Perhaps the Best non-Riesling German Wine I've Ever Had : 2015 Magic Strikes Again - Super Limited MUST BUY

If there is one thing about 2015 certain producers certainly did make once in a generation wines, but the German public knows and have been snapping them up like I've never seen before. And now Rheinhardt has written about Nahe/Rheinhessen/Baden/Pfalz which has only added kindling to the already raging wildfire of excitement surrounding this vintage. Dry wines from top 15 producers are such a hot commodity now and perhaps the last most undervalued great white wine category in the world.  Each offer from people such as today's producer, Laible, are getting harder and harder to source as the demand in Germany for Laible is at a fever pitch the likes I have never seen before. I've had to reserve every bottle of Laible months in advance. Well that's also because Andreas, who I just met, said it is his favorite vintage and this is his favorite wine that he made in the vintage. It's not Riesling.

Today's wine is as freaky delicious as it gets and also ramps it up to 11 on the geek-o-meter.  It is the 2015 Laible Clevner Alte Reben Trocken for $29.99 a 4-pack. Clevner aka Traminer in the Jura, is something they have only made sweet at Laible in recent years. In Baden, and especially in the district of Ortenau, Clevner usually refers to Traminer. The last one that was dry was a Spatlese Trocken from 2009. This wine is, by far, one of the most startlingly original, delicious, insane, freakshow wines I have ever sold at Fass Selections. It is the only 2015 bottle I hand carried back that I knew I had to retaste at home over 2-3 days because I needed to live with and hang out with this wine for 2-3 days. I've never had anything like it. It's genius to the nth degree and the normally humble Andreas was bragging about this wine. Rightfully so, it is a masterpiece of winemaking and originality.

The Nose.  What a nose. Almost indescribable and certainly unique. Amazingly vivid citrus.A menagerie of citrus.  Tangerine, tangelo, pink grapefruit, blood orange. Also freaky wet damp earth. Some tree bark. Even a smokey/herbal note. A deep mineral develops as well. So vivid. So pure. Cannot get enough of this nose.

The Palate.  The palate is even better. The palate is pure as a fresh spring with impressive fruit concentration and such balance and freshness. Amazing density and minerality and yet the acid, which Clevner is not known for, works, even though it is not a major component of the wine. Huge complexity and almost some tannins. Extraordinary. Just extraordinary. It sticks to your palate and does not leave with a gorgeous mineral/citrus/cream component.

One of the geekiest and most delicious wines we have ever sold.  It needs 2-3 hours open to really develop and Andreas says it will age 20 years. The structure is based on the extraordinary fruit and mineral density. This is as about as unique and delicious a wine as I've ever sold.  I did say earlier that I kept hand carried it back home because I was dying to track this wine because of Andreas' previous comment that it will age 20 years easy.

Day 2.  On Day 2 this wine is even better. What a nose. More confectionary than the day before. Mineral, spicy, confectionary, roses, green tea, so soft yet so complex and detailed. Just beautiful. The palate has a quiet building intensity with amazing concentration and so much refinement. Like a fine Hermes silk scarf. This is so impressive on day 2. There is an oolong/green tea element that lingers and it is so juicy, so mineral, so structured that it cannot be believed. This wine's finish never ends and has appealing bitter notes yet is juicy and balanced as Can be. A tightwire act. It has a spice that lingers as well. This also might be one of the most versatile wines with food that we have ever sold. With Middle eastern or North African fare it would rock.

I cannot emphasize how brilliant this wine is. It has the longest finish of any wine laible made in 2015. Just insane.  So many amazing diamonds in the rough and unique wines in 2015. They made only 600-800 bottles so of course this is limited.

2015 Laible Clevner Alte Reben Trocken - $31.99 ($119.96 4-pack)

(VERY LIMITED)