Two rows of ungrafted Portugieser vines, planted in 1906, offer us one of Germany's most curious and singular wines.
This is a wine we have been obsessed with for years. It is so lithe and agile, so delicate and lifted.
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In fact, while the quivering minerality makes the wine feel like it must come from some alpine region - the Savoie or Alto Adige - these old vines are planted in the solid limestone of Germany's cool northern Pfalz.
The current-release, 2019, has just landed. This likely represents your first and last chance at this wine.
As this old-vine red will continue to develop well for another decade, we have offered special 3-pack pricing at as low as $54.95.
Indeed, maybe we should have offered a 4-pack? The 2019 is one of the most structured versions of this wine we've ever tasted. It is deep and almost brooding, with crunchy fresh red fruits.
Yet the soul of this wine is its seamlessness and balance, the way it effortlessly unfurls across the palate with a graceful energy, detailed by fine herbs, mint, rose petals, and leather.
If you know anything about the Portugieser grape, you know it as a variety that grows abundantly and can have quite a dark color. Thus, it's been used for decades to bolster the color of some rather anemic reds. It's been a filler.
However, Durst's old-vine Portugieser is a different thing. He farms less than a hectare; this is more of an art project, more of a project of cultural preservation and love than it is traditional farming.
As we've written before: Durst's bottling is a most curious and soulful part of the greatness of old vines, of great terroir... of chance. Do not miss.
To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
Special 3-pack pricing for a limited time. Use Code: DurstP19