Leading Leitz: Dry Riesling Masterpieces of the Rheingau
Tom King, Fine Wine Manager on 1 Jul 2025
There is a magical place on the Rhine's 500-mile course from Basel to Rotterdam, where it encounters the flank of the Taunus mountains, briefly interrupting its journey north. This precious few miles of westward flow, the Rheingau, boasts a bank of sun-soaked hillsides, whose fine wine-producing potential has been recognised for more than a milennium—and perhaps as far back as Roman times.
It is at this emerald of the Rhine that Johannes Leitz crafts his exceptional dry Riesling wines, including those of renowned 'Grand Cru' vineyards, such as the terrifyingly steep Berg Schlossberg (gradient 65%). Here, vines perch perilously on precipitous slopes above the turbulent waters of the 'Binger Loch' and the last remnants of its treacherous quartzite reef, before the river plunges into the imposing Rhine Gorge. The manual labour required to cultivate such sites is as awe-inspiring as the vertiginous inclines—and the effort is rewarded by wines of exceptional depth and texture when young, as well as the ability to age.
However, Johannes's proudest accomplishment is what he calls 'bread and butter wines' - those which throw open Riesling's delights to many more than the few who will encounter the 'Grand Crus'. These include Eins Zwei Dry and Dragonstone, which are accessible in both price and downright yumminess. Equally importantly, these are made from estate-grown fruit, and consistently to the same exacting standards and level of accountability as the most famous.
We were ever so privileged that Johannes paid us a visit in Bath, and impressed by both the quality and outstanding value of what we tasted:
Oh yum! The scent is a bowl of juicy peaches, tangy pineapple and spicy quince, with a drizzle of cream and clover honey. Frank and straightforward on the palate, it is mouthwatering and wholly refreshing. Dry, yet gentle, zesty and juicy. A regional wine, the equivalent of a 'Bourgogne' in Burgundy terms, this comes entirely from vineyards farmed by Leitz, on less-steep, rolling terrain east of the town of Rüdesheim. Immediate pleasure, and 100% delicious, this could keep, but it's so irresistible now, why wait?
This exceptional wine, in terms of both quality and value, comes from the steep slopes around Rudesheim, at the western end of the Rheingau, just before the river enters the Rhine Gorge, resuming its northerly course. It introduces the intensity and finesse of the 'Grand Cru' bottlings, at half the price. The aromas are beautifully elegant and refined, with delicate yet complex scents of sun-warmed pine forest, lime zest, beeswax, honey, pineapple and musk. Nimble and fairy-like, it dances a jig on the palate, inviting immediate enjoyment, yet hinting at further development in the cellar. Feather-light in texture, yet with a long, sustained finish.
'Grand Cru' Berg Schlossberg Dry Riesling
This imposing site with a 65% gradient takes its name from the prominent Ehrenfels Castle, whose ruins sit among the vines. Slope angle, sun exposure, superior drainage and quartzite soil all contribute to wine of intensity and longevity. For Eins Zwei Dry, each square metre of vineyard makes about one bottle of wine; for this, it is just one glass! Even at a young age, it is an irresistibly delicious and impressive wine, with gorgeous notes of white peach and vanilla bean, a satisfyingly creamy texture, and great persistence on the finish. It has exquisite purity, and there is much immediate pleasure to be gained from enjoying it straight away. And yet, it also has the capacity to reward cellaring for decades, should you be so inclined. So enjoy it - either now, or in the future.
Not just a made-up name, 'Dragonstone' is the direct translation of Drachenstein, a vineyard of some renown at Rüdesheim, containing a rock embossed with the possible footprint of a monstrous beast. Not fully dry - although neither is it a dessert wine - this is refreshingly, palate-cleansingly tangy-sweet, like a glass of sorbet. It has gloriously zesty, fresh notes of lemongrass, peach, honeysuckle, mandarin orange and clover honey, with a lip-smacking balance of gentle sweetness to citric zip. With a modest level of alcohol, this is a cooling, refreshing sunshine wine, which begs to be enjoyed straight away.
