About This Wine
While unfettered pleasure is the reflex response elicited by classic Mosel Riesling, the often overt power and disorienting range of Heymann-Löwenstein tends to be more thought-provoking. Or, more realistically, mind-blowing. The Schieferterassen is the cornerstone of the estate’s collection, and is sourced from various terraced, slate-soil vineyards in the region. From the nose to the palate this wine shows a playful synthesis of fine nuances between fragrant fruit and minerals. The palate shows nashi pear, ripe citrus fruits, spice and a wet-slate character. It's piercing, engaging and long.
| Type | White Wine |
|---|---|
| Varietal(s) | Riesling |
| Country | Germany |
| Region | Mosel-Saar-Ruwer |
| Brand | Heymann-Lowenstein |
| Vintage | 2015 |
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 start 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.
The Wine Front – Heymann-Lowenstein is one of those great producers if you wanted a brilliant German riesling introduction or to show a non-believer, Australian riesling tragic that German riesling has drinkability in spades. This wine usually sees some day or so of skin contact, quite a bit of botrytised fruit included. Complexity is a calling card at the bucks. Screwcap too… Quite honeyed, toasty, but still with that scintillating dart of searing acidity to keep you sweating on your forehead with the whoosh of freshness. It shows scents of rockmelon, ripe stone fruits, ripe apple, honey, toast. The palate is soft, spreads on its gentle gloss of honey on fruit character, and yeah, that acidity crackles beneath. Delicious, simply.