May 2013

The Peter Lauer Estate is one of the leading Estates in the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region for the production of dry and off-dry wines today. However, in our 2003 retrospective, it was clear that already back then, this Estate was already producing superb wines. This wine also shows the wonders that aging can do: This Kabinett started life as off-dry and yet, 10 years on, it now tastes dry without any undue austerity. What a beautiful wine!

2003er

Peter Lauer

Ayler Kupp Riesling Kabinett Fass 11

91

This beauty offers a great nose of spices, citrus, smoke, quince and some beeswax which gives way to a great feeling of focused intensity on the palate. The wine is slightly round on the mid-palate but fully dry in the finish (it only has 13 g/l of residual sugar) and leaves a long smooth yet racy feel. This is really impressive! Now-2018

April 2013

This wine of the month is one of the best 2003 which we had the chance to taste in our extensive 10-Years-After tastings, and it does not come from the Mosel but from the Nahe!

Year-in year-out, the Dr. Crusius Estate crafts some of the most exciting wines made in Germany and price levels have remained very reasonable here. The wines from this Estate may not have this slick early upfront fruitiness to impress in their youth. But boy do these wines age well! We are glad to be able to feature a wine from one of the most underrated addresses in Germany today.

2003er

Dr. Crusius

Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Beerenauslese

31 04

95

A whiff of volatile acidity quickly gives way to an incredibly nose of pineapple, fiery spices and almond paste. The wine is gorgeously well balanced on the palate, with great zesty aromatics. The alcohol lifts the aromatics up and intensifies the impact of their flavors. This all leaves a zesty Sauternes feel in the after-taste. This is a great success. Now-2023

March 2013

The first issue of the year is, as usual, dedicated to maturing Mosel wines. The "10 Years-After" retrospective focuses on the 2003 vintage, a warm vintage which shares many characteristics with the great 1959 in the Mosel. As it happened, we also had a look back at the 1960s and older vintages, in which we have retasted many wines from 1959.

We therefore decided to highlight two wines coming respectively from 2003 and 1959 to underline how good Mosel wines can be in warm vintages!

2003er

Deutschherren-Hof

Trierer Jesuitenwingert Riesling Auslese ***

06 04

93

Bright in color this wine offers great juicy flavors of pineapple, mint, cinnamon, melon and mango. There is great grip on the palate with juicy notes of pear, some salty beeswax sweetness and a slight earthy touch in the finish. A scent of honey comes through after a while, but never gets obtrusive. This is a remarkable wine which has perfectly integrated its botrytis and is simply irresistible now. This is a gorgeous mouth-watering Auslese GK! Now-2028

1959er

Friedrich-Wilhelm-Gymnasium

Scharzberger Auslese

96

This perfectly stored bottle offers a subdued nose which opens up only slowly to some candied grapefruit and smoke. Almond and flowers come through on the palate, which lead to a grandiose and subtle off-dry finish. More smoke and some apricot tree flowers bring a stunning airy side to the whole experience. The feel on the palate is just incredibly smooth and yet precise and the finish is to die for. This is a stunning effort and a great wine to enjoy on a long cold evening. Now

February 2013

Over the last few years, we have the definitive feeling that Roman Niewodniczanski from the Van Volxem Estate has focused on crisper and sharper expression of Saar Riesling. It is therefore not surprising that he took full advantage of the 2011 vintage conditions to produce a stunning range of dry-tasting wines (see our notes in the "Other Noteworthy wines" section).

Among this range, the Altenberg proved simply magical and one of the best young dry Riesling wines we have ever tasted, certainly from the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. It is that impressive!

2011er

Van Volxem

Kanzemer Altenberg Riesling Alte Reben

30 12

96

This show-stopper of a wine starts off by offering the most beautiful, pure and complex notes of undercooled sea breeze, salt, lime, grapefruit and candied orange peel. The wine is all about silk on the palate with layer upon layer of complexity, freshness and purity packed into zesty and salty smoke. Despite all the complex and multilayered action going on in the glass, the wine remains so hauntingly pure, so simple and so at ease with itself. The long and ethereal finish is intense and yet so weightless. Simply put, this is one of the greatest dry wines ever made in the Mosel and a modern day legend in the making. Bravo! 2014-2026

January 2013

Riesling reigns supreme in the Mosel so it is not surprising that all our wines of the month have been based on this grape ... so far. However, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) has been making quite an inroad into the region since its planting was allowed again in 1987. As avid lovers of red Burgundy, we also try to taste Mosel Spätburgunder. In all honesty, most efforts still fail to impress us.

That the region has potential is clearly underlined by the debut Spätburgunder crafted by the talented Gernot Kollmann at the Immich-Batterieberg Estate. This outstanding Pinot Noir is balanced, ticks all the right boxes and well worthy of putting forward as wine of the month. Read more about this wine, a great sparkling wine and the delicious set of 2011 Riesling wines crafted by the Immich-Batterieberg Estate in our Issue No 20.

2010er

Immich-Batterieberg

Enkircher Monteneubel Spätburgunder

08 12

90

The grapes for this red wine were not de-stemmed and the maceration time was extended to 32 days. The wine was then matured in 225 liters oak casks. At only 11% of alcohol, this light colored wine offers a beautiful and refined nose of spices, violet, peony, raspberry and fresh cherry. The wine is very pure on the palate with perfectly well-integrated and silky tannins, so that the sensation is one of a soft and smooth wine pepped up by a touch of CO2 still in need of integration. The kirsch and other red fruits in the clean, light-weighted and long finish are admirable as they respect the structure and overall balance of the wine without forcing on either flavors or intensity. This first attempt at the tricky art of Pinot Noir winemaking is a little masterpiece in its own way! 2013-2020

December 2012

Egon Müller managed to produce a stunning collection of wines in the 2011 vintage, as we reported in our Issue No 20 (October 2012): "All wines are benchmark wines in their category and offer a sense of finesse and complexity paired with an inner intensity which can only be achieved by the greatest winemakers in truly great years."

The Scharzhofberger Auslese is simply a sensational wine which ticks all the right boxes. Its price tag is of course sensational and we understand that not all our readers will be ready to shed such sums of money for a bottle of wine. However, should you be tempted (as we are) to buy now and then some of these gems, this is the vintage to go for. It is THAT good.

2011er

Egon Müller

Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese

06 12

98+

Made from "only" 40% botrytized fruit (this figure is actually on the low side for an Auslese by Egon Müller standards), this immediately signals that one is facing a masterpiece in the making. The aromatics are ripe, rich, with great flavors of pineapple, apricot, herbs and spices. The length and utter balance of this wine are simply difficult to put in words. The wine is soft and elegant on the palate and offers a long Auslese GK feel in the finish. There is however no point in opening this potentially perfect Saar wine at an early stage. It really needs 20 or 30 years of bottle aging and could then become a different but no less fascinating alternative to the legendary 1959 or 1953 wines. It is that impressive and great! 2031-2061

November 2012

Dr. Manfred Prüm and his daughter Katharina from the Joh. Jos. Prüm Estate are well-known for crafting some of the most beautifully well-balanced Spätlese each year. Surprise, surprise, the Estate did it again in 2011! The Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spätlese is a magnificent wine which combines the rich complexity of fully ripe grapes with the precision and drinking fun so typical of the Estate. However, patience will be needed for this wine to deliver its full potential and we urge our readers tempted to drink these kind of wines in their youth to open their bottles well (possibly days!) in advance and/or decant the wine.

The Estate produced a stunning collection of wines in 2011 which underlines, if need be, why this Estate is considered by many as the "champion of intense lightness". The complete Estate Review as well as the tasting notes are available in Issue No 20 (October 2012).

2011er

Joh. Jos. Prüm

Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese

93+

This wine is all about white peach, white flowers and delicate smoky slate delivered in one of these great juicy Auslese packages of the 1990s or 1980s. The feel on the palate is clean and fresh and a delicate touch of creaminess just adds to the feeling of length in the after-taste without however adding anything weighty. This gorgeous effort is still on the reduced side at this stage and in need of some bottle age in order to find its primary balance. But what a beautiful wine in the making! It may indeed even warrant a higher rating than initially expected at maturity. 2023-2041

October 2012

Once again the two Auctions held by the Bernkasteler Ring and the Grosser Ring / VDP at the end of September were absolutely amazing events with some stunning wines on sale, as we reported in our Special Issue - Auction Guide released before the Auctions, at beginning of September.

Prices were high also in this vintage (but so was quality) but smart readers of our Auction Guide could make some smashing deals. In particular, the Merkelbach Estate, a pillar for Mosel classicism since decades, produced yet again a superb auction Auslese which did not break the bank (but then these wines do never break the bank, on the contrary, as those who can buy directly can find out on the Estate's website).
In a different style, the Fritz Haag Estate produced a stunning wine which we had the chance to taste three times over the last few months with consistent notes: the Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Spätlese. It was sold at a hammer price of E55 (US$70), which may not sound cheap for a Spätlese (especially because this price does not yet include commissions, duties, transport and sales tax) but becomes quite an attractive proposition to lay one's hands on a near perfect "feine Auslese", which this wine is in practice.

2011er

Alfred Merkelbach

Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese

18 12

Auction

92

Made from parcels in the original Würzgarten and fermented with 9.5% of alcohol, this has gradually opened up over the year to deliver an incredible aromatic (almost Scheurebe in style) touch of cassis, smoke and herbs. The wine is playful and juicy on the palate and leaves a clean smoky feel in the finish. It is a great easy-drinking Auslese! 2016-2026

2011er

Fritz Haag

Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese

14 12

Auction

98

Well, what it there to say: from the moment one gets one nose in the glass, it is clear that Oliver Haag has crafted something very special here. Not because it is dramatic, ostentatious, out of whack or crazy. No, just because this wine epitomizes all the greatness of top Haag wines. The nose is just incredibly pure, with the juiciest of white peach and pear cream paired with the telltale touch of freshly whipped cream. Some delicate notes of pear and citrusy fruits add a sensation of depth without ever compromising the utter feeling of precision and balance. One needs to forget about the word Spätlese on the label as this wine is smooth, intense and rich on the palate yet it remains perfectly balanced, offering the typical clean flavors of a great feine Auslese. The finish is just to die for, being incredibly long, juicy, floral and herby. This is a very special wine! 2021-2051

September 2012

We already reported about young Julian Haart last year (see issue No 16 for further details) for his stunning first vintage. Since then, he has got hold of new parcels, including some in the Piesporter Schubertslay still planted with over 100 years old un-grafted vines.

Julian's aim is to produce great Mosel dry-tasting wines, and his Wintricher Ohligsberg featured this month just underlines how great this style of wine can be in the hands of a gifted winemaker. Byond this Ohligsberg, his whole collection is extremly high standards and highly recommended. This includes by the way also his fruity-styled wines, which are worth looking for.

2011er

Julian Haart

Wintricher Ohligsberg Riesling

05 12

93

Referred internally as Grand Cru by the Estate, this wine offers wonderful aromatics including zesty notes of grapefruit, lime, white orchard fruits and very fine smoky slate. It comes over as light yet complex and multi-layered on the palate. This is a style of wine you cannot find outside the Mosel, with its refined floral and smoky elements. The finish is hauntingly long, spicy and smoky. This is indeed a great Mosel dry wine! 2014-2026

August 2012

A warm and dry month of September 2011 allowed the grapes to reach comparatively high levels of ripeness, which is usually very beneficial for basic wines. This month we feature such a juicy Estate wine from the Dr. Fischer Estate, which seems on the rebound lately. We were also quite impressed by the Estate's 2011 collection, which delivered plenty of juicy wines full of complexity and freshness. Find out more in our latest issue No 19 - July 2012.

2011er

Dr. Fischer

Riesling

03 12

89

Made with pressure tanks (a technique largely abandoned but which has made the success of such Estates as von Schubert and Joh. Jos. Prüm in the past), this "mere" Estate bottling is pure fun. White peach, smoke and flowers on the nose give way to juicy and fruity flavors on the palate. Despite all the immediate rewards of drinkability, this is surprisingly refined and elegant. This is textbook Estate wine: fresh, light and delicious. Now-2016

July 2012

2011 turns out to be a lovely vintage with loads of highly aromatic wines with mild acidity. This type of vintage is ideal for dry Riesling and it is therefore not a surprise that this style of wine proved particularly success this year! You can read more about it in the current issue (No 19 - July 2012) of Mosel Fine Wines, which covers extensively this vintage.

In a matter of less than 2 years, Max von Kunow has brought new life to the historic von Hövel Estate, adding purity and finesse to the wines without however compromising the legendary "drinkability" that has been the cornerstone of the Estate's success over the past decades. Few wines epitomize all the good side of dry Mosel Riesling combined with the lovely side of 2011 as much as the Estate's Spätlese Trocken R. You can read a complete review of the Estate's wines in the current issue No 19.

2011er

von Hövel

Oberemmeler Riesling Spätlese Trocken "R"

06 12

92

The Spätlese Trocken "R" is made from clean fruit harvested in the Rosenkamm, a former Class I single vineyard which forms part of the otherwise quite humble Oberemmeler Rosenberg. This is a gorgeous dry wine which is all about delicacy, finesse and subtlety. It opens up to subdued flavors of lime, passion fruit, apple and white flowers. This gives way to a delicately racy feel on the palate, which is balanced out by a great touch of smoothness in the finish. The feeling in the after-taste is flowery and airy and yet incredibly long. This is a far cry from the baroque style of many GG wines today, but it is no less good! Now-2017

June 2012

The April issue is dedicated to maturing Mosel wines. At this occasion, we dive each year into a different decade. In our latest Issue (No 18 - April 2012), we focused on the great 1970s decade, which produced some stunning wines.

We want to highlight this great decade by selecting a stunning 1975er Beerenauslese as wine of the month. This particular example was made by one of the legendary Estates in the region, which was unfortunately given up in the 1980s: the Weingut Sanitätsrat Dr. Ronde in Neumagen. We can only urge readers to try to find some wines from this magical decade (and, if at all possible, from this great producer) and to experience fine mature Riesling for themselves!

1975er

Sanitätsrat Dr. Ronde

Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Beerenauslese

14 76

95

This offers a stunning nose of raisin, candied lemon, fresh orange and spices as well as some camphor which adds depth to the experience. The wine is racy, intense and beautifully balanced on the palate, with great notes of fruits as well as zesty acidity. The finish is deliciously sweet and racy. This is a great wine and a superb tribute to this former grand Estate. Now

May 2012

Here is another stunning 2002 Mosel wine from our comprehensive "10 Years After" review of the vintage published last month. The historic Wegeler Estate regularly produces some outstanding wines which shine through their aromatic precision. This showstopping Auslese is a major success, even the Estate's high standards.

Read more about this wine and more than 80 other 2002er wines tasted from leading Estates such as Joh. Jos. Prüm, Fritz Haag, Schloss Lieser, Egon Müller and Dönnhoff in our Issue No 18!

2002er

Wegeler

Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Auslese GK

17 03

Auction

96

This offers a superb nose of saffron, pineapple, laurel, passion fruit and star anise. This glorious wine literally explodes on the palate, with an incredibly focused feel of fruit cream and raisin liqueur. The finish is long and fruity, with just a hint of honey to remind one that this is a BA styled wine. The aromatics are great but what is really remarkable about this wine is this silky feel on the palate. This is a showy wine, but one that delivers the goods. This is a stunning effort. Now-2042

April 2012

The 2002 vintage was maybe not as famous as 2001 nor as off-the-chart as the freakish 2003. But it is one which has delivered tons of very attractive wines, as we found out after our comprehensive review of the 2002 vintage available in the current Issue No 18 (Apr 2012) of Mosel Fine Wines.

As of this year, we decided to also include wines from other parts of Germany in our "10 Years after" 2002 retrospective, and our readers will find tasting notes from leading producers in the Pfalz, Rheingau, Nahe and Franken in addition to those from the best producers in the Mosel. We want to highlight two wines from this vintage, the perfect Oberhäuser Brücke Eiswein AP18 from Helmut Dönnhoff and a magical Auslese GK-styled expression of Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr crafted by the Thomas Haag. Many more great examples can be found in this month's Issue.

2002er

Dönnhoff

Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Eiswein

18 03

100

This AP 18 was one of three Eiswein produced by Helmut Dönnhoff in 2002 and the better of the two non-auction ones (it was also referred internally at the Estate as "Dienstag", as it was harvested on a Tuesday morning). Golden in color, this is just so sublime and a model of finesse and elegance. Tons of juicy flavors burst out of the glass, ranging from fresh garden fruits to exotic fruit sorbet. A serious touch of acidity hits one on the palate and yet this comes over as completely in harmony and the right counterweight to great intense concentrated flavors of fruits. The finish is sweet and, at the same time, remarkably zesty. The overall sense of freshness and inner balance is simply breathtaking. This is textbook stuff. Now-2017

2002er

Schloss Lieser

Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese GK

11 03

96

This is the first vintage in which Thomas Haag from Schloss Lieser got hold of a parcel in the coveted Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr and he produced only two wines out of it: a regular Auslese and an Auslese Goldkapsel. And what a smashing success the latter has turned out to be! Despite still being quite closed, this offers a stunning nose of white peach, flowers, ground spices and herbs. The wine is still firm and structured on the palate, but the depth of flavors and aromatic precision are simply to die for. A more botrytized side comes through in the finish, which adds to the feel of energy and complexity. This is still closed and there is not much point to open a bottle now. But in 5-10 years' time, this will be a smasher of a racy and complex Auslese. It is that impressive. Bravo! 2017-2034

March 2012

The von Kesselstatt Estate, based in the village of Morscheid in the Ruwer valley, is endowed with one of the most impressive collections of vineyards in the region. This ranges from holdings in the Ockfener Bockstein in the upper Saar right down to the single ownership of the Josephshöfer in the Middle Mosel. It owns in particular multiple parcels in the mythical Scharzhofberg, out of which it produces, if possible, a rich Auslese every year. We particularly enjoyed the 2010 version of this Auslese, which shines through its great BA style framed by racy acidity.

2010er

von Kesselstatt

Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese lange GK Nr. 10

94

This offers a pure nose of smoke and grapefruit, which then goes over to more dramatic BA-styled aromatics of honeyed pineapple, passion fruit and mango. These lead to a great feel of intense smooth raciness on the palate, where more zesty notes of rich and honeyed yellow fruits vow for attention. The finish is rich, smooth and yet superbly racy and fresh. This is quite impressive but will require some patience for the richness on the palate to integrate. 2020-2035

February 2012

When 2010 was getting bottled, we were concerned that the high level of acidity would be detrimental for dry wines but actually anticipated that some great food-friendly off-dry wines could be made.

Well we were not disappointed and lovers of this style will find several great examples on the market. One (if not the) best one is the Serriger Würtzberg Kabinett Feinherb from Dr. Siemens. The Dr. Siemens Estate in Serrig may not (yet) have the aura of somr of his illustrious colleagues, despite producing delicious and food-friendly wines year-in year-out. Despite the high quality, we feel it outdid itself in this wine, which allies lightness, intensity and balance.

2010er

Dr. Siemens

Serriger Würtzberg Riesling Kabinett Feinherb

07 11

91

This offers a stunningly fresh and pure nose of white flowers with delicate notes of peach, lime, grapefruit and pineapple. The wine is a true Kabinett in style, but is fruitier than most Feinherb bottlings, making it a great companion for food. The finish is mouth-watering and well balanced. This is delicious and highly recommended! Now-2016

January 2012

The Joh. Jos. Prüm Estate was able to produce some stunning wines in 2010 and it is clear that it was able to put its vast experience with high acid vintages to good use. While we were impressed by the whole collection, it is the regular Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese which stands out here in our eyes. This wine epitomizes everything there is to love about 2010: zest, drama, intensity and great aromatic complexity. Is there a drawback? Yes: this wine (and the whole collection for that matter) is as backward as it has ever been in recent years and patience will be required. But then, those lucky enough to have found and held on to some bottles of this Auslese in particular will be in for quite a great treat in a decade or two.

2010er

Joh. Jos. Prüm

Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese

95

This does not offer much on the nose at this stage beyond super-youthful notes of fermentation, spices and diffused notes of fruits. Behind this primary wall, some subtle notes of pear, pineapple, citrus and honey wait in patience for their future show. What really makes this a head-turner at this early stage is the feel on the palate. Understated zest, gentle creaminess and a hint of almond paste convey a stunning feel of silk and juiciness in the long finish. This is stunning but more than in recent years, there is little point in enjoying this young: this NEEDS time! But will reward those who have the patience to wait. 2020-2030+

December 2011

The unique profile of the 2010 vintage (high acidity, high sugar levels from widespread botrytis) allowed winemakers to produce incredibly racy expressions of BA and TBA. Many of these bottlings flirt with perfection (see Issues No 16 and 17 as well as the Auction Guide 2011 for more detailed recommendations). Markus Molitor produced a splendid collection of BA and TBA bottlings, among which a superbly elegant Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Beerenauslese *. No great BA and TBA is cheap, but this bottling has the additional advantage of being comparatively fairly priced for the quality level.

2010er

Markus Molitor

Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Beerenauslese *

98

Fermentation notes still mark the flavors on the nose but make no mistake, because this is a stunner in the making. The wine hints at complex and focused notes of pineapple, yellow and dried fruits, raisin, delicate spices and a touch of honey. The feel on the palate is nearly painfully intense and yet superbly complex and focused, where ripe scents of juicy fruits are underlined by acidity and minerals. The never-ending finish is sharp and just captivating. This is a brilliant wine made in a light TBA style. 2020-2050

November 2011

The von Hövel Estate produced a very attractive collection in 2010 with plenty of juicy and mouth-watering fruity-styled wines. However, what most impressed us was the very high standards of its off-dry (Feinherb) bottlings. We feel that the arrival of young Maximilian von Kunow at the Estate's helm is now unlocking the Estate's potential also in this stylistic direction. Amongh these, we were particularly impressed with the Hütte Feinherb, which offers great drinking pleasure!

2010er

von Hövel

Oberemmeler Hütte Riesling Spätlese Feinherb

07 11

90

This is a true beauty in the making. The wine is still reduced and needs considerable airing. However, it then rewards the patient ones with a most beautifully balanced and sappy nose of passion fruit, grapefruit and herbs. A hint of exotic flavors then comes through, which rounds off the feel on the palate and balances the well-integrated acidity. The finish is firm, assertive yet retains great presence with a beautiful tartness. This is a great success in the vintage and highly recommended. 2013-2018