Description
This is just the third vintage for this unknown limestone dominant 1er cru wine from the high plateau village of Leistadt, behind the Steinacker vineyard and up against the forest. As commercial winemaking has not been practiced much in this neck of the woods, moreso a place for micro plots belonging to several families that continue to make wine on a hobbyist basis, this is comprised of 7 small parcels averaging 50+ years of age which aren’t even planted in organized linear rows. From the first whiff, I was cooing with delight, as it is just sooooo pretty. It is gorgeously red fruited and spicy, and is just freakin’ outstanding limestone driven Pinot Noir with a bit more fleshiness than the Steinacker example which follows. I found it to be an outstanding success this year, and a fascinating example of a place that no one has really ever heard of……A little * awarded here. Bravo!
“From 49-year-old vines on clayey loam soils over limestone, the 2018 Spätburgunder Leistadter Kalkofen is concentrated and spicy on the very intense, complex yet delicate and nicely reductive iodine-scented nose. The Rings brothers have no idea about the clones planted in this old plot but say that the grapes are small like a fist and that the berries have very thick skins. Full-bodied and generous on the palate, this is a concentrated, fleshy and sensual Pinot with juicy fruit, remarkable mineral freshness and a long, intense, beautifully aromatic finish with cherry, dark berry and fine toasty notes in the aftertaste. The tannins are fine, fresh and perfectly interwoven with the body and refined limestone acidity. Fermented with 10% whole clusters. Aged for 15 months in Burgundian pièces, this was scheduled to be bottled in June. Tasted as a sample at the domain in March and in Bremen four weeks later. Release date: December 2020.” 92-93 Stephan Reinhardt for the 2018, NOT THE 2020 OFFERED HERE.