Mosel Valley, Germany
Tasted Saturday, October 1, 2011 - Tuesday, October 4, 2011 by isaacjamesbaker with 1,509 views
The Mosel Valley has long intrigued me. The geological diversity, the architecture, the culture, the history, but most of all, the wine. I've always loved riesling in all its different interpretations. But I've enjoyed Mosel rieslings most of all. During my sommelier studies, I learned the towns and vineyards by heart. So visiting the Mosel for the first time was like a pilgrimage for me. And the trip proved to be more thrilling than I'd ever imagined. The people are so real, the food so authentic, and the wines so pure. Each day, I hiked through vineyards, taking in the incredible views and watching people pick grapes by hand. It was a tremendous experience, and I know that I will be back in the Mosel again soon. I wasn't able to keep track of all the wines I tried, but I did a pretty good job at keeping notes. I'm glad I did, because the wines I tasted were so diverse and exciting. Anyway... here are my notes.
During the Mosel harvest season, people in town seem to start drinking early. I waited until 11 a.m. before starting in on some rieslings at a wine and music festival in Bernkastel. The atmosphere was great, and the wines were too.
The Molitor Rosenkreuz tasting room is located just north of the beautiful Bernkastel Markplatz. My girl and I sat down for a personal tasting, and were attended to by an old man whoat noon was clearly drunk, and not just on wine. While he was downing riesling by the glass, he poured us some of the weingut's wine. It was a fun tasting, full of the man's drunken ramblings about sex and women, which my girlfriend translated for me. I'd never heard of this winery, but I think it's safe to say they use too much sulfur in their wines. The bottles had just been opened, but almost all of them showed a lot of sulfur aromas. Some of the aromas blew off with air, some did not. Still, it was a great tasting in a beautiful area. I enjoyed their Großes Gewächs a lot, and loved being able to taste several wines from Wintricher Ohligsberg, a vineyard I'd known of, but had never tried until this trip.
After the Molitor-Rosenkreuz tasting, I wandered the streets of Bernkastel, stopping at shops and bars for more riesling. I discovered some great ones. The Bernd Kilburg wines were tasted in a 400-year-old cellar that was damp, dark and beautiful. It's been there so long that there are stalagtites forming from all the water and minerals that leak down over the centuries. It was an other-worldly experience that I'll remember.
I stopped into this tasting room of a producer I've enjoyed for years. The tasting room was beautiful, overlooking the Mosel River, and the woman who poured the wines was knowledgeable and helpful.
This cavernous tasting cellar is a wine tourist's dream come true. I paid 15 Euros and got to run around the cellar and taste as many wines as I could stomach, which turned out to be quite a few. There were over 130 wines to choose from, so I started with the 2010 rieslings, which I was excited to try. They were very nice, as were many of the 2009s, of course. I had a blast hanging out for about three hours tasting these wines, the overwhelming majority of which come from small producers that do not export their rieslings to the United States. This tasting really showcased the quality of the 2010 and 2009 vintages, and the differences that make both vintages uniquely delicious.
On the way out of Bernkastel, we headed north, weaving through the roads, dodging grape pickers and tractors. We passed through the heralded vineyards of Graach, Urzig, Wehlen and ended up in Erden, a quaint little town on the eastern bank of the Mosel. A harvest festival was going on, and riesling was flowing from more than a dozen tasting booths. I only tried a few, because I had to drive east through the mountains, but the wines I tasted were a real treat. The views of Erdener Treppchen are breathtaking.
2010 Weingut Tesch Riesling Unplugged trocken 90 Points
Germany, Nahe
(10/1/2011)
my first riesling of the trip, and my first 2010, was a solid one. this kabinett smelled like flowers, peaches, lemon zest and a hint of cotton candy. the palate is bold, and this wine strikes me as very young. there's an intense burst of honey, pear and green apple. so fresh, so young, but so balanced. a streak of minerals comes out on the finish. i love the intensity of this wine.
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2010 Hansen-Lauer Bernkasteler Matheis-Bildchen Riesling Spätlese trocken 92 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
(10/1/2011)
this was one of the most pleasant surprises of the trip. the aromas of golden apples, pineapple and papaya are rich and intoxicating. the creamy honey and peach flavors on the palate are pure and lush. there's an underlying salt and lime flavor, and some high acid to keep it all balanced. the finish is long and leaves the palate refreshed. this is one absolutely delicious riesling from a producer i'm glad to have discovered.
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