August 13, 2022 | News | Issue Highlights
2021 marks a dive into glorious vintages of the past which allowed many Estates including the possibly lesser-known Albert Gessinger to produce some superb Spätlese!
2021 was marked by rain and cooler weather … and yet delivered some absolutely stunning wines which bear more than a resemblance with great vintages from the 1990s and the 1980s.
One of the great Spätlese of the vintage turned out to come at the hand of the possibly lesser-known Weingut Albert Gessinger.
Weingut Albert Gessinger is a fine Estate in Zeltingen with winemaking roots going back to at least the 17th century. Over the centuries, the Estate remained small (still today it is only 3 ha) but was able to accumulate a stunning array of prime parcels in the finest sectors of Zeltingen. One of the Estate’s prides is that more than 1/3 of its holdings are still composed of un-grafted vines planted ... around 1895! It is one of the few growers that owns parcels in the original Rotlay and the original Sonnenuhr in Zeltingen. It has been a member of the Bernkasteler Ring since the 1950s.
Sarah Gessinger joined the family Estate in 2010 and is now firmly in charge. The Estate has made a particular name for itself for its sweet wines which combine complexity and intensity. The 2021 vintage helped bring these to another level. This was not a foregone conclusion as, Sarah explained: “I was quite weary at first given all the rain in the summer. But sunshine came back and I took the decision to delay the harvest to get a touch more botrytis for my sweet wines and also allow the acidity to decrease. Eventually, the harvest lasted from mid-October until November 10.”
One of the finest plots of the Estate is its vineyard known as Josefsberg: “The Josefsberg is not a Lieu-Dit but the name given locally for the parcel in the heart of the original Rotlay which is next to the cross of St. Josef, the patron of vineyard growers. This is one of my parcels of ultra-old un-grafted vines from 1895.”
This vineyard usually delivers a Spätlese and this was also the case in 2021: “We harvested this parcel late, on October 31, which meant that both the acidity had well developed and it was only partially affected by botrytis, as the parcel is higher up the hill and hence less impacted by the morning fog on the Mosel on cold autumn mornings. The wine was then fermented with ambient yeasts in traditional Fuder cask before being bottled in May.”
The result is truly remarkable: The wine combines freshness and depth while remaining beautifully elegant. We can only encourage you to track down this wine in your part of the world. If not, maybe other wines from the Gessinger Estate are!
Happy hunting!
A selection of the 2021 collection of Albert Gessinger
was reviewed in the Mosel Fine Wines Issue No 62 (June 2022).
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2021er
Albert Gessinger
Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese Josefsberg Alte Reben
08 22
94
The 2021er Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese Josefsberg Alte Reben was made from fruit at 94° Oechsle and was fermented to sweet levels of residual sugar (72 g/l). It offers a captivating and complex nose made of fresh scents of lemon, grapefruit, yellow peach, cherry, fine spices, floral elements, thyme, and flint stone. The wine is beautifully playful on the palate, where juicy and delicate yellow fruits interplay with lively and energetically zesty elements. The finish is gorgeously refreshing and chiseled. The intensity and energy of the after-taste are simply impressive. The wine proves already more fruity-styled than really sweet. This is a great playful, light-weighted, and layered Spätlese. 2029-2036+
© Text by Mosel Fine Wines "The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling ... and beyond!"
Disclaimer: Mosel Fine Wines is an independent publication and has no commercial relationship with any Estate, association or organization featured in this article.
