2000 Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Schloßberg Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Rheingau (4/18/2017)
"The wine will always have the last word."
I don't exactly recall if that is a Terry Theise quote, or if it's Terry quoting David Schildknecht. Either way it's an apt quote for this wine.
2000 was pretty much the worst German vintage of the last 20, so hopes were not high. I was surprised at the liveliness of the wine, and that it had not been subsumed by its botrytis. The overall palate weight was classic spatlese versus some overweight behemoth. Roasted peach and brown spices dominated the initial aromatics, but they lightened up with some air, and became fresher! After more time the wine picked up a flavor of wheat toast, which I was not expecting in a Riesling. Overall a very interesting bottle that exceeded (admittedly low, considering the vintage) expectations.