1999 Riesling Singerriedel Smaragd
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This medium-bodied, silky-textured, and crystalline wine possesses depth, power, and richness. It is exceptionally well-balanced, and is packed with mineral, pear, apple, and verbena flavors that linger in its long, precise finish. The Hirtzbergers began the tradition of passing in each vineyard multiple times during harvest, picking only the ripest grapes, in 1991. In 1999 it took five such passes (the last on December 1st) to harvest the Riesling Smaragd Singerriedel. Projected maturity: 2005-2017. Bravo! Importer: Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700
Critic scores
Pierre Rovani
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White peach, fresh lemon and white pepper scents. A more delicate, fine sense of fruit and minerals prevails here than in the Hochrain, with a wonderful interplay that includes fruit pit, pepper, white peach and iris. Finishes with an avalanche of stones followed by a rush of peach and honey. Eight grams of sugar were left behind but were well integrated during the slow fermentation. Even though Singerriedel is really just the steeper upward continuation of Hochrain, the two wines always have distinct personalities, with Singerriedel conveying this year a far more decisive sense of Urgestein.