Weingut Ratzenberger Steeger St. Jost Riesling Grosses Gewachs, Mittelrhein, Germany

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The 2008 Steeger St. Jost Riesling Grosses Gewachs – like its Spatlese trocken counterpart – was slow to finish fermenting and bottled soon after, in August. (When the concept of Grosses Gewachs was introduced, many of those wines were labeled “Spatlese trocken,” yet many estates – either to hedge their bets vis-a-vis the new category or to maximize stylistic diversity – bottled a non-Grosses Gewachs Spatlese trocken in parallel. Today, Ratzenbergers are among the few growers who still do this, and the Mittelrhein among the only branches of the VDP to even permit it.) Grapefruit and orange with their zests are tinged with salt for a pungent and invigorating display, and despite this wines enhanced (12.5%) alcoholic weight and textural sense of lees enrichment vis-a-vis its Spatlese trocken counterpart, it boasts considerable refreshing primary fruit juiciness, and finishes with real grip and sappy persistence. The Spatlese trocken – from younger vines and 2-3 rather than 1-2 clusters per vine – is airier, more open, dynamic, buoyant, and charming, not only today but – I suspect – over the 10-12 years during which one might expect to follow them both. When you taste a collection like this year’s from the two Jochen Ratzenbergers, you have to wonder why their wines’ consistent quality; track record for aging; and frequently stellar performances do not make this one of the most talked-about estates in Germany. (Maybe I shouldn’t wish that on us!) In fact, they are quite well-respected at home, but I think there is a certain snobbishness that rebounds against even the best Mittelrhein Riesling because this region’s precious half-timbered villages and crenellated slopes spell “tourist country” to most German wine lovers.Importer: Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, NJ; tel. (856) 608-9644