2009 Rudesheimer Berg Roseneck Spatlese

Quartz parcels selected. Not very expressive nose – a bit smudgy and suppressed. Lots of sweetness and honey character. Easy peasy. Quite open. (JR)

Honeysuckle, heliotrope, rowan, lily-of-the-valley, white peach, and pear inform the seductive nose of Leitzs 2009 Rudesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling Spatlese and flood the palate with infectious juiciness, exquisite delicacy, and joyful buoyancy. As with the corresponding Berg Rottland, a saline streak serves for mouthwatering savor, while the long finish here sooths and seduces. As this has yet a bit more residual sugar – namely 95 grams (!) – and considerably less acidity – at 7.5 grams – than that Berg Rottland, its sense of perfectly integrated and not at all obtrusive sweetness is remarkable. (That said, I cant help wondering what the wine would have been like with a lot less sugar.) And while these grapes far exceeded the requisite must weight for an Auslese, I agree with Leitz that the resultant wine displays a delicacy and an intimacy of flavors that more nearly spell “Spatlese.” Expect a quarter century of seduction at the hands of this striking offering. ”Yes it was dry,” says Johannes Leitz about the late summer and early autumn of 2009, “but drought stress? Who said anything about drought stress?” Evidently he either has a different definition for that condition or had different experiences from some of his colleagues, but I let the matter drop, and the quality of the wines here speaks eloquently both to Leitzs belief that nature delivered an almost ideal combination this year of near over-watering followed by dry heat (which he called “the parachute that saved us from a crash landing”), and to his success in what for others was a manifestly challenging season on the Rudesheimer Berg. Leitzs team began picking October 6 and continued for almost exactly one month. Incidentally, after working for nearly two decades from an expansion of his original cellar under the family home in suburban Rudesheim, Leitz will soon have completed a large new facility nearby. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

Honeysuckle, heliotrope, rowan, lily-of-the-valley, white peach, and pear inform the seductive nose of Leitzs 2009 Rudesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling Spatlese and flood the palate with infectious juiciness, exquisite delicacy, and joyful buoyancy. As with the corresponding Berg Rottland, a saline streak serves for mouthwatering savor, while the long finish here sooths and seduces. As this has yet a bit more residual sugar – namely 95 grams (!) – and considerably less acidity – at 7.5 grams – than that Berg Rottland, its sense of perfectly integrated and not at all obtrusive sweetness is remarkable. (That said, I cant help wondering what the wine would have been like with a lot less sugar.) And while these grapes far exceeded the requisite must weight for an Auslese, I agree with Leitz that the resultant wine displays a delicacy and an intimacy of flavors that more nearly spell “Spatlese.” Expect a quarter century of seduction at the hands of this striking offering. Dec 2009, www.robertparker.com