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Over the weekend I tasted the 2008s of this relatively new producer in the Rheinhessen and, although I made the 2007 a wine of the week last year, I was so moved by the overall quality that I'm recommending the 2008 too. I think the '30 acre' producer's 2008s are really excellent, and for the moment are not as famous as those of neighbours Keller and Wittmann, and probably not as well known as Stefan Winter either – although his old mentor Klaus Peter Keller tells me that the wines are now quite well distributed in German restaurants.
What particularly impressed me was the consistency of this range of whites (see Germany's 2008s – Part 3 for details). The Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) still needs a bit of work for international palates but Jochen Dreissigacker (pictured) has managed to turn out really quite thrilling, beautifully balanced Rieslings from a wide range of vineyards and in a range of styles as well as a couple of Weissburgunders (Pinot Blanc) and a ridiculously plump, super-sweet Rieslaner TBA.
I'm not usually a great fan of German Pinot Blanc. I tend to find much of it either too plump or too oaky or both. But both the 2007 and 2008 Dreissigacker Weisburgunders (called Einzigacker, or 10 acres whereas Dreissigacker of course means 20 acres) are dry, full-bodied wines that are models of precision and varietal expression, despite being 14% and 13% alcohol respectively.
The single-vineyard wines Hasensprung and, especially, the minerally Geyersberg are really delicious but are not available outside Germany as far as I can see. Shame. In fact on Twitter just after that gruelling mens' final at Wimbledon, I was asked which wine I would recommend to accompany it. I suggested the wine I had just been enjoying, the Geyersberg, and a fellow tweeter had the temerity to suggest I should aim higher. Huh! I had given this Geyersberg 18 points out of 20 so I would have had to have gone to the dizzy heights of DRC Montrachet 1978 or the like.
The only Dreissigacker 2008 I can currently find outside Germany is the basic Dreissigacker, Riesling trocken 2008 Rheinhessen which is currently selling in the UK, via importers Liberty Wine, at around £11.50 per screwcapped bottle from Bennetts of Chipping Campden, The Sampler of London N1, WoodWinters Wines & Whiskies of Scotland and www.wineunlimited.co.uk . You can buy it by the case from Nicholls & Perks and Appellation Wines of Edinburgh.
It's technically dry but has no austerity at all, nor aggressive acidity which is quite unusual for this vintage at this early stage in its life. It already offers a broad cocktail of tropical fruits with lots of guts and energy. Good brisk acidity is counterbalanced by just the right amount of weight (it's 12% alcohol) and a real spread of flavour across the palate. I found it very complete and great for current drinking, though I should think it will still be going strong in a couple of years too. If you want to see what the fuss about the new generation of dry German Rieslings is all about, you could do very much worse than try a bottle of this wine that could be an aperitif but would go brilliantly with a range of vibrantly flavoured food, especially Thai-inspired dishes.
