Balthasar-Ress- Riesling Sekt Brut MV

Varietal: Riesling
Appellation: Deutscher Sekt
Sugar: Dry
Acid: 7.2 g/L
Altitude: 80-300m (262-984 ft)
Residual Sugar: 7.5 g/L
Tannin: None
Alcohol %: 12.5

The grapes come from several Rheingau sites. The Rheingau stretches along the Rhine in the cold shelter of the Taunus Mountains in the form of hilly vineyards. Due to the proximity to the river, the loamy and clayey vineyard soils are interspersed with gravel and sand. But also marl and loess can be found again and again. In Rüdesheim and at the high altitudes of the Rheingau, in Kiedrich and in Rauenthal, quartzite and slate weathered soils predominate for the most part. The Rheingau soils leave their signature in the wine in the form of fine melting and minerality. The grape harvest was carried out by selective hand harvesting in several passes.

Soil Type(s): loess loam, limestone

The base wines are aged in temperature-regulated stainless steel tanks. The sparkling wines from Balthasar Ress are all produced using the traditional bottle fermentation method, as is the case with Champagne. In this process, the base wine is filled into the bottle together with the tirage, a mixture of yeast and sugar, and tightly sealed. A second fermentation takes place, producing the byproducts of heat, alcohol, and carbon dioxide. Heat goes out through the bottle, the alcohol increases from around 9-10% to 12-13% and the CO2 is trapped inside the wine forming the bubbles that make it sparkle. After a 15-month period of sitting on the lees, a natural plug of yeast is concentrated in the neck of the bottle (the bottle is aged upside down during this time). The bottle is then frozen and finally opened. Due to the pressure in the bottle, the yeast plug shoots out and a clear sparkling wine remains, which is refilled with the dosage (a bit of finished sweet wine). The amount of dosage ultimately determines the sugar content as well as the final taste of the sparkling wine. Here the wine is vinified to the Brut style.

Sekt was not always seen as a high quality sparkling wine. In fact, German Sekt was often lumped into the same category as everyday Prosecco. With Germany having more and more success with high quality Traditiional (Champenoise) Method wines our attention has been piqued. The aromatic intensity and distinctive nature of Riesling, it is truly something to keep an eye on. The prices are not too bad either when compared to their French counterparts.

Hard cheese, especially parmesan, Carbonara, Chicken tagine, Pilaf, Pumpkin, Squash, Teriyaki, Mongolian sauce.

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