Wegeler 2005 Geheimrat J Riesling Spätlese Trocken

It is shocking. The most renowned Wegeler wine, the Geheimrat "J", is not a single vineyard Riesling. The label states the Prädikat level (Spätlese) and the style (dry), but neither one of the Wegeler's famous vineyards is mentioned on the label. Isn't the single vineyard a prerequisite for a premium Riesling? After all, the unpronounceable has become a measure for quality for us commoners. We dearly like to see a vineyard name for reassurance. We learn: the Geheimrat is a field blend of Wegeler's best vineyard parcels in the Rheingau. This abstraction of terroir is contrary to our orthodox belief in the supremacy of the single vineyard. It breaks terroir apart and rebuilds it in the cellar.

The wine is named after Julius Wegeler, the founder of the Weingüter Wegeler who was a Privy Councillor ("Geheimrat") and thus amongst the highest officials at the royal court. The bottle in one hand and the corkscrew in the other, I pause for a moment. Can I treat such a wine like an ordinary bottle of Riesling? Can I open it on a Wednesday? I do it anyway.

The color is a pale yellow (the Geheimrat is still young). Nonetheless, the aromas already show development: ripe apple, grapefruit and a lot of minerality. A flowery note gives this Riesling a needed cheerful element as solemness evaporates licorice from the glass. The acidity is crisp and well integrated with a hint of residual sugar, which one can feel more than taste. Dense minerality gives the Geheimrat "J" a solid structure on which it builds its flavors of apple and fig. Medium(+) length with a strong mineral finish. Drink now through 2020.