Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019 - 60

Top 100 Wineries

O LD WO R LD

Wittmann

Alpha Estate

GERMANY | RHEINHESSEN
Working biodynamically, Philipp Wittmann has made his family
winery Rheinhessen's star.

GREECE | AMYNDEON
Taut, precise wines from the cool hills of Amyndeon, in the
mountainous north of Greece.

ALTHOUGH IT'S GERMANY'S LARGEST winegrowing region, Rheinhessen used to be largely overlooked, its rolling hills less stunning than the
Mosel's vertiginous slopes, and more friendly
to bulk wine production. The Wittmanns have
changed its reputation through careful farming:
Günter Wittmann started converting the estate
to organics in the 1980s, while his son, Philipp,
earned it biodynamic standing by 2004. The aim
was not only to sustain the vineyards that have
been in the family for more than 350 years, but
to help Wittmann bottle wines that stay true to
his vineyards. And he has some exceptional parcels: Morstein is a literal standout at 900 feet
above sea level, a cool, south-facing site with lots
of limestone; Kirchspiel sits lower and has a mild
southeastern exposure. With careful work in the
vineyards and in the cellars, where winemaking
revolves around gentle whole-cluster pressings
and slow, spontaneous fermentations in large
German-oak casks, Wittmann bottles wines that
are savory and profound. -T.Q.T.

PHILIPP
WITTMANN

ANGELOS IATRIDIS WORKED IN nearly every region
of Greece before settling on Amyndeon to start
his own winery. Located on a plateau at 2,000
feet in elevation not far from the border of Albania and Macedonia, it's the coolest winegrowing
region in Greece, yet it's also sunny and dry, with
sandy, phylloxera-free soils over limestone bedrock. Partnering with viticulturist Makis Mavridis, Iatridis chose a gentle slope rising up from
Lake Petron and created a 445-acre estate with
a state-of-the-art winery at its base. In addition
to the local xinomavro, they planted an array of
imported grapes, such as tannat, a variety Iatridis learned to love while consulting at Château
Montus in Madiran, France, as well as Greek
varieties they suspected might do well in the cool
climate, like assyrtiko and malagousia. They've
fine-tuned the farming, with an irrigation system
that's precisely calibrated to each vine, and they
packed the winery with enough small tanks and
barrels to vinify the fruit parcel by parcel. The
work pays off in wines that balance sunny richness with cool restraint-elegant representations
of Amyndeon. -T.Q.T.

ANGELOS
IATRIDIS

2017 Rheinhessen Kirchspiel Riesling GG
Trocken ($80, 96 points) Wittmann's Kirchspiel parcels are mainly toward the top of the amphitheaterlike vineyard, on limestone-studded terrain facing
southeast. It's a coddled position, the vines warmed
by the first sun rays of the day, and protected from
the cold west winds. You can taste that fortunate
aspect in the 2017. The wine feels warm and giving,
and yet it isn't sweet; it's just ripe, with savory flavors
and a gentle, suede-like texture from the density of
the extract.

FOUNDED:

1663

OWNER:

Philipp Wittmann
WINEMAKER:

Philipp Wittmann,
Georg Rieser

2017 Rheinhessen Westhofen Morstein Riesling
Auslese ($64/500ml, 96 points) In 2017, the fruit
in Morstein hung on the vine long enough to turn out
a gorgeous Auslese. It offers a range of flavor as vast
as the sightline from the top of the vineyard, its notes
of honeyed peach and lime blossom spiked with cool,
breezy acidity.

VITICULTURISTS:

Günter and
Philipp Wittmann
ACRES OWNED: 75
CASES PRODUCED:

16,000
ESTATE GROWN:

100%
IMPORTER:

Loosen Bros.
USA, Salem, OR
60

2017 Rheinhessen Westhofener Riesling QbA
Trocken ($36, 94 points)
Philipp Wittmann reserves the fruit from the young
vines in Morstein and Brunnenhäuschen, two grand
cru-classified sites, to create this wine. While a blend
of vineyards can't claim Grösses Gëwachs ("great
growth") status, it drinks like one: It's concentrated
and intense, the flavors ranging from yellow to red,
reined in by firm, stony minerality. It's a bargain at the
price, delicious now and cellar worthy to boot.

WINE & SPIRITS

BUYING GUIDE 2020

FOUNDED:

1997

WINEMAKER:

Angelos Iatridis
VITICULTURIST:

Makis Mavridis
OWNERS:

Makis Mavridis and Angelos
Iatridis
ACRES OWNED:

445
CASES PRODUCED:

60,000
ESTATE GROWN:

100%
IMPORTER:

Diamond Importers, Chicago, IL

2016 Amyndeon Hedgehog Vineyard Xinomavro
($23, 94 points) While Iatridis bottles higher-end
xinomavros, it's hard to beat the sheer deliciousness
of Hedgehog, a bright, fresh red from his younger
vines. Cold-soaked and fermented in stainless-steel
tanks, then aged in non-toasted barrels for one year
and in bottle for another, it has no perceptible wood
influence to get in the way of the fruit. It's just cherryrich and herbal, the flavors delivered with an acidity
that gives the wine tautness and precision.
2016 Florina S.M.X. ($34, 92 points) Syrah makes
an excellent complement to xinomavro's austere
dark fruit; here, it's also augmented with 20 percent
merlot, to create a spicy, berried red with firm, linear
drive. Gravelly tannins bring up a rooty richness that
fills out the wine without adding weight, leaving it
feeling polished and restrained.
2017 Florina Ecosystem Fumé Kaliva Vineyard
Sauvignon Blanc ($33, 90 points) Alpha's Ecosystem line highlights standout sections of the vineyard,
such as Kaliva, a six-acre parcel planted in 1999 at
the top of slope, where the cool temperatures retain
acidity in the grapes. In 2017, it grew a sunny and
bright sauvignon blanc, with tight, tart acidity and a
sense of stone driving the sweet passionfruit flavors.



Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019

Contents
Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019 - Cover1
Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019 - Cover2
Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019 - 1
Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019 - 2
Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019 - 3
Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019 - 4
Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019 - Contents
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Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019 - Cover3
Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019 - Cover4
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