Clusserath-Weiler Riesling -S- Spatlese

Clusserath-Weiler is a small, family run winery in the town of Trittenheim.  Their 5 hectares of vineyards include pieces of the famous Apotheke and Altarchen vineyards in Trittenheim, as well as a portion of the Zellerberg vineyard in nearby Mehring.  They grow only Riesling, with average yields of 67 hl per hectare.  Their average annual production is about 40,000 bottles.  They use all natural yeasts for fermentation, and large neutral oak casks and stainless steel vats for aging.  Helmut Clusserath harvests no grapes below the Spatlese level, however he reserves this designation only for wines well above the normal ripeness for the designation.  His HC Estate Riesling is in fact a Spatlese.

The Riesling -S- Spatlese is made from fruit entirely from the Mehringer Zelleberg site and is an incredibly complex wine with classic aromas of leechy, citrus, stone fruits, minerals, and white flowers.  The wine is rich and round in the mouth and slightly lower in acidity than usual, due to the heat in the 2003 vintage.  From other vintners a wine of this intensity would probably be designated Auslese.