Riesling Spätlese (dry) Kallstadter Saumagen «R»

2017 allowed wines to grow in a way that Mother Nature rarely allows. The temperatures during the growth phase were very similar to 2015 and 2016, with the difference that some rain fell before the harvest. Yes, rain, at the right moment it acts like a ripeness booster. As a result, the grapes were not only phenolically ripe in 2017, but the must weights were also higher, resulting in great, harmonious wines, wines like this Spätlese R. At Koehler-Ruprecht, "R" stands for Reserve, for the best wines of the vintage, which were not necessarily aged longer in the barrel, no, but were given more time to mature in the bottle. For me, this wine is the perfect Riesling, a classic wine, vinified free of modern cellar techniques, which is already so impressive on the nose that you have to concentrate directly on the palate to become aware of all the complex textures and aromas of this fabulously mineral wine. Breathtaking!