Georg Breuer - Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling 2017

Weingut Georg Breuer looks back on 130 years of history, beginning in 1880 when it was founded by the Hillebrand and Scholl families. Peter Breuer purchased the property in the early 20^th century, passing it to his son Georg (1910-1982) several years later. Georg renamed the winery, expanded the holdings, and started shipping wines to England and other European countries, building a reputation for the estate and the wines of Rüdesheim. Georg’s sons Heinrich and Bernhard Breuer further expanded the holdings in Rüdesheim and Rauenthal to 15 hectares.

In the 1980s Bernhard Breuer was one of the key members of Charta, an organization formed to promote a drier style of Rheingau wine. Bernhard was a proponent of this style of wine and believed that the Rheingau was perfectly suited to producing very fine, elegant and flavorful dry Rieslings.  He was also a strong advocate for a vineyard classification system based on geology, historical precedent, and quality of wines. His vision raised the standard of the wines at this estate and across the region as a whole.  Tragically, Bernhard passed away suddenly in 2004, at the age of 57.

Today, his daughter Theresa Breuer runs the estate. The estate now spans over 30 hectares, with a majority of the holdings located in the three greatest Grand Crus in Rüdesheim – Berg Schlossberg, Berg Roseneck and Berg Rottland, and the Monopole site, Nonnenberg in Rauenthal. These two distinct villages are a pair of the very finest in the Rheingau, bookending the region from east to west.

The vineyards are farmed using organic methods and are certified by Fair N Green. In the top sites, yields are reduced to between 15-25 hectoliters per hectare with 45hl/ha for the Estate and Village level wines. Physiological and “aroma ripeness” are more important than must weight and the grapes are picked when Theresa and her team feel the fruit is perfect. Botrytis is avoided as the majority of the production is dry. Fermentations are natural or started with pied de cuve; fermentation and élevage is in large used barrels for the top wines and a mix of barrel and steel for the Estate wines. The winemaking at this domaine is very simple and the results from these exceptional vineyards are clear – these are among the very finest wines in Germany.

Fermentation/Aging: Natural fermentation and aging in stainless steel and used oak.

Vineyard: Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck. Soil Type: Phyllite, clay and quartz slate soils.

"The 2017 Riesling Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck is always a late release; the 2017 is the current vintage. It is bottled the year following the harvest but only sold with bottle age. The 2013 vintage was the first to be held back for late release. There are no rules, the 2018 came out in 2022. This year sees the release of 2017. The nose is imbued with a hint of petrol that soon verges into lemon-pervaded beeswax and dried lemon peel. The lemon lift almost has a sinus-clearing vividness; later, wet and dry hay notes complete the picture. The palate brings the same unfrilly honesty: there is something naked and bright about the clean-cut palate with edges of earthy yeast and subtle beeswax. Its texture, however, is strait-laced, clean-cut, concentrated and incisive with vivid stony-earthy depth. It is alluring in a self-possessed, self-evident way with yeasty richness and lemony length. (Bone-dry)" - 95 Points, Vinous

"A very impressively structured, maturing dry riesling that has a touch of toast (some would say petrol), but also stacks of candied-citrus character. Compact structure and racy acidity on the medium- to full-bodied palate. So much drive at the stony finish. From organically grown grapes with Fair'n Green certification. Drink or hold." - 94 Points, James Suckling

Producer: Georg Breuer

Country: Germany

Region: Rheingau

Varietal: Riesling

Appellation: Rheingau

Vintage: 2017

Size: 750ml