Mosel-Saar-Ruwer

We seem to spend more and more of our time on the Mosel. Not so strange. We are obsessed by its wine - the ultimate Riesling. Known for its lightness of touch, ethereal delicacy, raciness and terroir definition.

 

Thorsten Melsheimer  (Reil)                       BIO

"I'm the only one stupid enough to work the crazily steep vines in Reil" says head-banded Thorsten Melsheimer. "It's not as if the vines are actually facing in an ideal direction either. It forces you to work hard. It helps to be bio-dynamic. You have to slash the yield and pick insanely late. I bought some vines in a perfect south facing vineyard recently and the wines are not as interesting - the vines are just lazy!" Thorsten is certainly not lazy, nursing old vines back to life, rebuilding walls in the remotest, least-accessible part of the Mullay-Hofberg vineyard. "When I get really hot working in the vines I jump into the Mosel for a quick swim to cool off."

 

trocken

 

 

 

 

Riesling trocken

2007

11.99

 

Mullay-Hofberg trocken

2007

13.99

 

Reiler Goldlay Kabinett trocken

2007

13.99

 

Mullay-Hofberg Langeberg Kabinett trocken

2007

15.99

 

Reiler Mullay-Hofberg Kellerchen Riesling SpŠtlese trocken

2005

16.50

 

Mullay-Hofberg SpŠtlese trocken

2007

17.99

fruity

 

 

 

 

Reiler Mullay-Hofberg Beerenauslese 375ml

2005

39.99

 

 

Andreas Schmitges (Erden)

From the steep, iron-rich red slopes of Erdener Treppchen and the even steeper Pralat come Andreas SchmitgesŐ gently spicy, boldy perfumed, beautifully judged modern dry Rieslings. He knows theyŐre good. Why fight it?

 

trocken

 

 

 

 

Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett trocken

2007

11.50

 

Erdener Treppchen Riesling SpŠtlese trocken

2007

15.50

 

Erdener PrŠlat Riesling Alte Reben trocken

2007

21.99

 

 

Martin Conrad (Brauneberg)

Martin Conrad is a twenty-something young buck from the beautiful, loopy Middle Mosel. Martin took over from his parents a few years ago and is hell-bent on raising quality. His mother runs the family's hotel and restaurant in the village of Brauneberg while Martin concentrates in his winery on the opposite side of the road. His style is modern, dry Mosel Riesling with more-ish minerality. Ripe in the nose (from the late-harvested grapes), succulent in the mouth and dry on the end.

 

trocken

 

 

 

 

Brauneberger Juffer Riesling trocken

2006

18.99

 

Brauneberger Juffer Riesling trocken Goldkapsel

2006

22.99

fruity

 

 

 

 

Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Kabinett

2007

16.50

sweet

 

 

 

 

Veldenzer Kirchberg Eiswein

2007

49.99

 

Juffer-Sonnenuhr Beerenauslese

2007

66.99

 

 

Harald Steffens-Kess  (Reil)                       BIO

"I'm the one who went round to Thorsten Melsheimer and signed him up to Ecovin" says Eco vintner Harald Steffens-Kess. Harald Steffens-Kess is friend and almost neighbour of Thorsten in the village of Reil on the Mosel. He has a small parcel in Reil, the rest on the opposite bank in generally more sun-favoured Burg. His Hahnenschrittchen (hensŐ little steps) is the best weŐve tasted from that vineyard. He makes his wines in a slightly leaner, nervier style with all the whiff of slate that we love from the Mosel.

 

 

Wegeler  (Bernkastel)

Those of us with long memories may remember Deinhard, a big player in German wines internationally from the 60s and 70s. At that time Deinhard was owned by two families, Wegeler and Deinhard. In the early 90s Wegeler bought the other out. We were delighted to be courted by them recently. "But you are so big and we are so small" - that didn't bother them. So we thought we'd drop in on their Mosel estate in Bernkastel. Turned out to be a revelation. Famous for their classic fruity Mosels we were delighted to discover that Norbert Breit their Cellar Master also makes elegant, dry wines in his trademark crystal clear, lean style. Wehlener Sonnenuhr SpŠtlese trocken, yes please! And as for the Bernkasteler DoctorLordy! So subtle, so refined. Not remotely showy. It works in much the same way as the finest Burgundy does - it doesn't kick down the door but creeps up on you.

We simply had to ask Noribert to show us the Doctor, a 3 hectare vineyard on a steep slope above Bernkastel. It wasn't always 3 ha. Before the 1971 wine law, it was 1.35 ha and was Germany's most famous and expensive wine. Wegeler owns half of the original parcel.

The story of the name is worth telling. Boemund II was the Archbishop of Trier in the 14th century and was very, very ill. Doctors tried everything. Finally a winegrower from Bernkastel brought some wine from his vineyard and the Archbishop made a miraculous recovery. "That's the only real Doctor," he said.

 

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Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling SpŠtlese trocken

2005

15.99

 

Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling trocken Erste Lage

2005

32.99

 

 

Clemens Busch  (PŸnderich)                       BIO

Clemens Busch looks a bit like Jesus. He certainly has intensity and conviction! He and his wife Rita have transformed our expectations of the PŸnderich vineyards. PŸnderich was just another village in the middle Mosel churning out dilute, wishy-washy wines with yields of over 100hl/ha. The BuschŐs crop at around 40 hl/ha.

They own 7.5ha of vines in Marienburg (Virgin MaryŐs Castle) and Nonnengarten (NunŐs Garden), which used to belong to the Cloister. They are currently renovating ClemensŐs grandfatherŐs old house built in 1663 on the riverfront, but continue to make their wines in the cellars up the hill, away from the waterŐs edge.

We asked Clemens about the distinctive and fascinating nose on his wines, reminiscent of aged Rieslings, and he revealed that, in the search for further layers of complexity, he allows his grapes to oxidise slightly before fermentation. Unusual, but effective!

There is nothing of your average Mosel about these wines. They show definition, poise and intensity and set a new benchmark of quality for others to aspire to.

 

trocken

 

 

 

 

Kabinett trocken

2007

12.99

 

PŸndericher Marienburg Riesling SpŠtlese trocken ** 

2006

14.99

 

PŸndericher Marienburg Riesling SpŠtlese trocken ***

2006

21.50

 

PŸndericher Marienburg Riesling Kabinett trocken  "Fahrlay-Terrassen"

2002

18.99

 

PŸndericher Marienburg Riesling Auslese trocken 500ml

2002

22.99

 

PŸndericher Marienburg Riesling trocken GG

2007

26.99

halb

 

 

 

 

Riesling Vom roten Schiefer

2007

15.99

 

PŸndericher Marienburg Riesling Auslese halbtrocken 500ml

2001

22.99

fruity

 

 

 

 

PŸndericher Marienburg Riesling SpŠtlese "Weissenberg" 

2002

21.99

sweet

 

 

 

 

PŸndericher Marienburg Auslese ** 375ml

2001

26.99

 

PŸndericher Marienburg Auslese Fass 51 375ml

2006

27.99

 

PŸndericher Marienburg Auslese Falkenlay 375ml

2006

32.99

 

PŸndericher Marienburg Auslese Goldkapsel 375ml

2006

34.99

 

Auslese Lange Goldkapsel 375ml

2005

39.99

 

PŸndericher Marienburg Beerenauslese ŇFahrlayÓ 375ml

2006

74.99

 

PŸndericher Marienburg Beerenauslese 2, 375ml 

2005

99.99

 

 

Martin MŸllen  (Traben-Trarbach)      BIO

Quietly determined Martin MŸllen had a falling-out of almost biblical proportions with his father, ending up with Martin going his own way and effectively building up his vineyard holdings from scratch. We have been watching his wines for a while. Shallow as it may sound, we were originally put off by the kitsch bird motif on one of his labels. But then the wines haunted us. Beautiful, poised, focused wines of finesse and polish.

Kršv may have been built on the bawdy image of the Kršver ŇNacktarschÓ (naked bottom), but Martin is almost single-handedly raising the reputation of its finest slopes ŇParadiesÓ and ŇLetterlayÓ with his hauntingly fragrant, pure wines.

 

 

Rudolf Trossen (Kinheim-Kindel)          BIO

ŇFateÓ Rudolf called it, when we called by on the off-chance and found him in. This after phoning for directions from the riverside car park. ŇCan you see the house with the round windows on the opposite bank of the river? That's me waving!Ó

We were intrigued by whispers of a very uncompromising grower in Kinheim-Kindel. Rudolf Trossen, leather waistcoat, Scholl footwear, is a Hardcore Eco-warrior.and poet. His father came back from the Russian front after the war with half a leg missing, so Rudi had to do all the spraying and had an allergic reaction to the chemicals. Having not been convinced he was going to take over from his father his allergies got him thinking about ecology. He had found his cause. ŇBio-dynamics started here in Germany with Rudolf Steiner's theories from the 1920sÓ he says. He founded Demeter and Ecovin in Rheinland-Pfalz.

His vines all lie in the Kinheimer Hubertuslay and, as he points to his parcels scattered on the opposite slope, it quickly becomes clear which are his - the ones with green ground cover.

So what are the wines like? The Schieferblume (Slate Flowers) and Trossen Kabinett tr are lively, fresh - and savoury, smoky, with loads of mineral content. The Madonna Plateau is from a parcel of pre-phylloxera vines above a small statue of the Madonna. Wonderful, crazy-subtle perfume and fabulous density.

 

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Schierferstern Riesling Spatlese trocken

2007

17.99

rose

 

 

 

 

Rose

2007

12.99

sparkling

 

 

 

 

Trossecco

NV

13.99

 

 

Lubentiushof – Andreas Barth  (Niederfell)

Andreas Barth studied Law and Music but decided, with the support of his interior designer wife, Susanne, to turn to wine-making.  He is almost entirely self-taught except for a couple of modules at the famous wine school at Geisenheim.

In 1994 they bought an estate on the outskirts of Koblenz on the not very well-known Lower Mosel called Lubentiushof. Sounds grander than it was. But with a run-down cellar came 2.5ha in Gondorf, which is what Andreas was most interested in. It was tricky starting with no customers - but the first two years went well. Then with all the radical work he was doing in the vineyards there were two years when the vines went into shock yielding just 15hl/ha! Now, having recultivated vines that had gone to seed, he has 5ha -  many between 35-85 years old. He only uses natural yeasts, and is virtually organic.

 

A journalist on the Frankfurter Allgemeine Paper encouraged him to go for the vacant Kellermeister position at the large, historic Von Othegraven estate in the Saar. He now works there one day a week, keen to fill the vacuum there and polish the slightly jaded reputation. It's exciting to work with historic vineyards like Kanzemer Altenberg.

ŇIn the Saar there is a homogenous geology within each vineyard. There is often a slight sparkle within the blue slate which means there is a high oil content.

Whereas here on the Lower Mosel in Gondorfer Gans there is some blue slate too, but here it is mixed with red and yellow sandstone/slate and quartz.  It's as if someone has taken all the minerals and shaken them up! To give you an example of the effect: if you can expect 24g of mineral extract on the Middle Mosel, you find 27g on the Lower Mosel.Ó

With the low yields and very late harvest in the vineyard, the high extract of diverse minerals and finally a very, very long fermentation, these wines are surprisingly less floral when young, much tighter and more restrained but packed with information and explosive potential! We tasted from three vintages and the oldest, the 2001s, were definitely showing signs of brilliance.  His late release 2003s after extended lees contact and the best part of a year in bottle now taste amazing. Fascinating, deep textures and fabulous length.

 

trocken

 

 

 

 

Gondorfer GŠns Riesling trocken

2005

16.99

 

Koberner Uhlen Riesling Alte Reben trocken

2005

18.50

 

Gondorfer GŠns Riesling trocken 

2006

18.99

 

Koberner Uhlen Riesling Alte Reben trocken

 2006

19.99

 

Gondorfer GŠns Riesling Alte Reben trocken

2005

19.99

fruity

 

 

 

 

Gondorfer GŠns Riesling SpŠtlese

2005

18.50

sweet

 

 

 

 

Gondorfer Schlossberg Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 375ml

2004

43.99

 

 

Beate Knebel (Winningen)

From the dizzyingly steep Terrassenmosel (Mosel Terraces), where the Mosel tips into the Rhine at Koblenz, Knebels have been growing vines since 1650. Beate Knebel's yields are extremely low, wild yeasts have given the 2005's amazing depth, complexity and a life of their own.

 

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Von den Terrassen Riesling trocken

2007

12.99

 

Winninger Uhlen Riesling SpŠtlese trocken 

2005

18.99

 

Winninger Ršttgen Riesling SpŠtlese trocken

2007

21.99

sweet

 

 

 

 

Winninger Ršttgen Riesling Auslese 375ml

2007

29.99

 

Winninger Ršttgen Riesling Beerenauslese 375ml

2005

99.99

 

Winninger Ršttgen Riesling Beerenauslese 375ml

2007

99.99

 

Winninger Uhlen Riesling Beerenauslese 375ml

2007

129.99

 

 

Franzen  (Bremm)

Ulli Franzen was kind enough to treat us to a ride in his motorised wine crate, which runs on a single rail, almost vertically up EuropeŐs steepest vineyard, the Bremmer Calmont.  Without the luxury of safety belts we clung on for dear life and enjoyed every second of it! At the top, Ulli uncorked his Bremmer Calmont 2003 and we relaxed to enjoy the spectacular view, which Turner also appreciated and captured in his stunning watercolours (housed at Tate Britain). We also enjoyed the wines, which sold out very quickly. We now have his fabulous 2005s.

 

trocken

 

 

 

 

Neefer Frauenberg Riesling trocken

2006

11.99

 

Bremmer Calmont Riesling trocken

2006

12.99

halb

 

 

 

 

Neefer Frauenberg Riesling Goldkapsel 

2003

18.99

 

Bremmer Calmont Riesling Goldkapsel

2004

18.99

 

Calidus Mons Riesling Goldkapsel 

2003

26.99

 

 

ClŸsserath-Weiler  (Trittenheim)

ItŐs difficult to imagine a more idyllic way to start the day, breakfasting in the house on Trittenheim bridge with the Apotheke vineyard towering above you on the opposite bank and watching the sun swing over the hill, gradually bringing the vines into the light as the mist rises over the Mosel. Father and daughter, Helmut and Verana, do the wine, mother Helga runs the guesthouse. Trittenheim is full of ClŸsseraths so to avoid confusion Helga brings the Weiler name with her from nearby Mehring. They always use wild yeasts, which can give their wines a wild perfume. The ŇHCÓ is crisp and lean, with spicy minerality. The Alte Reben (Old Vines) comes from a parcel of 50-75 yo vines and gives a deeper, denser flavour and mouthfeel. The ŇSÓ is a selection of the best bits of the best parcels, (usually from a small beautifully placed triangular parcel half-way up the vineyard immediately opposite the house) - while not the oldest vines hre are none less than 30yo. Virana was excited by the 2005s. After a slightly disappointing cool summer there was a long warm autumn giving the grapes the same ripeness and supercharged alcohol as the 2003s but with much better acidities.

 

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Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling SpŠtlese ŇAlte RebenÓ trocken

2004

20.99

 

Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling SpŠtlese ŇSÓ trocken

2004

20.99

 

Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling SpŠtlese ŇSÓ trocken 

2005

21.99

fruity

 

 

 

 

Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Auslese*** 375ml

2005

29.99

 

 

Eva ClŸsserath  (Trittenheim)

What a coincidence, our mate Stuart Pigott, the German Wine Journalist based in Berlin was on the Mosel at the same time. So we gate-crashed his meeting with Eva ClŸsserath (and her boyfriend, well-known winmaker Philipp Wittmann from Rheinhessen) in Trittenheim. There seem to be thousands of ClŸsserath's in Trittenheim! Eva has been  making great leaps since she took over from her father Ansgar in 2001. Of  course, her Trittenheimer Apotheke SpŠtlese trocken, made from 60-70 yo  vines was bound to be fabulous in 2005. What really impressed us was the  quality of the entry-level wines, Vom Schiefer (from slate) and Steinreich  (stone-rich or stone-empire).

 

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Vom Schiefer Riesling trocken

2007

12.99

 

Steinreich Riesling trocken

2007

17.99

 

Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling trocken

2005

18.99

 

Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling trocken

2007

22.99

sweet

 

 

 

 

Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Beerenauslese 375ml

2005

39.99

 

 

Theo Haart  (Piesport)

When we emerged from our tasting at ClŸsserath-Weiler, there was a message on the voicemail. "Stuart here. I'm round at Theo Haart's. The wines are frankly stunning (paraphrasing for the faint-of-heart). He's not working in the UK at the moment. You'd better get your asses over here." So we jumped into the van and charged over to Piesport to catch them before they left the restaurant. Theo is world-renowned for his classic sweeter Piesporters and, yes, the 2005s are sumptuous. Wild yeasts, classic blackcurrant leaf aromas, ripe peachy yellow fruit mouthfeel, with smoky, slatey minerality and exhilarating acidity - high-class fruity Mosel which can age effortlessly for 30 years or more.

 

trocken

 

 

 

 

Piesporter Riesling trocken

2007

12.99

 

Piesporter Goldtršpfchen Riesling trocken GG

2007

24.99

fruity

 

 

 

 

Piesporter Goldtršpfchen Riesling SpŠtlese

1995

16.99

 

Piesporter Goldtršpfchen Riesling SpŠtlese

2003

24.99

 

Piesporter Goldtršpfchen Riesling SpŠtlese

2004

21.99

 

Piesporter Goldtršpfchen Riesling SpŠtlese

2006

21.99

 

Piesporter Goldtršpfchen Riesling SpŠtlese

2007

24.99

 

 

Andreas Adam  (Dhron)

The Hofberg is dead, long live the Hofberg! David has had a fixation on Dhron Hofberg ever since Vera bought him a bottle of the Dhron Hofberger feine Auslese 1959 by the Bischofliches Konvikt in Trier. Unfortunately, despite the near mythical status of the vineyard no-one has made great Hofberg for decades. That hasn't stopped us looking. Enter Andreas Adam, a 26 year-old winemaker definitely going places. "The Hofberg is a great vineyard, but during the 70s and 80s there were no decent growers. My father didn't even bother with the wine and chose to become an engineer." Andreas uses his grandfather's 18th century cellar and the 40 year-old vines. He has pressganged his grandfather, grandmother and mother to work with him. Low tech, low intervention, low yield, wild yeasts; these are fabulous terroir wines. The Hofberg is finally being given the kiss of life.

 

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Dhron Hofberg

2003

16.99

 

Hofberg

2004

16.99

 

 

Immich-Batterieberg  (Enkirch)

"You can't miss us, we're right in the middle of Enkirch, there's a yellow tower and a courtyard" said Gert Basten owner of Immich-Batterieberg. We rang the bell and were buzzed in to the tower, opened the first door we came to and there was Mrs Basten stripped to her bra, with yellow washing-up gloves, sweeping the terrace. Whoops, sorry! Eventually we found a big hall and Herr Basten told us the story of the winery. "It used to be the seat of Ludwig IV and there's a throne behind that wall. The owners in the mid 1800s weren't happy with the exposition of their vineyard so they pounded it with dynamite." Boom boom shake shake. Everyone along the Mosel thought it was cannon fire. So the vineyard came to be known as the Batterieberg - "cannon hill". Their Art Nouveau/Jugendstil label features two winged cherubs with a cannon.

 

trocken

 

 

 

 

Blauschiefer Riesling trocken

2004

14.99

 

 

Bastgen  (Kesten)

A German love story. Armin Vogel met Mona Bastgen at Geisenheim, the world famous winemaking academy, and once married, they began to pursue their dream of making wine themselves. Taking over from Mona's butcher and vintner father in 1992, the couple live and work in a hi-tech wood and glass house atop a hill with stunning views towards Bernkastel. Armin spoke to us of wanting to make "slender" wine, capturing the balance of fruit and minerality which typifies the best of the Mosel. HeŐs bored of the succession of hot ripe vintages preferring the racy balance of the  rainy grey ones!

 

The wines have great tension, with a certain "nervy" balance to them, notes of white flowers, pears, and a friendly crowd-pleasing quality which caresses those new to German wine, rather than slapping them about the face.

 

trocken

 

 

 

 

Blauschiefer Riesling trocken

2005

9.99

 

Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Kabinett trocken

2007

12.99

 

Kestener Paulinshofberg Riesling SpŠtlese trocken

2004

14.50

 

Bernkasteler Cueser "Weisenstein" Spatlese trocken

2007

15.99

fruity

 

 

 

 

Kestener Paulinshofberg SpŠtlese Alte Reben

2004

16.50

Sweet

 

 

 

 

Kestener Paulinshofberg Auslese

2006

19.99

 

 

Kirsten (KlŸsserath)

Bernhard and Inge Kirsten met in New York, got married in 1992 and changed the direction of BernhardŐs family domain, previously geared towards volume, now going all-out for quality. They pulled out the vines on the flat bits down by the river, planting pear trees instead. Then they sold less favourable spots and bought smaller, older parcels in the heart of the Bruderschaft vineyard in KlŸsserath on an impressive sweep of the Middle Mosel. Pride and joy is the sweetest spot in the amphitheatre shaped Bruderschaft - the "HerzstŸck" (the heart-piece) the original Bruderschaft, before the renaming and rationalising exercise called ŇFlurbereinigungÓ in the 1960s and 70s.  With up-to-the-minute minimal intervention techniques - old vines, very low yields, wild yeasts, long maceration times and extended lresting on  lees, a single filtration, no fining, no pumping – the wines have what the Germans call ŇSchmelzÓ – dense, buttery-fat, layered flavours.  Exotic aromas, with notes of oily tangerine peel and wheat. Soft, voluminous billowing textures and effortless length. Conclusion – fantastic!

 

trocken

 

 

 

 

Laurentiuslay Riesling SpŠtlese trocken

2004

13.99

 

HerzstŸck ŇPfarrwingertÓ Riesling SpŠtlese trocken

2003

14.99

 

KlŸsserather Bruderschaft SpŠtlese Alte Reben

2004

17.99

 

 

 

Von Othegraven  (Kanzem/Saar)

There is definitely something very regal about Dr Heidi Kegel. Adopted by her Aunt at an early age, she was picking grapes at the age of four, and ended up inheriting the estate in 1995. In the small village of Kanzem, between Trier and Luxembourg, it's an idyllic setting with the river Saar at one end of the garden and the imposing renowned Kanzem Altenberg vineyard behind.

Our friend Andreas Barth from Lubentiushof has been making the wines for Dr Heidi since the 2004 vintage. The outcome is a world away from the searing acidity of the old-school Saar wines. Effortless.

Dr Heidi inherited parcels in three local Grand Cru vineyards. Wiltingen Kupp, Ockfen Bockstein and Kanzemer Altenberg (where she has the largest chunk. Terroir. It's a sense of place. It's the expression of the earth, the geology. Here on the Saar, like the Mosel that it feeds, it's all about slate. Dr Heidi and Andreas believe in minimal intervention to allow the site to shine through. In the Bockstein you'll find loads of Quartz which often gives the wine a dizzy, spicy, almost tropical character.

The Altenberg is, in Dr Heidi's and our view, the finest Grand Cru in her glittering portfolio. The dry Altenberg 05 and the Altenberg Alte Reben 05 are magnificent. The sweet ones are also fabulous. Writers often recommend these sweeter styles with Asian food. Think green curry and Pad Thai. Wonderful of course, but also perfect on its own or as an aperitif or at the end of a meal. Elegance and power in perfect harmony. These wines will age beautifully for 50 years.

 

trocken

 

 

 

 

Riesling trocken

2007

12.99

 

Wiltingen Kupp Cru

2007

19.99

 

Ockfen Bockstein trocken

2005

19.99

 

Ockfen Bockstein Cru

2007

24.99

 

Altenberg Erste Lage

2007

28.99

 

Kanzem Altenberg Erste Lage  Alte Reben trocken

2005

28.99

fruity

 

 

 

 

Altenberg Spatlese Alte Reben 375ml

2007

12.99

 

Bockstein Kabinett

2007

14.99

 

Kanzem Altenberg SpŠtlese Erste Lage

2005

22.99

sweet

 

 

 

 

Altenberg Auslese 375ml

2006

28.99

 

Altenberg Auslese 750ml

2006

28.99

 

Altenberg Eiswein 375ml

2007

57.99

 

Altenberg Beerenauslese 375ml

2006

59.99

 

Wiltingen Kupp Beerenauslese 375ml

2005

89.99

 

Kanzem Altenberg Beerenauslese 375ml

2005

89.99

 

 

Peter Lauer (Ayl/Saar)

Classic Saar Riesling. piercingly clear, zingy, racy. Wine that slices through anything. Young wine-maker Florian Lauer is cocky - he's good and he knows it - and who are we to tell him to be modest? He's been showered with awards in Germany in recently. He works the family vines in top vineyard ŇAyler KuppÓ, one of the most hallowed vineyards on the Saar. Florian took over full responsibility for the wines recently, leaving dad Peter to focus on the hotel they own south of Trier, with a splendid view of the river - although, when the fog rolls in though, it's difficult to see much of anything!

 

trocken

 

 

 

 

Saarriesling Fass 16 trocken

2007

12.99

 

Ayler Kupp Fass 25 Riesling trocken

2005

13.99

 

Ayler Kupp Fass 25 Riesling trocken

2007

14.99

 

Ayler Kupp Fass 12 ŇUnterstem BergÓ Riesling trocken

2005

21.50

 

Fass 11 "Schonfels"

2007

24.99

sweet

 

 

 

 

Ayler Kupp Fuder 19 Auslese*** 500ml

2003

42.99

 

 

Loch (Weinhof Herrenberg)  (Schoden/Saar)     BIO

Manfred and Claudia Loch bought their first half-hectare plot in the Schodener Herrenberg vineyard in 1991. Each year they try to buy another 0.2ha and another steel tank. They currently have 2.5 hectares and 8 tanks.

The steep Herrenberg is an almost fan-shaped slope overlooking the Saar and the village of Schoden 3kms north of Saarburg. Yields in the area are often over 100hl/ha, but the Lochs are working between 20-35hl/ha. You can taste the difference! The Saar is known for producing wines of racy acidity, hard to taste young, tightly-wound and softening only with age.

The Loch style is something else: much riper, much fleshier than your everyday shrill Saar wine. They still have a refreshing, exhilarating acidity, but with richness, depth and a unique mouthfeel.

They leave the grapes on the vines incredibly late hoping to squeeze another degree Oechsle (ripeness level) or two out of the late autumn sun.

Their plots are dotted over the vineyard. Each parcel is picked separately, placed in separate tanks and bottled separately without fining and only one very light filtration. The Lochs (and we) are fascinated by the differences – each is clearly distinct.

 

New this time is the Wiltinger Schlangengraben old vines trocken, from a parcel (unlike most from that vineyard) overlooking the Saar. Also we had to wrestle Manfred for a few bottles of the Ockfener Bockstein trocken – he would dearly love to get hold of more vines in Bockstein – but there are three large land-owners who hold most of it and unfortunately donŐt want to sell – shame, in ManfredŐs hands the wine achieves another level of spicy intensity.

Also a new label – the third in as many yearsÉa gentle identity shift. First there was Weinhof Herrenberg, then there was equal billing for Weinhof Herrenberg and Loch, now itŐs simply Loch.

 

trocken

 

 

 

 

Stoweler Riesling trocken

2005

15.99

 

Quasaar Riesling trocken

2003

18.99

 

Quasaar Riesling trocken

2004

19.99

 

Wiltingen Schlangengraben Alte Reben trocken

2004

20.99

 

Ockfener Bockstein trocken

2003

25.99

fruity

 

 

 

 

Schodener Herrenberg Riesling SpŠtlese

2005

19.99

sweet

 

 

 

 

Ockfener Bockstein Riesling SpŠtlese 500ml

2002

20.99

 

Schodener Herrenberg Riesling Beerenauslese 375ml

2003

94.99

 

 

Rebenhof  Johannes Schmitz  (†rzig)

Johannes Schmitz is an energetic player in the well-known village of †rzig. He and his wife run a guest house from their winery. He is the President of the committee that has been arranging the "Flurbereinigung" (the re-structuring and rationalisation of the German vineyards, a process that started in 1968) – a sure way to win some friends and lose others!

He has 4.5ha, one third of which are young vines, the rest are between 40 and 80 years-old. His "Alten Reben" is always from his 80 y.o. vines. He sets a benchmark for †rzig, with all the body and herbal spiciness the WŸrzgarten is renowned for.

 

trocken

 

 

 

 

†rziger WŸrzgarten SpŠtlese trocken

2005

12.99

 

†rziger WŸrzgarten Alten Reben trocken

2003

14.99

halb

 

 

 

 

†rziger WŸrzgarten Alten Reben ŇFeinherbÓ

2005

13.99

 

†rziger WŸrzgarten Alten Reben ŇFeinherbÓ

2003

14.99

fruity

 

 

 

 

†rziger WŸrzgarten SpŠtlese "Alten Reben"

2005

14.99

 

†rziger WŸrzgarten SpŠtlese***

2001

15.99