Leitz - Eins Zwei Zero Riesling

The Leitz Eins Zwei Zero Riesling offers an appealing character that is clean and fresh with notes of lime and citrus, accompanied by little hints of red apples on an underlying mineral base. The finish is slightly off-dry and relatively long. Germans have been producing non-alcoholic wines for over 70 years and that history has led to inventions to improve quality. Innovations in vacuum distillation have improved in recent years, and Leitz found a producer in Rheinhessen who recently patented a new, completely closed system that allows wine alcohol to boil at 28°C, preserving “wine-like” aromas and characteristics. Much like fat, alcohol is a transporter of flavor, and without it, there needs to be something else to carry its flavors to the receiver. Residual sugar does the work for this riesling, though the sugar is nearly eaten up by acidity. This allow it to retains its wine-like aromas of orange citrus, rhubarb and tarragon.

Under the direction of Josi Leitz, Weingut Josef Leitz has earned the reputation of being one of Rheingau’s top growers and moreover, one of the finest producers in Germany. Since taking over his family estate in, he has grown his holdings from 2.6 hectares to over 40 most of which are Grand Cru sites on the slopes of the Rüdesheimer Berg. Once the home of some of the world’s most sought after 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.