Description
When Jean Dirler came to my place to stage a tasting a few years ago, I spoke about how the Spiegel is an underappreciated site, as its doesn’t produce wines that are as demonstrative in their youth (vs the Kessler and Saering whose power/loudness are more “obvious”). However, with ageing, its complexity and mineral stuffing emerge, yielding wines of undeniable class and complexity. At that tasting, Jean called me a great ambassador for the Spiegel. Fast forward to my visit this year, and BOOM, without a doubt, the Spiegel stole the show for exactly this reason, its incipient complexity and class, the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. I on the spot asked for Magnums, knowing that it would be a wine that Riesling lovers would relish together on some special evening down the road. So imagine my pleasure when I read Ian’s note, giving it both the highest rating of the 2017 Riesling collection here, as well as the highest score he has ever given to a Spiegel, and higher than any 2017 Boxler/Weinbach/Mann……What can I say? The proof is in the pudding…..obviously, a little * awarded here. Get it while the gettin’ is good, y’all, and don’t say I didn’t tell ‘ya!!!! Only one 2017 Riesling wine scored higher than this in D’Agata’s report: Trimbach’s Clos Saint Hune got 96. And it is listed for $375 per bottle……
“Bright golden-tinged yellow. Lemongrass, pear and apple aromas are complicated by notes of orange oil and lemon verbena. Very dense and rich, with a multilayered quality to the pure orchard fruit and flinty flavors. Closes long and vibrant, with a repeating note of lemongrass. This is going to age beautifully. Dirler owns both young (7 years old) and old (41 years old, planted in 1977) Riesling vines in this Grand Cru, but he only uses the old vines to make this wine.” 95 Ian D’Agata
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