After being enamoured by their Lemberger, I have now decided to pop the cork on Lassaks Hessigheim Riesling! This wine comes from the vineyards around the town of Hessigheim. They are quite old, up to 55 years old, and grow on withered marine limestone and clay. After harvest the wine was fermented spontaneously and aged for 18 months in large oak barrels on the lees.
This was already so fragrant and enticing after opening that I decided to just pour myself a glass. The wine presents itself with a bright golden colour. Orange zest, lime juice and ripe, yellow apples come to my mind at first. Soon after, notes of white flowers, savoury herbs, baked goods and dried mushrooms come through. Towards the end, I get nuances of crushed stones and sea breeze.
On the palate, ripe citrus notes and yellow apples dominate at first, only to make way for minerality and herbaceous notes after a while. Very fresh acidity and a noticeable salinity add structure and drinkability. The finish is of great length, showing notes of hops, dried apples, minerality and hints of cured meat.
This stuff is fire! I have become quite a fan of lime stone based Rieslings over last year and this has to be one of my favourites so far. It definitely goes into the natural wine direction with its style, but if you are open towards it, you'll be blown away by it!
by an_empty_sad_bottle