H.O Spanier Winemaker of the Year
- Vinum WeinGuide Deutschland 2018: Carolin Gillot-Spanier and H.O. Spanier
Weingut Kühling-Gillot & Weingut Battenfeld-Spanier
About
"When I founded my wine estate at the age of 20, restoring soil vitality was one of my most important goals.
The grape vine is an interpreter of the relationship between light and earth. I thought that I could do little to influence light processes, therefore I focused on the soil. The conversion of my vineyards in 1993 to ecological cultivation represented a natural and logical step. To my mind, wine should communicate a direct impression of the soil characteristics of the southern Wonnegau: marled chalk and chalk pebbles, all the way to solid limestone. One should be able to experience and taste the rock.
Riesling is my vision. In the Wonnegau, no grape is able to translate light and soil into wine as precisely or succulently. I judge Riesling’s superficial fruitiness to be only a pretense. It is merely an intermediate phase, before the metamorphosis to a true stone wine begins. In reality, a natural Riesling wine is less fruit, and rather much more herbs, spices, saltiness, and flint. That’s why my primary slogan is LIQUID EARTH.” - H.O Spanier
2021 Battenfeld-Spanier Eisquell Riesling
The Eisquell Riesling is the visiting card of our winery, made from selected Riesling grapes from the calcareous steep slopes of the Zellertal around Hohen-Sülzen in Wonnegau. Our Gutsriesling is fermented spontaneously and matured in large old double-barreled barrels and in stainless steel and left on the yeast until spring. The Eisquell Riesling is the entry ticket into the quality pyramid of premium wines from BattenfeldSpanier. With a light straw yellow color, it flows brightly and clearly into the glass. The nose shows notes of stone fruit, white peaches, yellow plums and plums. Spicy flanked by fresh kitchen herbs, it is backed by slightly salty notes. Puristically and clearly and precisely worked, it combines fruit, minerality and haptics on the palate to create crystalline drinking pleasure. Our Eisquell Riesling is the joyful companion for everyday bread and butter to light everyday meals. German quality wine dry.
2021 Battenfeld-Spanier Hohen-Sulzen Riesling
The first location is characterized by first-class vineyards with special characteristics: Hohen-Sülzen is located in the Eisbach valley. The low mountain stream rises from the Donnersberg massif and exerts a significant climatic influence on the valley. The amplitude between day and night temperatures is greater in Hohen-Sülzen than in the other districts. As a result, the wines retain their freshness, elegance and excitement despite the great ripeness of the grapes. The vines grow on pure limestone with a generous layer of loess and are characterized by their ripe fruit, fine flavor and delicate acidity. The wine was selectively hand-picked, fermented spontaneously and aged in single and double-barrels. With bright yellow and green reflections, it flows into the glass with a silver rim. Yellow stone fruit and distinctively spicy notes outline the nose of the Hohen-Sülzener Riesling: peaches, dried apricots and plums fill its fruit basket, followed by dried herbs, light tobacco, laurel and mild spices such as mace and white pepper. On the palate it appears tidy and combines the ripe, juicy fruit with piquant spice and profoundly smoky minerality. A distinctive wine with soft fruit, a saline finish and a precise character of origin. With its precise, cooler style, there are countless variations to accompany fish dishes, sushi or crunchy vegetable potpourri from the wok. German quality wine dry. Laurel and mild spices such as mace and white pepper. On the palate it appears tidy and combines the ripe, juicy fruit with piquant spice and profoundly smoky minerality. A distinctive wine with soft fruit, a saline finish and a precise character of origin. With its precise, cooler style, there are countless variations to accompany fish dishes, sushi or crunchy vegetable potpourri from the wok. German quality wine dry. Laurel and mild spices such as mace and white pepper. On the palate it appears tidy and combines the ripe, juicy fruit with piquant spice and profoundly smoky minerality. A distinctive wine with soft fruit, a saline finish and a precise character of origin. With its precise, cooler style, there are countless variations to accompany fish dishes, sushi or crunchy vegetable potpourri from the wok. German quality wine dry. Cool and refreshing, there are countless variations to accompany fish dishes, sushi or crunchy vegetable potpourri from the wok. German quality wine dry. Cool and refreshing, there are countless variations to accompany fish dishes, sushi or crunchy vegetable potpourri from the wok. German quality wine dry.
2019 Vintage:
“The 2019 vintage is the best vintage I have ever tasted for German riesling in my four-decade career. Like James, my career as a wine critic began in the early 1980s. The first German vintage I tasted as young wines was 1983 and I can’t remember a vintage like that – until now. The 2019 wines, from dry to classic style with natural grape sweetness are simply astonishing quality, which means 2019 is one of the greatest vintages of modern times and will be remembered for decades, possibility generations.”
James Suckling
2019 Battenfeld-Spanier Hohen-Sülzen Kirchenstück Riesling GG
"The 2019 Hohen-Sülzen Kirchenstück Riesling GG is bright and precise on the purely chalky, delicately yeasty and lemon-scented nose. Full-bodied, pure, straight and salty on the palate, this is an elegant and juicy, very stimulating and almost easy-drinking Kirchenstück with remarkable finesse and vitality. It's not as dramatic as the Frauenberg or the Rieslings from the Zellertal, but an excellent Riesling for sure."
92-93+ Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
"Very complex, spicy nose with a whiff of funk adding tension, this is a tightly focused, medium-full bodied wine with a strict tannin structure that may be too much for some, but it delights us. Just wait until it unfurls! Better after 2021.”
96 points Stuart Pigott (JamesSuckling.com)
2019 Battenfeld-Spanier Mölsheimer Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott Riesling Grosses Gewächs
“Rich, lightly honeyed citrus aroma. Complex mix of green fruits, apricot and ripe lemon and a lovely fumy/herbal lift. Crisp-sour freshness makes this more linear than I expected. Masses of freshness and tension and more length than fullness in the mouth. Leaves your palate vibrating. (JH)”
17 / 20 Points. Jancis Robinson
"A touch of funk makes this bold, concentrated dry riesling very exciting. Although there’s an attractive pear note, the herb and fern aromas are far more fascinating. Lovely, very long, silky finish. Better after 2021.”
96 points Stuart Pigott (JamesSuckling.com)
"The 2019 Mölsheim Zellerweg Am Schwarzen Herrgott Riesling GG is intense in color and flavors but still a raw diamond with fine notes of crushed limestones and cool winds. The attack on the palate is pure and fresh, tight and very salty before the wine reveals its complexity and compact structure. This is a very elegant and salty-piquant Riesling with lemon notes and very fine tannins. This is a Riesling with power, purity, finesse and a serious grip. Exciting! Tasted as a barrel sample in April 2020. Drink: 2025-2036.”
94-95 (+) points Stephen Reinhardt (Wine Advocate)
2019 Battenfeld-Spanier, Nieder-Flörsheimer Frauenberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs
“Some sweetness on the nose and a light but intriguing combination of lime and spice on the palate. Chewy finish. Firm and with a strong spine. Needs time.”
16.5 / 20 Points. Jancis Robinson
“Riesling meets Chablis! The barrel sample of the 2019 Nieder-Florsheim Frauenberg Riesling GG is intense and complex on the pure, chalky, floral and nicely reductive nose. Round, charmingly intense and juicy on the palate, this is a refined and silky-textured Frauenberg with a pure, very elegant, stimulatingly precise and salty-crystalline finish. Very promising."
Wine Advocate - 96 - 97 Points
(Image: Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott)
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