"I had never before been in a cellar where young Rieslings in cask were going “plop-plop, burp-burb” in such profusion, a chorus I took delight in recording!"
David Schildknecht on visiting the Leitz cellars
Since taking over his family estate in 1985, Johannes Leitz has grown his holdings from 2.6 hectares to over 40, most of which are Grand Cru sites on the quartz and quartzite slopes of the Rüdesheimer Berg.
Once the home of some of the world’s most sought after and highly regarded (and expensive!) wines, the region fell to mediocrity in the years following the Second World War.
Josi has made it his life’s work to reclaim the intrinsic quality of his native terroir and introduce the world to the true potential of the Rheingau. Under his direction, Weingut Josef Leitz has earned the reputation of being one of Rheingau’s top growers and moreover, one of the finest producers in Germany.
Aside from the exceptional terroir of the Rüdesheimer Berg vineyards, the way Leitz approach winemaking also defines the quality of their releases. Free run juice is obtained from hand picked fruit, with fermentation only in old oak.
Most interestingly, ferments are allowed to occur spontaneously over many months - upwards of 18 months for the Grosses Gewächs Rieslings. A very different approach, but the resulting Leitz wines, released a year or two later than many of their peers, are absolutely striking.
Featured Wines
Kaisersteinfels Riesling GG
2020
“Very exotic, with papaya, pineapple and jack-fruit aromas, but also tropical flowers and touches of fresh ginger and galgant. Enormous concentration and refinement, the fruit rippling over the palate in waves, and each time you think that you’ve taken them all in, the next wave hits you. Almost endless wet-stone finish!”
98 points, Stuart Pigott
Schlossberg Riesling GG
2020
“A cornucopia of delicate stone-fruit and floral aromas, plus a touch of ripe melon. A very concentrated and tightly wound wine with great crushed-rock minerality that expands and expands on the super-ripe and silky finish. Just doesn’t want to stop!”
97 points, Stuart Pigott
Rosengarten Riesling GG
2020
“A deep well of ripe mirabelle and persimmon on the nose. Then comes the rich and concentrated but silky and precisely balanced palate. Very long and expansive finish with a fabulous texture and a delicate floral-honey touch.”
95 points, Stuart Pigott