{"product_id":"hirt-gebhardt-mia-lou-roter-riesling-2022","title":"Hirt-Gebhardt Mia Lou Roter Riesling 2022","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Land\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Rheingau is the stretch where the Rhine turns and runs east to west for about 30 kilometers, so the vineyards face due south across a wide river instead of the usual north-south alignment. The Taunus hills block cold air from the north, the water reflects light back onto the slopes, and the soils run to quartzite, slate, and loess. Martinsthal sits at the eastern end of the region, tucked slightly back from the river with more forest above it, which makes it cooler and later-ripening than the famous villages downstream. That extra hang time is useful for a variety like this one, which needs a long season to get physiologically ripe without the acid falling apart.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Wine\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e100% Roter Riesling, a red-skinned variety that traces back to the Middle Ages and was once common in the Rheingau before disappearing almost entirely during the twentieth century. It is not a crossing and not a Pinot relative; it is a distinct historical variety closely tied to white Riesling, and it was abandoned because it is more temperamental to grow. As of 2020 there were around 22 hectares of it left in the entire Rheingau. The wine it makes is recognizably Riesling in shape but softer through the middle and lower in acid, with apple, white peach, pear skin, and a light herbal spice from the pigmented skins. Warmer growing seasons have made the variety viable again, which is why a handful of Rheingau growers have brought it back.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe People\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Gebhardt family has been documented as winemakers in Martinsthal since the end of the Thirty Years' War, which puts them in the village for roughly 375 years. The current name of the estate dates to 1948, when a marriage joined the two families. Christian Gebhardt and his wife Claire are the sixth generation to run it. Alongside conventional Rheingau Riesling and Burgundian varieties, they are one of the small group of growers who took on Roter Riesling when almost nobody else would, which is a reasonable amount of risk for a grape with no market recognition and a difficult reputation in the vineyard.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFood Pairing\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe lower acidity and herbal edge make this easier at the table than a taut dry Riesling. Pork tenderloin with apples and sage, seared scallops with brown butter, a bowl of ramen with soft egg and scallion, or a wedge of washed-rind cheese like Munster. The gentler acid means it will not clash with delicate food, and the light spice from the skins meets ginger and warm spices well. Serve it around 50 degrees. It is also an unusually good bottle to open when you want to show someone something they have never heard of.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Doug Krenik Selections","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51190091579615,"sku":null,"price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0439\/7436\/1248\/files\/P8110096.jpg?v=1786498015","url":"https:\/\/danverwinemerchant.com\/products\/hirt-gebhardt-mia-lou-roter-riesling-2022","provider":"Denver Wine Merchant","version":"1.0","type":"link"}