WTN: Weiser-Künstler Enkircher Zeppwingert Spätlese 2008

Sorry for this sudden deluge of TNs, but I have been fortunate in tasting and drinking interesting and wonderful wines recently. The most recent of which was a producer in Mosel that I had not heard of and a village and vineyard that I hadn't heard of either. And it was lovely.

Weiser-Künstler Enkircher Zeppwingert Riesling Spätlese 2008 - 7% abv; no figures given as to sugar and acidity
This is so exquisite! Lovely passion fruit aromas which might give the idea that this is a hot year wine, but then there is a lovely steeliness to it, too. Light and racy, proper Spätlese rather than Auslese with something else written on the label. It seems light, but then the finish goes on forever. Wonderfully delicate. Ethereal. My gut reaction is that I need to get a case or five of this, but I prefer to think with my brain rather than my gut so perhaps I'll first try to find just a couple more bottles to see if I really love this as much as I now think I do.

Otto, I imagine it was quite sweet?

Light and racy, proper Spätlese rather than Auslese with something else written on the label.

Sounds moderately sweet to me.

Yes, sweet. Certainly not a trocken.

[David M. Bueker]

A quick perusal of their web site reveals that the estate is quite new (2005), and also that the vineyard this wine comes from is ungrafted.

A quick perusal of their web site reveals that the estate is quite new (2005), and also that the vineyard this wine comes from is ungrafted.

New, but with plenty of attention. Part of the Mosel Wine Merchant portfolio. I don't think I've had any of their wines, but have heard good things and this note reinforces that.

Hi Otto -

Thank you for the great note.

Anyway, I had this wine a couple of years ago, and enjoyed it back then - of course, I love most anything 2008 from the Mosel. If anything, I actually underrated it at the time, having opened it shortly after it came across the ocean from Germany.

One note - the importer then was NOT Mosel Wine Merchant, but someone else whom I can't remember. Weiser-Künstler was not added to the MWM portfolio until later. I wish that I had made a note of the importer back then, but the bottle went in my recycling bin a long time ago.

FWIW, Although MWM has been distributing their portfolio in my state for the past year, I have yet to see any of the Weiser-Künstler wine in Massachusetts. Therefore, this is the only wine that I have ever had from this producer, but I definitely intend to try a lot more.

Hi Otto -

Thank you for the great note.

Anyway, I had this wine a couple of years ago, and enjoyed it back then - of course, I love most anything 2008 from the Mosel. If anything, I actually underrated it at the time, having opened it shortly after it came across the ocean from Germany.

One note - the importer then was NOT Mosel Wine Merchant, but someone else whom I can't remember. Weiser-Künstler was not added to the MWM portfolio until later. I wish that I had made a note of the importer back then, but the bottle went in my recycling bin a long time ago.

FWIW, Although MWM has been distributing their portfolio in my state for the past year, I have yet to see any of the Weiser-Künstler wine in Massachusetts. Therefore, this is the only wine that I have ever had from this producer, but I definitely intend to try a lot more.

Although Andrew and some others already know this, Mosel Wine Merchant has come to an end. Weiser-Künstler is with vom Boden, a new importer based in NYC. Bill Mayer will import, once again, some selections for California. Vom Boden has Peter Lauer, Stein, and Julian Haart too. Louis/Dressner Selections picked up Clemens Busch, Immich-Batterieberg, and Knebel to go along with Koehler-Ruprecht. Grand Cru Selections, also in NYC, has Günther Steinmetz. And Bonhomie, in South Orange, NJ, and Ideal Wine, in Boston, have Später-Veit. Andrew says that Ideal Wine will also distribute most of the selections from vom Boden.

Weiser-Künstler has an outstanding 2011 collection. Their terraced, old-vine parcel in Zeppwingert, however, is owned by Immich-Batterieberg nowadays. Weiser-Künstler decided to focus on Ellergrub, Gaispfad, and Steffensberg.