by nature, so I work on making it more so.” The clarity and refinement as well as minerality exhibited in the finish – featuring pit fruits, herbs and mineral salts – testify to his success, utilizing only the healthiest and blemish-free grapes. Like nearly all of the dry wines in this group, it was harvested in early November and cropped below 30 hectoliters per hectare. Johannes Leitz’s acreage is now up to a whopping sixty-five, and even though much of that goes to supply ever larger quantities of a few off-dry wines that represent the backbone of his export program, the number of individual bottlings has increased as well. Still, quality remains undiminished, as does Leitz’s evident determination and enthusiasm. “This was a challenging vintage,” he reports, “which is exactly what I like. I don’t want another 2003, where you could ripen Riesling in the hinterlands and probably all the way up to Hamburg. I like a vintage where you have to struggle. And frankly, in Rudesheim, we really need cooler, ‘lousier,’ difficult vintages to show off our advantage vis a vis the rest of the Rheingau!” Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300