The Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), organized and led by Annette Schiller, took place from September 6 – 12, 2015. The group was small - there were 7 of us, including Annette and Christian Schiller.
The tour took us to the Rheingau, Mittelrhein, Ahr, Mosel and Nahe. In the Rheingau, we visited 5 producers: Baron Knyphausen, Barth, Spreitzer, Bardong and Schloss Johannisberg.
I already provided and overview and reported about the visits of Baron Knyphausen and Barth:
Tour and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Tour and Wine Tasting with Lunch, with Mark Barth at Wein- und Sektgut Barth in Hattenheim, Rheingau– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
This posting covers Weingut Spreitzer. Bernd Spreitzer was our host.
Weingut Spreitzer
VDP (this is how they introduce themselves in the members list of the VDP – the association of about 200 elite winemakers in Germany): For Bernd and Andreas Spreitzer, the subject of wine is at once joie de vivre and a philosophy of life. They see their customers’ degree of drinking pleasure as the result of a symbiosis of nature and winemaking skill. Their 21 hectares (49 acres) of vines are planted with the Rheingau?s classic varietals, Riesling (97%) and Spätburgunder.
The grapes for Prädikat wines are harvested by hand in order to ensure that only ripe fruit makes its way to the cellar. After whole-cluster pressing, hand in hand with a pre-clarification of the must to minimize sediment and bitter elements, the juice is transfered to wooden casks or temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks for fermentation and aging. The results: aromatic Rieslings that regularly number among the best of the Rheingau.
Vineyards
All of their top vineyard parcels lie within the original boundaries of the named vineyard (the 1971 consolidation grouped vineyards smaller than 5 hectares together).
The Lenchen vineyard in Oestrich is composed mostly of loam and loess soils. Numerous underground streams here ensure that even in dry seasons the vines are guaranteed a natural source of water. Within the Lenchen rests the two smaller parcels, Rosengarten and Eiserberg. Rosengarten, the ‘filet piece’ of the Lenchen, is a tiny parcel on lower elevation between the Rhein River and the Spreitzer’s home, and typically expresses characteristics of full fruit. Eiserberg sits in the most northeastern corner of Lenchen and maintains very old vines planted amongst red, iron-rich stones. Eiserberg was categorized by the Prussians in the 1860’s as being amongst the highest in quality, and due to its exposition and rich loess-loam soils it produces fruit of sufficient ripeness.
The Oestricher Doosberg vineyard is also composed mostly loam and loess soils, with the addition of quartzite, and sits at an elevation of 600 meters.
Other vineyards include the Winkeler Jesuitgarten, an early ripening site alongside the Rhein with a south to southwest exposure, and Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen, a top site located west of Oestrich.
Winemaking Philosophie
Bernd Spreitzer explained: Viticulture practices are as natural as possible at Weingut Spreitzer and include alternating cover crops of herbs, greens, and lentils in the summer with grains in the winter. The wines are vinified in the cellar that was built in 1743. Weingut Spreitzer strives to maintain fruit and finesse by cleaning the must by gravity for 24 hours after whole-cluster pressing, then allowing the wines to rest on their gross lees and only filtering once. Mostly ambient yeasts are employed for fermentation in both temperature controlled stainless steel and 1200 liter casks of German wood, called Stückfass.
•Vineyard area: 21 hectares
•Annual production: 8,500 cases
•Vineyard holdings: Oestrich - Lenchen (loam, loess, gravel) Doosberg (loam, loess); Winkel - Jesuitengarten (loam, loess); Hattenheim - Wisselbrunnen (loam, loess)
Tasting
The wines are available in the US through Terry Theise (Skurnik).
2014 Weingut Spreitzer Riesling Trocken
2014 Weingut Spreitzer Oestricher Doosberg Riesling Kabinett Trocken
2014 Weingut Spreitzer Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Kabinett Trocken
2014 Weingut Spreitzer Oestricher Doosberg Alte Reben Riesling Trocken
2014 Weingut Spreitzer Charta Rheingau Riesling
2014 Weingut Spreitzer Oestricher Rosengarten Riesling VDP:Grosses Gewächs
2014 Weingut Spreitzer Hattenheimer Wisselbrunn Riesling VDP.Grosses Gewächs
2014 Weingut Spreitzer Oestricher Lenchen Spätlese 303
The Spreitzer’s flagship Riesling, 303, is so named due to a record breaking ripeness of 303 degrees Öchsle achieved in 1920 within the Eiserberg vineyard – a record that stood until the 2003 heat wave that swept over Europe. The 303 today still comes from the Eisenberg, but rarely hits must weights above Spätlese level.
Bye-bye
Thanks Bernd for a wonderful tasting.
Postings on the Germany-South Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015) (Posted and Forthcoming)
4 Wine Tours by ombiasy coming up in 2015: Germany-East, Germany-South. Germany-Nord and Bordeaux
Fall Tours by ombiasy WineTours 2015 - A Very Special Treat: Experience Harvest Time !
Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015), Germany
Tour and Tasting at Weingut Baron Knyphausen in Erbach, Rheingau - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Wine and Music at Eberbach Abbey in the Rheingau - Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Tour and Wine Tasting with Lunch, with Mark Barth at Wein- und Sektgut Barth in Hattenheim, Rheingau– Germany-North Tour by ombiasy WineTours (2015)
Tour and Tasting at Weingut Josef Spreitzer in Oestrich, Rheigau
Wine Tasting at Weingut Toni Jost in Bacharach, Mittelrhein
Cruise on the Rhine River from Bacharach to Boppard, Mittelrhein
Wine Tasting at Weingut J.J.Adeneuer in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Ahr
Vineyard Walk and Tasting at Weingut Meyer-Näkel in Dernau, Ahr
Wine Tasting at Weingut Dr. Loosen in Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel
Wine Tasting at Weingut St. Urbans-Hof in Leiwen, Mosel
Vineyard Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Weingut Van Volxem in Wiltingen, Saar, Mosel
Wine Tasting at Weingut Hexamer, in Monzingen, Nahe
Tour and Tasting at Weingut Gut Hermannsberg, in Niederhausen, Nahe
Tour and Wine Dinner at Weingut Kruger-Rumpf in Münster-Sarmsheim, Nahe
Tour and Tasting at Sektmanufaktur Bardong in Geisenheim, Rheingau
Tour, Tasting and Lunch at Domaine Schloss Johannisberg in Geisenheim, Rheingau