Ratings:
96
James Suckling - Jamessuckling.com
"Slightly exotic as always this is at once sleek, succulent and seriously mineral. Then the silky finish lifts off like a rocket bound for the outer solar system. Another of the great 2016s from Leitz. Drink now and for many years to come."
94 Stephan Reinhardt - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"The citrus colored 2016 Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg "Grosse Lage" Ehrenfels exhibits an intense and smoky/flinty bouquet of crushed stones, currently intermixed with gooseberry flavors (probably coming from the 15 to 18 hours of maceration). This has a complex and juicy but still restrained bouquet that indicates a long aging capacity. Aged in stainless steel and large oak (1,200-liter), this is a powerful, round, lush, mouth-filling, charmingly aromatic and fruit-intense yet also elegant, structured and refined Berg Schlossberg. Fine tannins and vegetal-scented fruit (fennel, lovage) are found in the finish, indicating good aging potential. The Berg Schlossberg is more rich, wide-meshed and probably less fine than the fascinatingly pure and precise Kaisersteinfels, but the site benefits from significantly more sunshine and the nearness to the Rhine River. Tasted in October 2017."
Product Description:
"The Ehrenfels are the iconic castle ruins that sit atop the Rüdesheimer Berg's western edge. The 40+ year-old vines produce small berries with high concentration. The Ehrenfels Grosses Gewächs combines power and elegance; it isn’t as tropical as the Hinterhaus, nor as floral as the Katerloch and is right behind Rottland in terms of masculinity." -Importer
"There are recorded documents linking the Leitz family winemaking history all the way back to 1744.
Johannes Leitz was born much later, in 1964 in Rüdesheim. This Grandfather, Josef Leitz re-built the winery after a bombing raid on the area late during the Second World War. His father, Antonius Leitz had briefly taken ownership of the winery before his premature death in 1966. This left his wife, with her flower shop, a household and of course the family winery to run. So, it wasn’t until 1985 when Johannes took over the winery that it once again became a primary focal point of attention.
After taking hold of the family business, he has managed to raise the estate from 2.9 hectares to the 40 hectares that we see today. Over the years, Johannes has gained national and international recognition for his outstanding wines. Internationally, his major markets include Norway, Sweden, the UK and USA.
The growth of the winery has had a positive influence over all the ranges of the wines produced. Specifically the Rüdesheim vineyards of Berg Schlossberg, Berg Rottland and Berg Kaisersteinfels have continued their tradition of being amongst the top dry wines from Germany. All of Johannes’ wines carry his individual signature and show off the varied greatness of the Rüdesheim terroir from which they are born.
With all the growth Johannes has achieved he subsequently produced the new label of Dragonstone and EINS-ZWEI-DRY. These two successfull labels have recently been recognized and won the “IF Communication Design Award 2009”.
These other international successes have been a boon: however, Johannes has stayed true to his roots and homeland. He has been working closely with the Ministry of Environment to restore the traditional terraces above Rüdesheim in the Berg Rottland and Berg Kaisersteinfels vineyards.
In Schlossberg , the soil contains a combination of red clay slate with mixed-in quartzite. The red slates are soft water sediments. Red coloring is a result of the iron content of these slates that have been oxidized to iron oxide under an arid climate, leaving a very rocky, hard soil. It has less minerals than the rich soils of grey slate but still much more than the quartzite soils. The remaining thin layer of soil is very stony and can only store a limited amount of water. In addition to this, the dense, clay subsoil is very difficult for roots to penetrate, creating demanding conditions for grapevines. The soil is quick to warm because of the low water content and high solar radiation levels along the slope. As a result, the vine experiences water stress early in the year and must somehow cope with the available water. The plants react by reducing the number and size of the grapes. Therefore, these sites produce low yields of very aromatic grapes.
The Ehrenfels are the iconic castle ruins that sit atop the Rüdesheimer Berg's western edge. The 40+ year-old vines produce small berries with high concentration. The Ehrenfels Grosses Gewächs combines power and elegance; it isn’t as tropical as the Hinterhaus, nor as floral as the Katerloch and is right behind Rottland in terms of masculinity.
The BERG SCHLOSSBERG shows up with precise aromatics of slate, ripe exotic fruits and the typical intense flavour of this unique vineyard. The scent of orange zest, papaya, mango and passion fruit is overwhelming and you will find with the first sip a powerful harmony of smell and taste. The minerality of BERG SCHLOSSBERG is vibrant and elegant in the same way. It performs absolutely pleasant with the delicate acidity, which is wonderful embeded. We recommend to pair raw marinated prawns with lemon-oil and ginger-jelly or a medaillon of turbot on glazed truffle with parsley puree." -Winery
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