A real pick-me-up - another fabulous Mosel Riesling

Kurt Hain Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Kabinett 2009 Mosel-Saar-Ruwer

I opened this a couple of nights ago, but thankfully (and quite amazingly) there was still a generous glassful left in the bottle, nicely chilled, when I arrived home from the weekly tasting at the Nottingham Wine Circle. Which is just as well, because this wine was just what the doctor ordered, following what I can only describe as a speed tasting of Domaine Tempier Bandols. No less than 20 wines were tasted in just over an hour and a half - and not all of them as good as one might hope, I might add. I will publish my notes on those wines in the next day or two. Meanwhile...........

This gorgeous Riesling has pungent aromas of apricot, lime and apple, with definite notes of cinnamon and clove. The effect is a bit like piercing the pastry on an apple pie, fresh from the oven. It also displays some nice floral and herbaceous notes - how is it possible to encounter so many wonderful aromas in a single wine?! The flavours are equally as intense, concentrated and really quite rich, with palate-coating flavours of lime oil, nectarine and dessert apples, the sweetness of which is offset by spine-tingling acidity, slatey minerality and a refreshing spritz (courtesy of some residual CO2) and again a distinct, though gentle spiciness. The intensity of the fruit is more akin to a Spätlese (i.e. late picked) than a mere Kabinett, but I guess that is the beauty of the 2009 vintage in the Mosel - the Kabinetts are more like Spätlesen, and the Spätlesen are more like Auslesen. In other words, you get more bang for your buck in this vintage. Not that I'm about to complain, because every 2009 Mosel Riesling I have tasted - from the basic QbA Estate wines right up to the single vineyard QmP Auslesen - has been stunning. And this is one of the best of them - it is utterly, utterly gorgeous, and a true bargain at just 6.50 Euros from the cellar door. I'm glad I have a few more (not to mention several other wines from this estate's 2009 offerings). If I ever decide to import from Germany (and I may well do so, sooner or later) the wines of Kurt Hain will almost certainly figure in my plans.

Incidentally, a friend who has far more experience of German Riesling than I do suggests that the 2009's aren't ready to drink yet and should be left for at least a few months (if not years) before drinking. I sort of know what he means, because the wines are in their very first flush of youth and need a little while to settle down and begin their long evolution. But to my mind, they are so delicious right now, they are extremely hard to resist. That said, I will do my very best to keep some for at least a few years (especially the Spätlesen and Auslesen) because great Riesling ages beautifully - and 2009 was undoubtedly a great year in the Mosel.