From one of Rüdesheim’s most charming vineyards comes a Riesling that dances between generosity and grace. The 2011 Magdalenenkreuz Spätlese opens with a radiant bouquet of ripe peach, golden apple and citrus zest, layered with acacia honey and a hint of crushed slate. On the palate, it’s sumptuous yet balanced with luscious fruit sweetness offset by a bright thread of acidity that keeps everything fresh and gliding. There’s a lovely, almost creamy texture to the mid-palate, finishing long, floral and gently spicy. A classic Rheingau Spätlese in full, graceful bloom.

For when: you’re slowing dinner down to savour the best bit.
Pairs with: spicy Asian dishes, ripe cheeses or fruit tarts.
If this wine were: a mood, it’d be late afternoon sun through amber glass - glowing, mellow and perfectly timed.

Weingut Leitz, led by Johannes Leitz, has become synonymous with the revival of Rüdesheim’s steep vineyards and the purity of modern Rheingau Riesling. The Magdalenenkreuz vineyard sits on loess and loam soils at the base of the slope, producing softer, fruit-driven wines with a generous, open character. 2011 was a near-perfect year in the Rheingau, marked by warm days and cool nights, yielding beautifully balanced fruit. Fermented slowly and aged on fine lees in stainless steel, this Spätlese captures Leitz’s hallmark clarity - sweetness with poise, texture with lightness, and a sense of place that lingers long after the last sip.