Weingut Franz Josef Eifel, Trittenheim (Mosel)
Early next day, I left for the Mosel valley, where I had a late morning appointment at Weingut Franz Josef Eifel in Trittenheim. The Mittelmosel sub-region produces the finest wines of the entire Mosel-Saar-Ruwer wine region.
I fell under the spell of Riesling back in 2003, as I was enjoying a bottle of Riesling Spätlese Alte Reben at the Waldhotel Sonnora in Dreis. Boy, did we love that wine! It turned out the winemaker lived a mere 20 km away. And so I was keen to meet the man behind the label, and made an appointment. A very passionate and enthusiastic person managed the property. He made time for us and treated us to an incredible tasting, which spanned numerous styles and vintages. It dawned on me that this had to be a very special Weingut. And thus began my relationship with Riesling. Oh and… the name on that bottle was: Franz Josef Eifel. Needless to say that, since then, we have repeated the same tasting year after year.
Eifel's showpiece is the Riesling Trittenheimer Apotheke vineyard. This vineyard together with the Trittenheimer Altärchen belongs to the most famous vineyards in the Mosel. It is a fantastic terroir located on a Steillage (steep hillside).
At this occasion we sampled the excellent 2011 vintage, going from trocken (dry), to feinherb (semi-dry) and sweeter styles, in Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese ripeness levels. To obtain a feinherb or an even sweeter style, winemakers stop the alcoholic fermentation before all sugars have converted into alcohol. The amount of residual sugars in the wine determines its style. Ripeness is expressed in Oechsle (scale used in Germany to measure the concentration of natural sugars pre-fermentation) and forms the basis of the German wine classification. The numerous possible combinations of ripeness on the one hand, and style on the other, can result in totally diverse wines. From fresh, playful and thirst quenching for a Kabinett, which lends itself perfectly to an apéritif. To powerful, intense and concentrated for an Auslese, which goes well with dinner, especially when it has had sufficient bottle age.
Of Eifel’s wines, my favorites are invariably the dry Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Kabinett and Spätlese. At around 20 grams of residual sugars, the Riesling feinherb equally provides for very pleasant drinking, as the combination of the high acidity and moderate sugar levels imparts a particular tension to the wine. The latter style is for instance very suitable with Asian cuisine.
Look here for our selection of Franz Josef Eifel.
Weingut Dr. Loosen, Bernkastel-Kues (Mosel)
After lunch, I proceeded to Weingut Dr. Loosen, where Ernie Loosen eagerly jump-started a tasting of his entire range of 2011s. The wines were very accessible and showed good acidity, although a bit less than in 2010. Many Mosel vintners rate 2011 among the best Riesling vintages of the past decade.All of Ernie’s six top vineyards were already ranked as Erste Lage (this is the equivalent of Grand Cru, the top tier in Burgundy’s classification) in the 1868 Prussian classification of Mosel wines. They are: Bernkasteler Lay, Ürziger Würzgarten, Erdener Prälat, Erdener Treppchen, Graacher Himmelreich and Wehlener Sonnenuhr. These are all bottled as Lagenweine (single vineyard wines). All other wines are labeled Gutsweine (domain wines).
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| With Ernie Loosen at the vineyards |
Ürziger Würzgarten is a natural amphitheater, which forms a giant suntrap. This vineyard produces perfumed and spicy wines that have an extraordinary aging potential. It is one of the most sought after wines of the Mosel valley. The view from atop the vineyard is downright fantastic and ideally suited for a romantic picnic. When Loosen talks about Ürziger Würzgarten and the lower laying Erdener Prälat, his eyes twinkle with joy as he recounts the legend of the Prälat.
Reflecting on this superb visit, I had a very recognizable feeling. I believe that the wines of Dr. Loosen perfectly illustrate Riesling’s restrained delicacy and what it is capable of, when in good hands. Ernie, as always, was full of wit and an inspiring and enthusiastic host.
Look here for our selection of Dr. Loosen.
Weingut Julian Haart, Piesport (Mosel)
The next day began with a visit to one of the currently most talked about young talents in the Mosel valley: Julian Haart of Piesport.Julian has a meager total of 1.4 hectares under vine, all from Erste Lagen (single vineyards). He decided to declassify a few of his wines to village wines in 2011. Whilst Haart's parents are both teachers, he hails from a family of Piesporter winemakers (such as his uncles Theo Haart and Johann Haart). Moreover, he learned the ropes from Riesling masters such as Klaus-Peter Keller, Werner Schönleber (Emrich-Schönleber), Reinhard Löwenstein (Heymann-Löwenstein) and the iconic Egon Müller. To have such an impressive resumé at his age simply speaks for itself!
On his return to Piesport, Julian Haart acquired 1/4 hectare of terraced vines in Goldtröpchen together with Andreas Adam, another leading producer. Goldtröpchen is the most renowned vineyard in Piesport.
One year later, Julian was off on his own and ready to take on the 2011 vintage. Just prior to this, he had seized the chance to obtain ½ hectare of 50 years old Steillage vines in Wintricher Ohligsberg and (ungrafted) 110 years old vines in Piesporter Schubertslay, some of which he uses to produces a declassified Piesporter Riesling. From his very old vines, Haart only selects the best grapes. The resulting wines have exceptional flavor intensity and a pronounced mineral side. Haart strives to obtain dry wines with a pure terroir expression.
Wine lovers know that it is not always the most prestigious wines from prime locations that strike a chord. Riesling is a grape whose versatility and sophistication, combined with a brilliant way of wine “making" and competitive prices, can offer this pleasure and sense of connection. On the steep hills of the Mosel, many more gems are waiting to be discovered at oft attractive prices!
Weingut Schloss Lieser, Lieser (Mosel)
My next appointment was only located a short drive up north, at Weingut Schloss Lieser, in the tiny village of Lieser.Thomas Haag, son of William and grandson of Fritz Haag, one of the top producers in the Mosel, bought Weingut Schloss Lieser in 1997. The property is located just beside the imposing, eponymous castle. Haag owns about 12 ha of vineyards located on slopes, some as steep as 70%.
We tasted many wines from the 2011 vintage, including from the famous Erste Lagen Niederberg Helden, Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr and Brauneberger Juffer. Haag pursues a style of wines, which resembles his father’s. Not surprisingly, the focus being on quality rather than on quantity. He works his vineyards rigorously and applies very strict selections. Once in the wine tank, they are largely left untouched, as Haag seeks to obtain the distinctive Riesling character: lightness, ripe acids, fruity, vibrating and vivacious.
It is clear that here is a talented and dedicated winemaker at work. I am determined to follow and taste the wines of Thomas Haag on a regular basis!
Weingut Clemens Busch, Pünderich (Terrassenmosel)
My next stop was at Weingut Clemens Busch, where Rita Busch received me. Pünderich is the first village of the Terrasenmosel (a.k.a. Untermosel). With the exception of luminaries the likes of Clemens Busch, this region brings about many ordinary wines.The Busch family started working their vineyards organically in 1986, and so they can be considered true pioneers. Assisted by son Florian, the domain is currently in transition to bio-dynamics. No chemical pesticides or fertilizers are used in the vineyards. All grapes are picked by hand after a rigorous selection. Quite logically, artificial yeasts, (de-)acidification, fining or filtering have no place in their cellars. Busch often lets his wines ferment for more than a year, and thereby avoids any unnecessary manipulation. Aging takes place in traditional casks of 1000 liters.
The stately, old home of the Busch family is located right near the banks of the Mosel River. Over forty years ago, father Busch had the bright idea to construct vaulted cellars well above the water level, in order to avoid flooding, which is quite common in this part of Pünderich. The terraced Marienburg vineyard, where all of their wines come from, towers over the opposite riverbank.
Busch refers to the Marienburg vineyard as their Weinberg (‘wine mountain’). Working the vineyard is not easy because of the steep gradients and the effort required. Marienburg has different microclimates, which provide great terroir-variety. This reflects itself in a very diverse and rich range of wines. All the wines that Busch produces refer to their locality on the Weinberg. They therefore bear the signature of their geographic location and by extension, their terroir, for instance: Marienburg "Rothenpfad", Marienburg "Falkenlay", Marienburg "Fahrlay-Terraces", etc.
Restaurant Wein & Tafelhaus, Trittenheim
As a suitable finale to this wine tour, I had reserved a table at restaurant Wein & Tafelhaus in Trittenheim. On this pleasant evening we enjoyed an exquisite dinner al fresco, accompanied by a memorable 2001 Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) from the Pfalz region, made by Weingut Koehler-Ruprecht (Bernd Philippi).Gazing at the sublimely located backdrop of the Trittenheimer Apotheke shimmering and soaking up the last rays of sunshine, I reminisced about the wines from here that I had savored with Franz Joseph Eifel, earlier that day. Suddenly it felt like such an immense privilege to be here. Zum Wohl!
