Weingut Johannishof Rudesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Spatlese 2008
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Robert
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Residual sugar: 75.1 g/l
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Wine Enthusiast
A stunning expression of place, very mineral but with enough juicy stone fruit nuances to be immediately likeable. It’s tight and focused, showing excellent balance and a long, perfumed finish. Drink now (think sushi) or stash away for five or more years for a more laid-back style.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
While only 7.5% in alcohol, at 70 grams in residual sugar the Eser 2008 Rudesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Spatlese actually represents a concerted attempt to dial back sweetness from where its been for this bottling in recent years. Ripe peach and yellow plum are tinged with a prickling pungency of citrus rinds and spices that suggests to me there was a bit more botrytis present than Johannes Eser lets on, or perhaps realized. Lush and sweet as well as delicate on the palate, this finishes with welcome refreshment, its sheer persistence compensating for a slight lack of complexity, which may well emerge over the 12-15 years during which one could quite safely hold it.
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Robert
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
Practically one long and bucolic hillside along the northern bank of the Rhein River, the Rheingau stretches the entirety of the river’s east to west spread from Hocheim to Rüdesheim.
Variations in elevation, soil types, and proximity to the Rhine cause great diversity in Rheingau Riesling. Some of the better Rieslings in warmer years come from the cooler and breezier sites at higher elevations. In cooler years, sites closer to the river may perform better.
In the village of Rüdesheim, slopes are steep and soils are stony slate with quartzite; Rieslings are rich and spicy, intense in stone fruit and show depth and character with age. World class Rieslings come from farther east on the river through Geisenheim, Johannisberg, Winkel, Oestrich and past Erbach as well, where soils of loess, sand, and marl alternate. Long-living, floral-driven and mineral-rich Rieslings come from the best of these sites.
Rheingau growers became early activists in promoting the dry style of Riesling, low yields and the classification of top vineyards, or Erstes Gewächs (first growths). Proximity to the metropolitan markets of Mainz, Wiesbaden, and Frankfurt keeps Rheingau in high reputation. While dry wines are the style here, Rheingau isn’t short of some amazing Auslesen, Beerenauslesen, and Trockenbeerenauslesen.
Rheingau doesn’t mess with many other grapes—in fact 79% of its total area is dedicated to Riesling. But it produces some fine Pinot noir, especially concentrated in Assmannshausen, a bit farther west from Rüdesheim.