We aim to have all wines be vintage specific. In the case the listed vintage is out of stock and you note you would like that particular vintage, we will inform you via email for approval to go ahead.
js96
James Suckling – “A great riesling Spätlese with an extremely wide spectrum of aromas from red apple to mandarin orange with a touch of exotic fruit and flowers. Super-racy acidity that gives this a diamond brightness that makes you glad to be alive. Very clean and precise finish. From organically grown grapes.” - Stuart Pigott, JamesSuckling.com
About This Wine
Organic. Mandelgarten is a tear-shaped site on the northern border of the tiny Gimmeldingen village, next-door to Haardt. Widely regarded as the best vineyard of the southern Mittelhaardt, Mandelgarten sits on a red sandstone deposit with a deep water vein underneath, providing mineral nourishment to the vines. Müller-Catoir farms 1.5 hectares of this terroir, although much of it is planted to the Scheurebe variety. The vineyard is named after the almond trees that blossomed here in the Middle Ages.
| Type | White Wine |
|---|---|
| Varietal(s) | Riesling |
| Country | Germany |
| Region | Pfalz |
| Brand | Müller-Catoir |
| Vintage | 2021 |
About German Wines
Germany is the world’s northernmost fine wine producing region and thus requires its vines to endure some of the coldest temperatures. Fortunately, the country’s star variety, Riesling, does well in cooler climates and can survive even these freezing winters.
Germany Riesling is classified by ripeness at harvest which is also used to indicate the wine’s level of residual sugar. Picking earlier means the grapes have less time to ripen and the corresponding wines will be on the drier side; while picking later gives the grapes the opportunity full ripen and produce a lusciously sweet Riesling. The classifications from driest to sweetest: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein (ice wine). While not as common to age white wines outside of Chardonnay, top tier German Rieslings can be aged for decades.
Other notable white grape varieties produced in Germany include Müller-Thurgau (a cross between Riesling and Madelaine Royale in the search for varieties that could withstand the extreme temperatures), Grauburguner (Pinot Gris) and Weissburguner (Pinot Blanc). The cooler German climate leads to earlier harvesting in general and gives German wines a distinctive character of higher acidity.
Historically red wine has always been harder to produce in the German climate. However, Pinot Noir grown in slightly warmer pockets of the country, has been highly successful in recent times. Going by the German name, Spätburgunder, German Pinot Noir can be elegant, structured and have vibrant acidity.
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