I can confidently say that Battenfield-Spanier is, by far, the best Riesling estate in Germany that is not exported to America. To be honest, I am in shock and utter dismay that Riesling lovers have not, up until this point, been able to...
I can confidently say that Battenfield-Spanier is, by far, the best Riesling estate in Germany that is not exported to America. To be honest, I am in shock and utter dismay that Riesling lovers have not, up until this point, been able to taste these absolutely brilliant wines.But I cannot focus on the past. The present is now, and as moon beam people like to say, a gift, but I truly feel that as I introduce you to wines of Battenfield-Spanier, I am sharing a gift with you.Today, with no exaggeration whatsoever, I am offering one of the finest "village" Riesling being made in Germany today, the 2012 Battenfield-Spanier Riesling Molsheim, for as little as $22.99 a bottle. Please do not let the inexpensive price fool you. This drinks like a $40-$50 bottle of dry Riesling and would cost $35-$40 if I didn't buy it direct from the winery. It's their second most expensive wine after the Grosses Gewachs which would retail for $85. A deal like this will NEVER come around again. You all have one shot, because I am raising the price next year! I could not get over how outrageously delicious, complex and drinkable this bottle was. The quality/price ratio is straight up absurd. Battenfield-Spanier's top Grosses Gewachs were among the best at the Wiesbaden tasting last year but I wanted to start with this wine so that everyone could afford to try them. I've been dreaming of offering an elite German wine for this price for years but could never do so because my cost in traditional retail stores was $25 and up. I've always wanted to sell a wine of this quality at this price to allow everyone to try the brilliance that is elite dry German Riesling; this is the wine I've been dreaming of selling.This is what every village Riesling in Germany should strive to be. Besides slate, Riesling also has an affinity with limestone and I cannot think of a better example than this. Perfect tension between fruit, minerality and acid. And, oh what acids. This is the first vintage since 2008 where I really feel the acids on my palate. So zingy, salty and tangy. So tense. Amazingly pure citrus fruits that are more on the pith side than the fleshy fruit side. The Rheinhessen is hotter than the Mosel so there is a some tropical fruit expression as well.The wine is so clean you cannot believe it. This is a powerful and substantial wine that can offer stunning mineral complexity to those who look for it, but also has fantastic fruit expression for those not into Talmudic discussions of wines. This is like drinking 1er Cru Chablis from an elite producer from a classic year like 2002 or 2000.Battenfield-Spanier is co-owned by Carolin Spanier-Gillot (who has her own fine estate, Kuhling-Gillot) with her husband H.O. Spanier. Since they are married, some of the winery functions have been combined, such as the gorgeous tasting room and marketing. Each winery cannot be be more different in terms of style. I tasted them side by side with Caroline's father going back and forth and could not believe the differences. A fascinating exercise in terroir.They are located in the Rheinhessen in which are three main departments. Bingen, Nierstein and the rest is called the Wonnegau, which is the southern most part of the the Rheinhessen, near Worms. It has been much maligned in its history because most growers were about quantity (Liebfraumilch anybody?) and not quality till around 20 years ago. The wines of the Wonnegau and the wines of the Bingen/Nierstein area have about as much in common as a tiger does with a bear. Yes, they are both mammals, but that's where it ends. Yes, they make Riesling in the Bingen/Nierstein area and yes they make Riesling in the Wonnegau, but that is where the similarities end. The Rheinhessen is over 25,00 hectares and there are tons of different terroirs.Located in Hohen-Suelzen, Battenfield-Spanier farm 24 hectares biodynamically and they have some of the most beautiful steep vineyards I have ever seen in the Rheinhessen. This means they want
