Spätlese
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Spätlese (literal meaning: "late harvest" Plural Spätlesen) is a German wine term for a late harvest wine and is the second category of QmP wine in the German wine classification above Kabinett and below Auslese in terms of ripeness. The grapes are picked at least 7 days after normal harvest, so they are riper and have a higher must weight. Because of the weather, waiting to pick the grapes later carries a risk of the crop being ruined by rain. However in warm years and from good sites much of the harvest will reach spätlese level. In 2000, German wine producers introduced two new wine classifications “Classic” & “Selection” in an attempt to make German wine labels easier for consumers to understand. Under this new system “Classic” is meant to replace the Spatlese classification.
The wines may be either sweet or dry (trocken); it is a level of ripeness that particularly suits rich dry wines from Riesling, Weißer Burgunder and Grauer Burgunder grapes for example, as at Auslese levels the alcohol levels may become very high in a dry wine leaving the wine unbalanced,[citation needed] making wines with at least some residual sweetness preferable to most palates. However there is currently a fashion towards Spätlese trocken wines among producers,[citation needed] in response to the market success of New World Rieslings that go for a much bolder style than traditional German Rieslings.
Many spätlese wines will age well, especially those made from the Riesling grape.
[edit] Characteristics
- Greater Intensity and strength then Kabinett
- High level of acidity that curbs any overt sweetness
- Fleshy and intensely flavored
- Often tastes of apple, pear and honeysuckle
- Elegant nose with highly detectable aromas
[edit] History
Legend has it that Rheingau vineyard Schloss Johannisberg discovered Spätlese in 1775 by mere circumstance. The Abbey’s messenger was robbed on the way to bring the official harvest picking order to Schloss Johannisberg. By the time the order finally arrived noble rot had set in and the rotten grapes were given to local peasants, many of whom still attempted to produce wine. The resulting wine was surprisingly good and Schloss Johannisberg began experimenting with different late harvest eventually discovering Auslese wine in 1787 and Eiswein in 1858.
In 1778 Thomas Jefferson tasted a bottle of Spätlese that was given to him and was so impressed that he advised friends who were in Europe to go to the Rheingau to experience the wines and bring a case back to America.
In 1971, Spätlese was incorporated into legislation that applied the Schloss Johannisberg classification system to all German wine.
