Wine & Spirits - February 2020 - 54

YEAR'S BEST MOSEL RIESLINGS
through this wine, expanding the flavors
to sour cherry and earthy spice, adding a
refreshing snap. It's energetic and vibrant,
the flavors lasting with bell-tone clarity. § Terry
Theise Selections/Skurnik Wines & Spirits, NY
275018

93 | Gessinger

$28

2017 Mosel Zeltinger Schlossberg Josefs-
berg Old Vines Riesling Spätlese ^ This
is lithe yet curvy, with ripe pineapple fruit
shaped by austere, saline mineral tones. A
hint of floral bitterness sends it to the savory
side of Spätlese, and gives it the edge to pair
well with a coconut-milk curry. § Kysela Père et
Fils, Winchester, VA
275094

93 | St Nikolaus-Hospital

$25

2018 Mosel Brauneberger Juffer-Sonne-
nuhr Riesling Spätlese (Best Buy) ^ This
winery was established 500 years ago as a
source of income for the local hospital. It
remains devoted to that cause today, and
the spirit of generosity seems to make its
way into this wine. It's simply delicious, in
an open-armed, warm and inviting way,
delivering a fruit basket of flavors with a
velvety-soft touch. The tangy acidity and
lime-pith notes keep it firm and buoyant as
it lasts, unabashedly sweet but not cloying. §
Kysela Père et Fils, Winchester, VA
275192

92 | Dr. Hermann

$29

2018 Mosel Erdener Treppchen Riesling
Spätlese (Best Buy) ^ Here's a sumptuous
Spätlese, as rich as orange marmalade, with
a spice and candied citron edge that brings
to mind fruitcake. It feels comforting and
festive, lit from within by a warm frisson of
acidity. § Broadbent Selections, Richmond, VA
275465

92 | Alfred Merkelbach

$35

90 | Bischöfliche
Weingüter Trier

$29

2018 Mosel Urziger Würzgarten Riesling
Spätlese ^ Bright green and yellow in its fruit,
this glows with a ginger spice that tethers the
wine to its mineral notes. It's soft yet structured, a riesling to warm cold evenings. § Terry
Theise Selections/Skurnik Wines & Spirits, NY
275122
2018 Mosel Ayler Kupp Riesling Spätlese ^
From a high hillside in the village of Ayl in
the Saar river valley, this is plush with peach,
pear and tropical fruit flavors. A gentle brush
of fruit-skin tannins adds contour and spice,
and the grip to pair this with seared scallops. §
Delicato Family Wines, Napa, CA
274569

54

WINE & SPIRITS

FEBRUARY 2020

90 | Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler

$28

90 | Selbach-Oster

$40

2018 Mosel Bernkasteler Alte Badstube
Am Doctorberg Riesling Spätlese ^ Full and
fresh, this radiates clarity in its rich flavors,
the lemon-lime acidity cutting a brisk line
through notes of peach and candied ginger. §
Winesellers, Niles, IL
275476
2018 Mosel Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling
Spätlese ^ This is packed with peach and passion fruit flavors, given zip through a spritz
of lime. Right now, the details are obscured
by the wine's sweetness, but it has the stuffing
to age well. § Terry Theise Selections/Skurnik
Wines & Spirits, NY

AUSLESE
275024

96 | Dr. Lippold

$30/375ml

2013 Mosel Urziger Würzgarten Alte
Reben Riesling Auslese (Best Buy) ^ This
2013 Auslese has had time to shed its baby
fat, converting it into savory umami notes
that recall fresh button mushrooms and
white miso. There's not a hint of the heat of
the vintage, or the stress it must have put on
the vines, which are more than 50 years old,
planted on their own roots in red slate soils.
The wine is buoyant, its earthy notes lifted
by tangy citrus acidity. And it's pretty, with a
sense of sparseness and precision that brings
to mind ikebana, the Japanese art of flower
arranging. That balance makes it a prime
choice to take to a sushi restaurant, where
the underlying sweetness will harmonize
with meaty fish and crustaceans. § Banville
Wine Merchants, NY
275373

94 | Knebel

$60

2017 Mosel Uhlen Riesling Auslese ^ Uhlen's
status among Mosel vineyards was legally
confirmed in 2018, when its three main
sectors became the first vineyards in Germany
to be recognized as Protected Designations
of Origin (PDOs). That recognition is based
in part on the vineyard's ability to turn out
exceptional Auslese-level wines: The steep
slopes rising behind the town of Winningen
are warm by Mosel standards, their vines
bathed in abundant sun. That warmth
comes through in this wine, its fruit tones as
concentrated as peach pie. It's the details that
make it feel complete, though-the bright,
crisp acidity that generates energy, and the
smoky, umami richness that builds in quiet
complexity. § Schatzi Wines, Milan, NY
275374

92 | Knebel

$64

91 | Selbach-Oster

$65

90 | Dr. HeidemannsBergweiler

$40

90 | Dr. Loosen

$64

2017 Mosel Röttgen Riesling Auslese ^ From
a cooler site than the Uhlen (also recommended here), this is heady with sweet, tangy
fruit, its lemon-lime acidity driving through
ripe notes of passion fruit and golden plums.
It finishes with a little peach-fuzz grip, bringing the wine enough savor that it could pair
well with roast game birds or other rich,
savory food. § Schatzi Wines, Milan, NY
275480
2018 Mosel Zeltinger Schlossberg Schmitt
Riesling Auslese ^ Johannes Selbach harvests
Schmitt in one go rather than making several
passes through the vineyard, as is typical in
the Mosel today. In the ripe 2018 vintage, the
wine is fully Auslese-level sweet, with a silky
density of honeyed peach flavor. That fruit
wraps gently around a core of acidity that
makes the wine feel firm and precise. While
it's not showing a lot of detail yet, it offers lots
of pleasure. § Terry Theise Selections/Skurnik
Wines & Spirits, NY
274762

2018 Mosel Bernkasteler Badstube Ries-
ling Auslese ^ This is a sneaky Auslese, its initial delicate scents of wildflowers and honey
no real preparation for the weight of fruit to
come. It's sweet and rich, with ripe peach
and tangerine flavors, and lime-zest acidity.
A hint of green tea curbs the sweetness, and
suggests pouring this with a matcha-flavored
cake. § Vinum Cos, Buffalo Grove, IL
274943
2017 Mosel Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling
Auslese ^ Only the gray-slate vineyards of the
Mosel can produce wines like this, as ripe as a
white peach in the height of August yet crystalline in its expression. This feels buoyant
and light, with an herbal acidity reining it in.
It's savory enough to match a salad with goat
cheese and candied walnuts. § Loosen Bros.
USA, Salem, OR

TBA

274835

95 | S.A. Prüm

$440/375m

2015 Mosel Wehlener Sonnenuhr Vat 13
Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese ^ This coats
the tongue in a velvety blanket of sumptuous
flavor, sweet pineapple and mango wrapped
in buttery caramel. It would be too much if it
weren't for the lemony acidity, which draws
out the herbal notes and spice, creating a
complex harmonic chord. The wine lasts,
vibrant and youthful, dessert in a glass. § Taub
Family Selections, Boca Raton, FL n
Wine & Spirits - February 2020

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