WTN: Before Dragonstone there was Drachenstein

[David M. Bueker]

2001 Josef Leitz Rudesheimer Drachenstein Riesling QbA (Rheingau)
I don't often age QbA Rieslings for nearly 10 years (Grunhaus excepted), but this wine virtually demanded it from the day it was released. For a mere $9 each I bought a dozen of these in fall 2002, and put several down for the big sleep. I'm down to a lonely bottle (the '01 Klosterlay QbA is there too, keeping it company), and this is still exhibiting positive development. Of course it's barely chaptalized spatlese (thus the QbA label), so it's not a small wine, but rather a laser-like, precise, focused beam of fruit and stone, puntuated by acidity that cuts across the palate just shy of drawing blood. It's riveting, electric and long as a slow motion cut from Connor MacLeod's sword.

but rather a laser-like, precise, focused beam of fruit and stone, puntuated by acidity that cuts across the palate just shy of drawing blood. It's riveting, electric and long as a slow motion cut from Connor MacLeod's sword.

With that title and description, you could write trailers for sci-fi movies! I´m glad to see such a ´humble´wine perform so well years later. The Drachenstein vineyard is poised to become more respected as global warming takes hold and people continue to search out fresher, more vibrant wines from the Rheingau. If memory serves me, Leitz has been making kabinett from the Drachenstein for the last few years without the need to chaptalize.

Cheers,
Bill

[David M. Bueker]

He might be making Kabinett from Drachenstein, but I have never seen it (nor does Terry Theise import it). The Dragonstone remains a QbA, sometimes with a touch of chaptalization, sometimes not.

There really was no need to chaptalize this wine (it was spatlese must) except to achieve a specific style.