Balthasar-Ress- Hattenheim Nussbrunnen Spätlese Riesling 2018

Vintage: 2018
Varietal: Riesling
Appellation: Rheingau
Vineyard Designation: Nussbrunnen
Sugar: Off-Dry
Acid: 7.0 g/L
Altitude: 100m (328ft)
Residual Sugar: 130 g/L
Tannin: None
Alcohol %: 7.5

The Nussbrunnen is protected from the cool north winds by the Taunus Mountains. The plantings face south-southeast at an altitude of 100 metres above sea level with a flat slope of 10 percent. Deep loess and sandy loam soils as well as light tertiary marl and the high sunlight of the Rhine valley give the berries a noticeable ripening advantage. The water storage capacity of the soils and the oxygen circulation of the lower soil layers ensure an optimal supply even in hot summer months.

Soil Type(s): Deep loess and sandy loam

The grapes are picked by passing through the vineyard several times between September and October, harvested by hand and carefully transported to the winery in small boxes. This is followed by a cold soak maceration period of up to 12 hours before the wine is fermented using spontaneous native yeast. Fermentation is stopped after a certain time to preserve the high residual sugar content for a late harvest style. The wine is aged mainly in used barriques and 600L barrels for a period of 18 months. The rest of the aging takes place in bottle in the cellars of the winery.

Spätlese refers to the amouny of sugar contained in the grapes at the time of harvest, and it has a minimum but not a maximum threshold. The wine can be vinified to bone dry or kept quite sweet. Historically, the sweeter the wine, the more it was prized. Sugar was always a premium, especially in colder climates. 2018 was a particularly warm vintage so this is a sweeter style of Riesling. Nussbrunnen translates to "nut fountain" referring to the chestnuts and almonds also historically grown in the area- a testament to the availability of water in the subsoil.

Chocolate Mousse, Sacher Cake, Ox Cheeks, Yellow Curry, Thai Chili, Sichuan Style Shrimp, Goulash

• Dessert, Hungarian, Indian, Thai, Sichuan Chinese