WTN: Henry Winkeler

[David M. Bueker]

2015 Weingut Spreitzer Winkeler Jesuitengarten Riesling feinherb Alte Reben - Germany, Rheingau (9/15/2019)
So what the heck is feinherb?

Who cares, this wine is amazing!

Combine the richness of a Grosses Gewachs, with the effortless balance that judicious residual sugar brings to so many German Rieslings, and you have a masterpiece. I drank it with a couple of courses, and it danced with each one. With one dish it seemed almost completely dry. With the other it showed a little more of the sweetness. In both cases it finished with a completely dry taste, and a lingering breadth of flavor. Expansive is the best word for it. With such immense depth and impeccable balance, this wine could potentially age for decades. There is no way I won't drink it all up long before it reaches some mythical apogee.

Funny you should make this post because I was just looking over some wines for an order and a bunch of 14s and 15s (including this one) were available from Spreitzer. Not one of my core producers so I didn't give too much consideration. But the prices are fair and this note is strong, so I may have to give it a try!

[David M. Bueker]

Definitely 2015 over 2014.

Big Rheingau fan here so appreciate the TN.

Your post reminded me of drinking an assortment of Pradikat wines in the 1980's from Von Brentano, also in the Rheingau. My favorite vineyard there was Winkeler Hasensprung or jumping rabbit if memory serves. Love that name.

2015 Weingut Spreitzer Winkeler Jesuitengarten Riesling feinherb Alte Reben - Germany, Rheingau (9/15/2019)
...this wine is amazing.

Finally opened my first bottle last night and it was indeed amazing. Like you, I was a big fan of the combination of rich depth and fine elegance. My only quibble was that the texture was a bit too juicy and seemed a tad awkward. 24 hours later it had sharpened into focus and was showing its best. So, while I'm never one to hold out for a mythical apogee, at least based on this first bottle I will either give the next ones plenty of air or be happy to wait a bit to open more.

Howdy..can add a little something here!
Enjoyed the 2018 Spreitzer Winkler Jesuitengarten Halbtrocken at a pot luck dinner 2 weeks ago. ...with shrimp pad thai. Nice aromas of fresh fruit, tingling citrus. Good acidity, good length, mineral and savoury tones. "Apple and peach" noted fellow taster. I thought this was excellent value at $40 Cdn.

I don't think I ever had a Spreitzer
I see Spreitzer Oestricher Muschkalk trocken at cheap at a local store.

[David M. Bueker]

Never? Wow. Spreitzer is on my annual buy list.

2015 Weingut Spreitzer Winkeler Jesuitengarten Riesling feinherb Alte Reben - Germany, Rheingau (9/15/2019)
...this wine is amazing.

Finally opened my first bottle last night and it was indeed amazing. Like you, I was a big fan of the combination of rich depth and fine elegance. My only quibble was that the texture was a bit too juicy and seemed a tad awkward. 24 hours later it had sharpened into focus and was showing its best. So, while I'm never one to hold out for a mythical apogee, at least based on this first bottle I will either give the next ones plenty of air or be happy to wait a bit to open more.

Had another bottle over the past two days and it was just as amazing as the first. I was even tempted to say that the wine was perfect. Of course I don't mean that in an absolute sense. But it had so many things going on.

A ripe dose of golden fruit that fills the mouth. Firm mineral structure to provide focus and encourage more drinking. Plus, the slight sugar feinherb kiss that melds so well with food. And, to top it all off, enough character so that I don't get bored (although that develops in more detail on day 2)

Very impressive.

I can't remember having much experience with Spreitzer. Is this bottling always so impressive or was this a lucky year?

[David M. Bueker]

It’s a relatively new bottling. So far, so good though.