WTN: 2001 Weingut Josef Leitz Magdalenenkreuz Kabinett

[David M. Bueker]

2001 Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Magdalenenkreuz Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Rheingau (1/8/2008)
Prompted to open this by a very positive note from Charles Weiss (a palate I know and trust). Well it's certainly not closed down. Very bright apple skin and faint smoke aromas - you can almost feel the aromatics they are so focused. On the palate there is plenty of bracing acidity, tart apple, peach pit and a subtle green herb accent. A little bit of phenolic roughness here, but it's always had that. It catches just a bit in the back of the throat (now I see what David Schildknecht was saying 5 years ago), but not so much as to prevent the next sip, and the one after that, and the one after that. It's a bit young and unevolved to be in my sweet spot (the downside of a consistently cold cellar) but nevertheless an engaging and enjoyable drink. What makes this wine so good is that it tastes like a kabinett. It's light in body (but not in flavor), low in alcohol, has refreshing (to say the least) acidity and dances across the palate. How I have missed those characteristics over most of the last 4 vintage (2004 excepted). (88 pts.)

Thanks David,
I like the Magdalenenkreuz. It is kind of the black sheep of Rüdesheim vineyards in that most others favor wet years and can get supernaturally powerful (and wickedly unbalanced) in droughts. The Magdalenenkreuz seems to be more even-keel because of its relative flatness and deep soil. I've always been a sucker for the Berg Schlossberg and Berg Roseneck for their potential to make great wines in vintages no one really wants to buy (wet harvest years, not heat waves.) What are your impressions?

[David M. Bueker]

Thanks David,
I like the Magdalenenkreuz. It is kind of the black sheep of Rüdesheim vineyards in that most others favor wet years and can get supernaturally powerful (and wickedly unbalanced) in droughts. The Magdalenenkreuz seems to be more even-keel because of its relative flatness and deep soil. I've always been a sucker for the Berg Schlossberg and Berg Roseneck for their potential to make great wines in vintages no one really wants to buy (wet harvest years, not heat waves.) What are your impressions?

I wouldn't necessarily say unbalanced. That is something that can be significantly affected by careful management of the vineyard. The 2003 Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling Spatlese is one of my wines of the vintage for example. But I do agree that the Magdalenenkreuz has advantages in drier years.

One thing that actually makes it tough to define quality in wet vs. dry years is that the producers making commercially available quantities of these sites are all pretty much excellent. I can't recall the last "bad" wine from Leitz, Kesseler or the Johannishof(Eser). Can you?

But to get back to your point, there's some lovely wines from the Berg Schlossberg in 2000. Now there's a poster child for wet vintage.

One thing that actually makes it tough to define quality in wet vs. dry years is that the producers making commercially available quantities of these sites are all pretty much excellent. I can't recall the last "bad" wine from Leitz, Kesseler or the Johannishof(Eser). Can you?

You're right! I've never had a 'bad' wine from any of them from anywhere (save an over-the-hill Weissherbst Sekt from Kesseler.) The only thing Rüdesheim is greater endowed with than excellent vineyards is tourists! I am of course partial to Georg Breuers Berg Schlossberg and Johannishofs Berg Rottland up the hill. Leitz made one of the most savory Berg Schlossberg Spätlese I've ever tasted in '04. I think too that it is Kesselers best Riesling site (not really a surprise), although I just can't imagine using my "Kesseler money" on anything but Spätburgunder, even though his Berg Schlossberg is cheap compared to other producers. Moreover, I'm just happy to see that Rheingau producers are taking leaps and bounds in quality to reclaim past glory. It is really exciting to see the passion emerging from east to west on much of the slope.