JAMEK RIESLING RIED KLAUS FEDERSPIEL 2015
We’ve became big fans of Jamek a few years back. The best efforts were packed with character and also had sufficient flesh to go along with the traditional zing. The we lost sight of them for a number of years as they left their old importer and hadn’t found a new arrangement as yet. Finally they were back and not a moment to soon. It would have been a shame to miss their efforts from the best Austrian vintage we have tasted.
Here in Wachau, as most know, they take the step of identifying the ripeness levels of their wines ala Germany, with Federspiel being more or less the equivalent of kabinett, with the measure referring to the ripeness levels of the grapes. It means the same in fact, that the grapes were harvested at a certain sugar. But the key element is that in Germany the presumption is that the wine is fruity (it can be dry, or half-dry, but it will state that on the label). In Austria, Riesling are dry unless they say otherwise, which in the case of federspiels, they never do.
On the palate, this one flirts with Smaragd richness, with a lovely textural presentation of yellow stone fruit and pear supporting the presentation of floral, citrus, and mineral tones. As always, the wine has lift and layers, and sits higher on the palate. But the fruit and deceptive density of the vintages give this Riesling an extra dimension.
Stephan Reinhardt notes are enticing, “The 2015 Riesling Federspiel Ried Klaus offers a precise bouquet of white fruits intertwined with herbal and flinty stone aromas. Round and intense on the palate, with beautiful concentration and a persistent, lovely salty finish, this is a highly elegant and complex, tightly structured Riesling from one of the most spectacular single-vineyard sites of the Wachau. The finish is full of tension, purity, salt and finally pretty long as well.”
His accompanying 90 point score didn’t jive with the review, and we think it’s on the low side. This is an unabashed, pristine beauty that sports a uniquely ripe, tender fruit component along with all of the classic lines of the genre that are unique to this special vintage. Sehr gut!