A friend of mine spent time working vintage in the Mosel last year and came back with manifold insights and an ever-increasing love of the Rieslings made there. Given his generosity of spirit, I’ve shared significantly in the spoils. Imported by Eurocentric.
A warmer year yet the spritz and shaft of mineral acidity provide a sense of vibrancy which enables both fruit and sweetness to operate with great effectiveness. Aromas of pressed flowers and honeysuckle with some of that dried fruit that you find in muesli mixes beginning on entry and balling up on the mid-palate. The transition from there is a touch startling as fruit flavour narrows onto lime and pith before the persistence is almost entirely accounted for by cleansing minerality. Given that my personal preference would be for slightly higher levels of acidity I don’t mind the contrast. The wine isn’t short, it just has non-fruit driven length, and it’s all the more refreshing and moreish for it. Delicious. 91
Region: Mosel, Germany
Alcohol: 8%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $43
Tasted: June 2014
Top wines, top value and top people at Schmitges… fortunate enough to have visited them.
Cheers
GP
I really did enjoy this. If I may say so, my score wouldn’t stop me buying it. Just so tasty. But I’m a sucker for Mosel Riesling too.
I’m pretty sure Neville at Eurocentric used to bring in Schmitges. Some of them at least.
Yep, Julian told me Neville’s still the importer for this wine at least.
I also visited and stayed at their accomodation in Erden a few years ago. Same same – great people, nice wines. Andreas has vines in some of the less fashionable parts of Erdner Treppchen and also Urziger Wurzgarten, but it was clear he knew exactly what he was doing, and how he had to adjust his winemaking to the material he had. Recommended.
Oh, and he makes a really good Dornfelder red from vines on the unfashionable flat side of the river too!