Spreitzer
Spreitzer
This Article Contains |
People |
Brothers Andreas and Bernd Spreitzer
Focus |
Textbook Rheingau wines, deep, and layered but also joyful and delicious.
Country |
Germany
Region |
Rheingau
Sub Region/Village |
Oestrich-Winkel
Climate |
Moderate Continental
- Relatively cold winters, hot, medium length, fairly rainy summers, with long, cool, dry autumns.
- This is a special climate for wine in Germany because of four main factors: Aspect, Elevation, and exposure and the River.
- Historically this was the greatest region for white wine in the world. It is warmer than the Mosel, so vintages were more consistent but Its northerly latitude still put it in the cool continental climate zone. This meant perfectly balanced wines with high acid, but ripe intense fruit concentration and the ability to age for… well…ever.
- A bend in the Rhein river means almost the entire Rheingau hillside faces due south, picking up the maximum amount of sunlight and heat available.
- Its moderate to steep slope also helped push ripeness higher, and being along a very wide river, meant reflection of the sun onto the vines for a boost from below.
- Today, what was once a boon, has helped in its waning reputation. Many winemakers continued to push for ripeness in the warming age of climate change, meaning that wines were over ripe, high in alcohol, with low acidities, were generally unbalanced, and not as ageworthy.
- Top producers, like Georg Breuer, have always sought balance above all else, and are one of a handful of estates making brisk, intense wines, which reflect place, but are not over-wrought or flabby.
- White grapes are the majority but there are some great light reds, like Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier that can also ripen well.
- Warmer vintages: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2015 produce wines with lower acidity, higher alcohols, and richer fruit flavors.
- Cooler vintages: 2021, 2013, 2010, 2008 produce what are now considered “classic” cool-climate wines
- 2022 is an enigma. It was hot and very dry for most of the growing season, but rain and long cold fall ended up giving us wines that taste more like “classic” cool-climate wines than rich, ripe wines.
Vineyards |
30 ha in the heart of the Rheingau
- Oestricher Lenchen: Grand Cru, deep löss, veins of sand and marl
- Winkeler Jesuitengarten: Grand Cru, calcerous löss, loam, clay, sand, gravel
- Oestrich Rosengarten: Grand Cru, calcerous loam and shell limestone
- Hallgartener Hendelberg: 1er Cru, multi-colored slate and quartzite
Grape Varieties |
Riesling
- The King of White Grapes.
- High acid, semi aromatic
- A huge variation in style potential from very light and dry, sparkling to the most unctuously sweet wines on the planet.
- Divisive for its high acidity and sugar retaining capabilities
- Perfect in its dynamic nature, ability to transmit the slightest nuance of terroir and being capable of aging for hundreds of years.
Pinot Noir / Spätburgunder
- German Pinot Noir wines are vinified as dry red wines with complex cherry aroma with subtle hints of smoke and almond, slight tannins, and high acidity, with a long finish.
- Had a poor reputation thanks to high yielding, work-horse, clonal material.
- Now Burgundy clones dominate vineyards for the best producers showcasing this incredible variety's true potential.
Farming |
Sustainable
- Alternate cover crops of herbs, greens, and lentils in the summer with grains in the winter
Cellar Work |
Traditional
- Whole cluster, gentle pressing
- Overnight sedimentation
- Long fermenations in temperature controlled stainless steel and old 1,200 L Stück
- Rests on gross lees
- Only filtered once before bottling
About the winery |
Brothers Andreas and Bernd Spreitzer have embraced their wealth of resources to produce Rheingau Rieslings of incredible balance, a feat they liken to walking a tightrope.
With a generational total of 379 years making wine, the Spreitzers have had plenty of practice. Even with all that experience, great balance requires great vineyards. The Spreitzers own prime real estate throughout their sub-region of Oestrich, including the Lenchen vineyard and its most famous parcel, Eisenberg. The secret weapon of Lenchen is its series of underground streams, guaranteeing balance even in the hottest years, an asset in this age of climate change.
With these great terroirs and that generations-long attention to balance, the Spritezer’s achieve some of the most delectable wines in the entire Rheingau, at once beautifully delicate and opulently concentrated.
What do the wines taste like?
Fruity and rich, with a playful, unpolished feel, yet clean and sound. These are wines you want to drink, not fuss over. Excellent with food and capable of long aging in the cellar.