Erbacher Michelmark Riesling Spätlese 2015

The Winzer von Erbach winery is located in the heart of the Rheingau , where some of the most famous historic German Rieslings are produced. Situated along the Rhine, the deep gravelly loam, loess and thick marl soils of the "Erbacher Michelmark" terroir create a dense, multi-layered Riesling with bright fruit and minerality. This wine is made mainly from Riesling grapes picked in late harvest . These grapes have therefore reached a higher level of maturity, indicated in German by the term "spätlese". In the vineyard, there is therefore precise work to select the bunches. The juice is delicately pressed, fermented at low temperature in stainless steel vats and followed by a long aging on fine lees to provide substance to the wine. On the palate, we immediately sense the brightness of the Riesling carried by aromas of green apples , yellow peach , apricot , Mirabelle plum, citrus peel , dried flowers , flint and petroleum . It is generous while being perfectly balanced by a chiselled acidity which brings a salivating and racy length.

Germany has a long and illustrious history of viticulture. The Romans established the country's first vineyards along the banks of the Moselle River, near the present-day city of Trier. In the third century AD, plantations spread to various neighboring valleys, mainly those of the tributaries of the Moselle. In the Middle Ages, the Christian church, particularly the Cistercian and Benedictine monasteries, had a great influence on the development of viticulture and the production of quality wine in Germany. Germany has always been renowned for its excellent white wines: a little sweet, low in alcohol but always of high quality. However, in recent years, wine drinkers have tended to prefer drier wines. Consequently, the German market has evolved to cater to all tastes with some splendid dry Rieslings and other varieties of other white wine, such as Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer and Grauburgunder. Hotter summers and milder winters have also favored rosés and reds, with Pinot Noir being the third most planted grape variety in the country. So make your choice, from traditional Rieslings to great reds, the range is wide and still growing. The German wine industry lost its way in terms of quality during the 20th century, expanding plantings to less favorable sites and increasing yields to levels where quality was severely compromised. However, Germany's largest wine producers were never completely lost and since the end of the 20th century, considerable efforts have been made to restore Germany's former glory. Yields are now limited by law and many leading producers have joined forces to form the VDP association (see German wine labels). Members of the VDP association are required by members to focus their efforts on quality rather than quantity. In terms of volume, Germany is among the top ten countries in the world for annual wine production. Just over 60% of the wine produced is white, and it is widely accepted that the white wines from Germany's best sites and most renowned producers are among the greatest in the world. Germany's red wines are also growing in popularity and quality, particularly those from Spätburgunder, the local name for Pinot Noir. The second most popular red grape variety (in terms of hectares planted, at least) is Dornfelder.