WTN: '03 Leitz Riesling Spatlese

[Rieslingfan]

Forgive the two line title, but the whole wine name won't fit in the topic line.

First a little background. I have been waiting for this wine since last September. Laura and I visited with Johannes Leitz on the very day they were picking the grapes for this wine. We visited the vineyard and spoke with the vineyard workers. We watched the grapes come in and tasted the juice from a TBA that was selected out from the clean grapes for this spatlese. Before I had ever tasted this wine it held a special place in my heart. It did not come from a hallowed terroir, but from a spot on the earth that has been well cared for by Johannes Leitz.

So I was at my favorite haunt of Table & Vine. After drinking a number of closed and tannic (but otherwise quite excellent) Bordeaux, I wanted to check this Riesling out.

Well after about two sips I was sold. This wine had so much better balance and freshness that any of the 2003s I had tasted the prior weekend. It had that penetrating quality that I found in the 2001s and the best 2002s. Somewhat spritzy and with great acidity, it danced around my palate, with full, fresh peach flavors. No it was not the most complex Riesling I had ever tasted, but for $16 I got two things: a very fine wine and a great memory.

I walked out with a case of memories.