2017 Weingut Spreitzer Winkeler Jesuitengarten Alte Reben Riesling Feinherb - Rheingau, Germany (750ml)

The Spreitzer Estate, founded in 1641 is among the oldest in the Rheingau. Their Alte Reben Riesling is made from 42 year old vines in the prized Jesuitgarten vineyard where viticulture practices are as natural as possible and include alternating cover crops of herbs, greens, and lentils in the summer with grains in the winter. Following a late harvest and a strict selection on the sorting table, the bunches are whole-cluster pressed and fermented in 1200 liter casks of German wood called stückfass with extended lees contact. Legally halbtrocken at 14 grams of residual sugar but labeled Feinherb, this wine exhibits a subtle sweetness that's balanced by crisp acidity and pronounced minerality. Medium-bodied with poached pear and quince followed by Riesling's telltale new tire petrol note, this pairs perfectly with spicy Sichuan or Thai cuisine.