Weingut Rings, 2015 Riesling, Pfalz, Kallstadter Saumagen GG, trocken
I usually take importer Robert Panzer’s effusive notes with a grain of salt, but boy did he nail this one: “This stuff is rock star good to my taste.” This dry Riesling really grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and forced me to pay attention. I’m not an expert about German Riesling and the intricacies of the various vineyards and sugar levels. All I can say is this wine is flat-out delicious and an amazing value for an under $50 Grand Cru white from Germany. I’ve been in a slight wine rut lately, and this set me free. It’s the most compelling wine I’ve tasted this year. (I know it’s only January but …)
It’s a testament to the proportion and the push-pull of great wines. It’s built on a bedrock of limestone/marl but quickly unfurls succulent fruits (white nectarine) and rich minerals. It’s a yin-yang wine: It’s broad but really deep. It’s full but weightless. It’s charming but intense. It’s complex but simple. It hints at sweetness (in a dry trocken style) but is salty as well. The finish is outstanding, with a cleansing chalky wash and very subtle notes of honeysuckle and just a hint of sugar – like the smallest dab of perfume on a woman’s wrist. The color is like that of a yellow diamond.
I know I’m gushing and don’t want to oversell, but try a Rings wine if you can. The texture, the balance! These two young brothers have a promising future based on this exciting wine.
Some pictures below. Not wild about the label – looks like the eerie art from the film “The Ring.” But the wine itself …
