Steinmetz 2009 Wintricher Geierslay Riesling Spätlese "Sur-lie"

Wintricher Geierslay, Mosel

In December 2009 I had the opportunity to taste a cask sample of the 2009 Wintricher Geierslay Spätlese "Sur-Lie" from Weingut Günther Steinmetz. The Geierslay is an old vineyard in Wintrich, a small village near Brauneberg. It has a long history dating back to the early years of the 19th century and was once valued as much as the Brauneberger Juffer or Wehlener Sonnenuhr. Stefan Steinmetz recently purchased one hectar of this south-facing vineyard which is planted entirely to ungrafted Riesling vines. The 2009 is his first vintage from the Geierslay.

The -lay ending in Geierslay means slate in the local dialect. And the Geierslay is full of it. In the 19th century a windmill had been built in the valley just above Wintrich for the sole purpose of grinding some of larger pieces of slate that were scattered across the vineyard. The pulverized slate was then carried back to the Geierslay and used as a form of mineral fertilizer for the vines.

I didn't know this when I tasted the cask sample, but I did notice an unexpected sturdiness in the still very young wine. I wonder if this can be attributed to the unusually mineral-rich soil in the Geierslay, which is also composed of iron and quartzite.

Fermentation aromas and flavors were still noticeable in the Geierslay Spätlese at this point. But below this veil of yeast lingered grapefruit and quince and a good deal of flint, giving the wine a pronounced smokey character. An exciting and promising cask sample. I am looking forward to drinking this new Riesling again once it has been bottled. Hopefully it will be available in the United States.