WTN: Solano class on the Mosel

A recent gathering at Solano Cellars focused on wines from the Mosel. The first flight compared the 2008 Urban (Nic Weis) Riesling (Mosel) with the 2008 Zilliken (Forstmeister Geltz) Riesling Butterfly (Saar). The Zilliken was earthy, crunchy, and mineral and had quite a grip about it, but leaned a bit too heavily on its 11.5% alcohol—but not enough to make me miss the flinty complexity. I wasn't a fan of the grip the wine had, but I was impressed by how unsimple it was. The Urban was much more approachable—plenty of zip, touch of hay, a bottle would move quickly. The next flight compared the 2008 A.J. Adam Dhroner Hofberger Riesling Kabinett (Mosel) with the 2007 Reinhold Haart Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett Erste Lage (Mosel). I love learning more and more about AJ Adam—a producer for whom I have recently gained great admiration. The Adam Kabinett was very soft, slithery and almost watery. It tasted very loose to me—which makes it sing less in comparison but also sparks interest to wondering if that lack of a bright technicolor introduction would offer its own charm upon drinking a bottle. The Haart was hardly a hard sell (overuse intended)--combining rich cherry and brandy complexity with a good crunch and a touch of light airiness. Yum. Finishing up with the kabinetten, the third flight compared the 2008 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Kabinett (Ruwer) with the 2007 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett (Mosel). The Karthäuserhof was shocklingly good—great focus, refreshing, savory, classic cheese and green apples—perhaps the wine of the tasting for me. The Prüm kind of paralleled my previous experiences with this producer—incredibly precise, well-formed wines that handle like racecars, but feel like they would last forever and that I am drinking them far too soon. It was barely showing itself and it still impressed. Very focused, but not all that giving. Moving on two spätlesen from the same vineyard/same year but different producers, the 2007 von Othegraven Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spätlese (Saar) offered good fruit, a good grip but with a delicate touch while the 2007 St. Urbans-Hof Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Spätlese (Saar) was much smokier, crisp green apple to the lighter peachier approach of the von Othegraven. Finally the 2004 Josef Rosch Leiwener Laurentiuslay Riesling Auslese (Mosel) had a touch of nice acid upfront and thereafter intense richness and warmth, a bit of savoryness, but a bit hidden at the moment. A delicious and very educational exploration of the Mosel and its tributaries . . . the wines were all delicious, the comparisons telling, the focus useful, and I'm slowly familiarizing myself with more quality producers. The kind of evening that makes me wish I drank riesling more often . . .

Interesting choice to juxtapose 07 and 08 kabinetts from different producers/vineyards. I guess it would have been getting too specific to have the same producer/vineyard and just vary the year? And this way people can leave with the inspiration to do that kind of focused comparison on their own.

But sounds like some nice wines.

The kind of evening that makes me wish I drank riesling more often . . .

Isn't that always the case!

[David M. Bueker]

From my limited tastings so far I would rarely, if ever, put an '08 German Riesling up against a similar pradikat from '07. '08 has more akin with '98 than any of its super-sized vintage brethren since 2003.

The Karthäuserhof was shocklingly good

Didn't you tell me you visited them on one of your trips to the Ruwer? Were you not as impressed on the visit?

The Karthäuserhof was shockingly good

Didn't you tell me you visited them on one of your trips to the Ruwer? Were you not as impressed on the visit?

Nope, never visited, indeed have almost no previous experience with Karthäuserhof--so a shockingly good introduction.

And, yes, the choice of the kabinetts was less about structured comparison than introduction--especially to winemaker styles. I liked it as it offered more data to help me tackle that broader question 'what is kabinett?', which I still have not answered to my own satisfaction.

to help me tackle that broader question 'what is kabinett?', which I still have not answered to my own satisfaction.

Well, considering the fact that it's essentially a zen koan, you may never achieve satisfaction