Cellar Master Manfred Zuffer was our host. He first showed us the new Weingut Leitz winemaking facilities. We then tasted a few - including some very interesting - wines in the new tasting room. Finally, Manfred took us on a tour of the famous Grosse Lage vineyards of Johannes Leitz in the Rüdesheimer Berg; during the amazing vineyard tour, we tasted 4 GGs.
The Leitz Family’s viticulture history goes back to 1744 and has been passed on from one generation to the next for almost four centuries. Johannes Leitz, the current owner and winemaker, took charge of the estate in 1985, when he was in his early 20s. At that time, the winery had 3 hectares of vineyards and was unknown among German wine connoisseurs. Under the leadership of Johannes “Josi” Leitz, the winery grew in size to 60 hectares.Johannes Leitz owns 40 hectares and buys the fruit of 20 hectares. Overwhelmingly his vineyards are planted with Riesling.
Johannes Leitz was able to acquire top Riesling sites in the famous Rüdesheimer Berg vineyards - Berg Schloßberg, Berg Roseneck and Berg Rotland, on the mountain slopes above Rüdesheim facing the south. Unusual for a German winery, Josi exports 90% of his wines with the US the most important market for mayn years. Recently, Sweden has taken over the #1 spot.
Picture: Johannes Leitz, Winemaker of the Year 2011, see also: Visiting Weingut Josef Leitz in Ruedesheim – Johannes Leitz is Germany’s Winemaker of the Year, Gault Millau WeinGuide 2011 Rüdesheim in the Rheingau
It is remarkable: For its entire length of nearly 560 miles, the Rhine flows north with one exception – a 28-mile stretch where the river changes its course. Here, it flows to the west, thereby enabling both the river and the vineyards facing it to bask in the warmth of the sun all day long. This is the Rheingau, one of the medium-size German wine regions.
Rüdesheim lies at the western corner, when the Rhine turns to the north again. In fact, it sits at the beginning of the famous Rhine Gorge and is thereby part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Coming from Frankfurt (in the east), we had to pass through the whole Rheingau region, which, however, took us just half an hour.
Schatzi Wines
The wines of Johannes Leitz are sold in the US by Schatzi Wines, a relatively new importer. Kevin Pike is the CEO of Schatzi Wines. Before creating Schatzi Wines, Kevin Pike was for many years the National Director of the Terry Theise portfolio (Michael Skurnik). Early one, Johannes Leitz connected with Terry Theise and accounted during the peak period for 25% of the Terry Theise Germany portfolio, which comprises about 20 German producers, including such heavyweights as Dönnhoff, Selbach-Oster, von Winning, Diel, to name a few.
The German portfolio of Schatzi Wines comprises Leitz (Rheingau), Dreissigacker (Rheinhessen), Dr. Heger (Baden), von Hövel (Mosel), Heinrich Spindler (Pfalz), Knebel (Mosel), Franzen (Mosel), Benedikt Baltes (Franken), Julia Bertram (Ahr) and Karl Haidle (Württemberg).
Schatzi Wines: Weingut Josef Leitz
Schatzi Wines: Under the direction of Johannes Leitz, Weingut Josef Leitz has earned the reputation of being one of Rheingau’s top growers and moreover, one of the finest producers in Germany. Since taking over his family estate in 1985, Johannes has grown his holdings from 2.6 hectares to over 40, most of which are Grand Cru sites on the slopes of the Rüdesheimer Berg. Once the home of some of the world’s most sought after and expensive wines, the region fell to mediocrity in the years following the Second World War. Josi has made it his life’s work to reclaim the intrinsic quality of his native terroir and introduce the world to the true potential of the Rheingau.
The Rheingau is a small region, stretching only 20 miles from east to west. It is marked by a course change in the Rhein River’s flow to the North Sea from its origins in the Swiss Alps. As the Rhein flows north along the eastern edge of the Pfalz and Rheinhessen, it runs directly into the Taunus Mountain range which has a subsoil comprised of pure crystalline quartzite. Rivers, no matter how mighty, are lazy and the Rhine has yet to break through the quartz infrastructure surrounding the town of Mainz. At Mainz, the Rhein turns west and the 30 km stretch between Mainz and Rüdesheim makes up the majority of the Rheingau. Even though the region is further north than the middle Mosel, its south facing slopes get hotter than the narrow Mosel Valley which therefore provides important diurnal temperature variation.
Leitz’s estate vineyards lie entirely on the westernmost part of the Rheingau on the Rüdesheimer Berg—a steep, south-facing hillside of extremely old slate and quartzite—planted entirely to riesling, encompassing the Grand Crus of Schlossberg, Rottland, and Roseneck. Leitz trains his vines in a single-cane, cordon system to improve the quality and character of the fruit, differing from the majority of Rheingau growers where the practice has long been to prioritize yield via a double-cane system. Johannes is a firm believer that the crucial work of the vigneron takes place in the vineyards. Focused on farming as sustainably as possible and working by hand, the grueling hours of labor on the ultra-steep slopes allow these ancient vineyards to reach their maximum potential.
After harvest, Josi is equally focused on working gently in the press house and ageing the wines on their gross lees. Johannes selects bottle closures to reflect, and more crucially serve, the individual cellar practices employed for each wine; Stelvin closures are used for wines raised in stainless steel to preserve freshness while wines raised in cask are bottled under cork to allow for a long development in the cellar.
Tasting at Weingut Leitz - Tasting Room
After touring the new winemaking facilitie of Weingut Leitz, we tasted a few - including some very interesting - wines in the new tasting room.
The Wines
NV Weingut Leitz Eins Zwei Dry Zero Riesling
The Leitz EINS-ZWEI-ZERO offers an original character that is clean and fresh with notes of lime and citrus; surprisingly rhubarb and a little hint of red apples on an underlying mineral foundation. The finish is dry and relatively long. Of course, an alcohol-free wine never will give the same depth, structure and weight as a wine with alcohol, but here it is close to it and it is simply an alcohol-free wine tasting wine. Impressive. We recommend to pair EINS-ZWEI-ZERO with gratinated crostini, cauliflower and goat’s cheese & butter, as well as with an Asian chicken casserole.
2016 Weingut Leitz Eins Zwei 3 Riesling
2016 Weingut Leitz Riesling Trocken
This wine is a blend of discernible, clear Riesling fruit with a mature peach aroma and hints of pear, hay and marigold. Grapefruit, lemon, pineapple and iodine, not to mention discreet traces of slate round out the fragrance. Smooth on the palate, this wine boasts a poised fruit acidity with an inherent creamy effect. Extremely fine, salty components add a distinctive third dimension to the taste experience. The Rüdesheimer Riesling is an ideal accompaniment to meals that majestically comes into its own just as much with a dish such as vitello tonnato, Wiener schnitzel and roast chicken as with roast beef and fried potatoes.
2016 Weingut Leitz Magic Mountain Riesling Trocken
Magic Mountain is cheerful and light, dense and intensive at one and the same time. Its fragrance represents the interplay of a mature lemon aroma and orange peel with green pepper, strong yeasty notes and a hint of a mineral, salty sea breeze. The clearly discernible Riesling fruit is soft and silky on the palate, the fruit acidity has a sense of calm and melds elegantly with the wine’s filigree, enchantingly aromatic extract. It goes well with chicken fricassee with asparagus and capers, roast corn-fed chicken with chanterelle mushrooms, veal medallions with cream of morel, and grilled sea bream with salsa verde or lemon butter.
2016 Weingut Leitz Sylvaner Trocken Alte Reben
2016 Weingut Leitz Kirchenpfad Rüdesheim Riesling Kabinett Off-dry
The Kirchenpfad Kabinett shows very elegant flavour of ripe apples and pears beside exotic hints of exotic fruits, such as lychee, papaya, mango and passion fruit. The grapes for this Kabinett were harvested in the first week of October 2016 and have been pressed very gently directly after arriving in our press house. The Rüdesheimer Kirchenpfad is a GROSSE LAGE, so we have, beside the possibility to create a GG, an excellent potential for an off-dry Kabinett. It´s yeasty zest is so typical for the 2016 portfolio and also very easy to detect - it provides with the opulent fruit a sensation of smell. On the palate this sensation of smell turns into a sensation of taste, with an interaction of ripe and sweet apples, a slight exotic impression and you will discover that the vintage shows up in that wonderful combination of ripeness and well embedded acidity. Due to the slightly extended fermentation you will detect the very elegant flavours of yeast easily beside the harmonious fruit. We recommend to pair this Kabinett with a rich Sushi-combination, sesame oil, ginger and sweet wasabi sauce, or with a light sweet mango chutney and Macadamia nut crusted Mahi Mahi.
2016 Weingut Leitz Rüdesheimer Magdalenenkreuz Riesling Trocken VDP.Erste Lage
2016 Weingut Leitz Rüdesheimer Magdalenenkreut Riesling Spätlese Sweet VDP.Erste Lage
The site "Rüdesheimer Magdalenenkreuz" is located to the east of our town where you will find the gentle hills with profound loess and loam soils, good content of chalk that secure even in hot years a sufficient water supply. The vines are bearing enduring and fruitful wines. The Magdalenenkreuz Spätlese has a savoury nose with fruity hints of ripe apples and pear; as well as an exotic trace of grapefruit, orange and quince. The perception of taste creates in conjunction with the exceptional play of fruit and acidity a very unique exaltation and withal an intense finish. Beside these expressive scents of fruit, subtle mineral hints are joining this sappy Riesling-variation. The Spätlese shows how simple a Riesling is able to compete with substantial dishes and offers a wealth of possible combinations. We enjoy this wine with Curry, peach slices, with a condimental Biryani-chicken, or on its own with dark chocolate.
2009 Weingut Leitz/ Becker Geisenheimer Rothenberg Spätburgunder
This Pinot Noir is produced in cooperation with the redwine-winery Friedrich Becker from Schweigen/Palatinate. The grapes were fermented at the Leitz winery and the wine is placed in wooden barrels; blended and bottled unfiltered at the Becker winery. The Pinot Noir of Johannes Leitz and Friedrich Becker has a scent of red cherries and strawberries with a touch of mint combined with a pleasant and reluctant impact of oak. You will find also black truffle, tea and noble spicery. On the palate there is fresh ripe acidity with smooth tannins. The Rothenberg fits very well with venison with cranberries, turkey with parsley root, Steak frites.
Tasting at Weingut Leitz - Rüdesheimer Berg
Following the tour of and tasting at the winemaking facilities of Weingut Leitz, Manfred took us on a tour of the famous Grosse Lage vineyards of Johannes Leitz in the Rüdesheimer Berg; during the amazing vineyard tour, we tasted 4 GGs.
What we Tasted with Weingut Leitz Cellar Master Manfred Zuffer
2015 Weingut Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Kaisersteinfels “Terrassen” GG Trocken
Schatzi Wines: The Kaisersteinfels (1.2 ha) is the last terraced vineyard in the Rheingau, except for a .3 ha portion of Rottland. The vineyard never underwent Flurbereinigung in the 1960s—a legal rectification of vineyard holdings meant to reunite parcels that were splintered as a result of the Napoleonic Code inheritance law. This site was basically abandoned as a result of the aforementioned, coupled by it's location; Kaisersteinfels lies just beneath the tree line at the top of the mountain, overlooking the confluence of the Nahe and Rhine Rivers. Being at a higher altitude, the fruit ripens exceptionally late and is often the last vineyard to be picked. The soil is nearly an equal mix of quartzite and red slate and the oldest vines exceed 70 years of age.
2015 Weingut Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck “Katerloch” GG Trocken
Schatzi Wines: The "Katerloch," or “Devil’s Hole,” is the amphitheater portion of the mountain that appears as though it was carved out of the slope of the Rüdesheimer Berg. These are some of Leitz’s steepest holdings alongside Schlossberg, with up to 65° inclines. Katerloch is always the coolest and leanest of the GG’s, typically expressing aromas of lime citrus, fennel and wintergreen alongside firm acid structure.
2015 Weingut Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland “Hinterhaus” GG Trocken
Schatzi Wines: "Hinterhaus," or “back yard,” is situated directly behind the heart of the village. This is always the first of the Rüdesheimer Berg sites to ripen because it is at the base of the mountain, catches the reflection off the Rhine and is comprised of slate soil, known for it's ability to retain heat. Rottland is recognized for its exotic yellow fruit and distinctive mineral structure. It is Leitz’s most full- bodied riesling of the dry range.
Stuart Pigott/ www.jamessuckling.com: 2015 BERG ROTTLAND GG - 93 points: Leitz´s BERG ROTTLAND has more ripe peachy fruit than any other wine from the Berg (mountain) sites of Rüdesheim in this vintage. That gives it a unique juiciness that makes it immediately appealing.Moderate acidity in this context.
2015 Weingut Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg "Ehrenfels" Riesling GG Trocken
Schatzi Wines: The Ehrenfels are the iconic castle ruins that sit atop the Rüdesheimer Berg's western edge. The 40+ year-old vines produce small berries with high concentration. The Ehrenfels Grosses Gewächs combines power and elegance; it isn’t as tropical as the Hinterhaus, nor as floral as the Katerloch and is right behind Rottland in terms of masculinity.
International Wine Challenge 2017 - 4 times Trophy GOLD: 2015 BERG SCHLOSSBERG GG: Decandent exotic tropical and floral notes. Vibrant limey mid-palate. Finishes with clarity and precision. - Rüdesheimer Trophy, Rheingau Trophy, German White Trophy, International Riesling Trophy
Bye-bye
Thanks Manfred for a great tour and tastings.
Finishing the 4 Leitz GGs
The following day, we spent the evening and stayed overnight at Steigenberger Hotel in Bad Neuenahr. Excellent spa facilities using the hot springs of the spa town Bad Neuenahr and the location at the Kurpark near the banks of the Ahr river make this hotel very special. The evening was free for us to explore the charming spa town which is famous for its hot springs. We ended up re-tasting the 4 Weingut Johannes Leitz GGs that we had tasted in the Rüdesheimer Berg a few days ago with Leitz Cellar Master Manfred Zuffer.
Postings: Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential German Riesling and the Northernmost Pinot Noir (Posted and Forthcoming)
Germany-North Tour 2017 by ombiasy WineTours: Quintessential German Riesling and the Northernmost Pinot Noir
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