This wine pushes all boundaries and breaks all the rules in terms of its making.
The viticulture is normal, conservative and fairly traditional; old vines grown on mussel chalk in the Rheinhessen, very low yields and fastidious hand picking at near perfect ripeness.
But then the fun starts! Crushing and "skin / juice contact" for an extended period (extracting extra flavour and texture from the skins), followed by a simple racking to allow a high quantity of "solids" (sediment, sludge, call it what you like) in the juice. Then a "wild" ferment done in the time-honoured, "old-fashioned" large oak barrels (a more oxidative process allowing the wine to "breathe") followed by almost 12 months of the wine "resting on" / "feeding off" the lees sediment (to keep freshness and add flavour). Then Voila, the wine is bottled and rested for 6 months.
Now here it is, surprisingly vibrant, fresh and "nervy". It is full of lively tropical and peach fruit, backed up by good texture, a hint of doughy / yeasty complexity and lively acidity, then kept in check by near perfect balance. This is a high quality and very beguiling dry white! RANDALL.
|
