TN: Schloss Vollrads 2014 Riesling Spatlese Rheingau

[Tran_Bronstein]

Berserkers,

Really hot end of April here in TO, 17 degrees Celsius today. So looking forward to summer and white wines galore, especially Riesling. Now normally I’d open something different after having just opened a Riesling previously if you saw my previous note on the Dr. Burklin-Wolf 09 Jesuitengarten G.C… However, a Riesling Spatlese just came in this weekend to the LCBO and I couldn’t resist.

To give you background, when I first started collecting wine in 2010, the LCBO reliably brought in quality Spatleses on a regular basis with the occasional Kabinett and rare Auslese pretty much every single bi-weekly release. Within the last 2 years, however, there has been a notable dropoff in their purchasing of quality German Riesling and Alsacian wine where there have been virtually no Spatleses anymore and a Kabinett showing up once in a while. Don’t even get your hopes up for an Auslese.

On the one hand, they’re saving me a lot of money. On the other, it’s extremely aggravating and whoever is doing the buying should be shot. So when a Riesling Spatlese actually does show up, of course I’m going to stock up and grab some bottles. It certainly doesn’t hurt that it’s one of my favorite producers for both what’s inside and outside of the bottle:

SCHLOSS VOLLRADS 2014 RIESLING SPATLESE RHEINGAU

SUMMARY: A super clean, sweet and low-ABV German Riesling with laser-like acidity and focus. Loses a point or two due to some sweetness that would have been better off being turned into alcohol to give the body more texture.

I first became familiar with this producer in 2011 when I first purchased their 07 Riesling Spatlese and found to my surprise when I opened it that the producer used Vino-lok glass stoppers to seal their bottles. This was my first exposure to this type of closure and I have been deeply in love with them ever since.

In the glass, this is an extremely light straw gold color in the glass and is awfully close to crystal clear. In fact, I had to turn on the lights to photograph it because in low light it actually did look like water. On the nose, it smells like a fresh green apple. Not a hint of petrol. At all. I’m wondering if I opened this too young, or maybe it’s just really well made.

In the mouth, the body is extremely light – maybe even too light. There’s very little weight or viscosity to the body thanks to the low 7.5% ABV and the texture is only slightly more present on your palate than that of water. On the palate, you are immediately hit with a clean and refreshing laser sharp bracing acidity and gorgeous and intense lemon-lime and green apple flavors. It all hits like a wave and then the acidity recedes and lets the sweet fruit mellow out on your tongue for a bit though it never truly fades away. That’s not my palate getting used to the wine either, every sip immediately starts out with that refreshing acidity right off the bat without fail. Sweetness is somewhat high at 72 g/L of RS.

This is a gorgeous Spatlese and should be served well-chilled if you want to cut down on the sweetness. The only complaint I would have is that I felt the body was far too light even for a Spatlese and would have liked to see some of the sugars turned into more alcohol for some more texture. I personally feel that there is a point when a wine doesn’t actually feel like one anymore because the ABV is too low and 7.5% is pretty much the sweet spot of that point. Now granted there are wines that have even lower ABV but these often have carbonation to make up for that and fortify the texture, like a Moscato D’Asti or Brachetto D’Acqui. I would’ve preferred the sweetness lowered to between 30 and 50 g/L of RS and the alcohol kicked way up. Still this is a minor quibble. Very good Spatlese. RECOMMENDED

[Paul_Savage]

Thanks for the report, I haven’t had any recent vintages, but the older ones produced some delicious classics! Try giving these Germans a long slow-O in the fridge - like 12+ hours or even overnight. That will often increase the apparent body of the wine…

[David_Bu3ker]

I recently had their 2015 Kabinett. It was very good, though in no way a standout.

[RichardFlack]

@Tran Bronstein

Berserkers,

Really hot end of April here in TO, 17 degrees Celsius today. So looking forward to summer and white wines galore, especially Riesling. Now normally I’d open something different after having just opened a Riesling previously if you saw my previous note on the Dr. Burklin-Wolf 09 Jesuitengarten G.C… However, a Riesling Spatlese just came in this weekend to the LCBO and I couldn’t resist.

To give you background, when I first started collecting wine in 2010, the LCBO reliably brought in quality Spatleses on a regular basis with the occasional Kabinett and rare Auslese pretty much every single bi-weekly release. Within the last 2 years, however, there has been a notable dropoff in their purchasing of quality German Riesling and Alsacian wine where there have been virtually no Spatleses anymore and a Kabinett showing up once in a while. Don’t even get your hopes up for an Auslese.

On the one hand, they’re saving me a lot of money. On the other, it’s extremely aggravating and whoever is doing the buying should be shot. So when a Riesling Spatlese actually does show up, of course I’m going to stock up and grab some bottles. It certainly doesn’t hurt that it’s one of my favorite producers for both what’s inside and outside of the bottle:

SCHLOSS VOLLRADS 2014 RIESLING SPATLESE RHEINGAU

SUMMARY: A super clean, sweet and low-ABV German Riesling with laser-like acidity and focus. Loses a point or two due to some sweetness that would have been better off being turned into alcohol to give the body more texture.

I first became familiar with this producer in 2011 when I first purchased their 07 Riesling Spatlese and found to my surprise when I opened it that the producer used Vino-lok glass stoppers to seal their bottles. This was my first exposure to this type of closure and I have been deeply in love with them ever since.

In the glass, this is an extremely light straw gold color in the glass and is awfully close to crystal clear. In fact, I had to turn on the lights to photograph it because in low light it actually did look like water. On the nose, it smells like a fresh green apple. Not a hint of petrol. At all. I’m wondering if I opened this too young, or maybe it’s just really well made.

In the mouth, the body is extremely light – maybe even too light. There’s very little weight or viscosity to the body thanks to the low 7.5% ABV and the texture is only slightly more present on your palate than that of water. On the palate, you are immediately hit with a clean and refreshing laser sharp bracing acidity and gorgeous and intense lemon-lime and green apple flavors. It all hits like a wave and then the acidity recedes and lets the sweet fruit mellow out on your tongue for a bit though it never truly fades away. That’s not my palate getting used to the wine either, every sip immediately starts out with that refreshing acidity right off the bat without fail. Sweetness is somewhat high at 72 g/L of RS.

This is a gorgeous Spatlese and should be served well-chilled if you want to cut down on the sweetness. The only complaint I would have is that I felt the body was far too light even for a Spatlese and would have liked to see some of the sugars turned into more alcohol for some more texture. I personally feel that there is a point when a wine doesn’t actually feel like one anymore because the ABV is too low and 7.5% is pretty much the sweet spot of that point. Now granted there are wines that have even lower ABV but these often have carbonation to make up for that and fortify the texture, like a Moscato D’Asti or Brachetto D’Acqui. I would’ve preferred the sweetness lowered to between 30 and 50 g/L of RS and the alcohol kicked way up. Still this is a minor quibble. Very good Spatlese. RECOMMENDED

Nice note, TY. But a bit premature on the weather here… 6 degrees today!!

[bob_parsons_alberta]

Nice note. Apart from one store downtown here in Edmonton, pickings are aweful so I always enjoy reading what other folks are finding on the shelves down south, east and west!!