Author: Dirk Chan
Our weekly special this week features the 2003 Hexamer Riesling Spatlese Sobernheimer Marbach (Nahe, Germany) – $37.49 (regularly $49.99).
Harald Hexamer’s meticulous work in the vineyard is marked by pruning to control yields (“often six to eight bunches per wine”) and hand-harvesting. The grapes are picked exclusively by hand and fermented very cold (below 12 degrees celsius) with cooling utilized only when necessary – “but we often pick so late we bring naturally cold fruit — below 10 degrees — back to the winery.” Hexamer handles the wine as little as possible so when tasting the wines, one sees the purity of the vineyards, the intensity of minerality, and remarkable clarity. Hexamer’s wines are balanced in the ultraviolet spectrum; they’re steely, acid-driven, clean, and transparent.
This quite ripe Riesling Spatlese has fine aromatics on the nose – mix of soft tropical qualities and floral notes. Right around medium bodied with good density and the warmth of the 2003 vintage really shows through. Mostly a mix of exotic tropical notes upfront, sweetness through the middle and retains nice structure in the back end. This has the fruit and sweetness to continue to improve even though it is in a nice spot right now and is a great treat for our customers of an aged Riesling at a 25% off discount. Pair with Asian fare or spicy foods.
2003 Hexamer Riesling Spatlese Sobernheimer Marbach (Nahe, Germany) – $37.49 (regularly $49.99)