Some wines enjoyed over an extended Easter holiday

Just thought I'd take time out from writing-up my Burgundy trip notes to tell you about a few interesting wines we've enjoyed at home over the last week or so..........

Bodegas Campillo Reserva Especial 1995 Rioja

As befits a wine with 22 months' oak ageing and a further 14 years in bottle, this has a definite mahogany tinge. There's also a touch of mahogany to the nose as well (of the polished variety) which is rather attractive, in a relatively non-fruit sort of way. That said, there are some nice cherries-in-eau-de-vie aromas and a faint whiff of strawberries and cream. I'm not sure this was made in an entirely "old-school Rioja" way, and it may well have been quite chunky and rich in its youth, but it has certainly evolved into something quite evocative, with some really enticing woody/old oak, exotic spice and autumnal forest floor aromas. The palate is initially quite rich and powerful, but there's an underlying elegance to it - sort of a halfway house between Bordeaux and Burgundy. Again, the fruit flavours are verging on the secondary - red cherry and wild strawberries and again a touch of eau de vie - but the marriage of fruit, wood, tannin and healthy acidity really does work very nicely indeed, with the "wininess" lingering for quite a while on the finish. In fact, if a Martian asked you "what does wine smell and taste like?", then this would be a perfect example. Whilst it isn't quite a profound wine, it is certainly a very good one, which seems to me to be in a perfect place rght now. Drink now or keep for perhaps another 3 to 5 years. 13.0% abv.

Domain Org de Rac Family Reserve Shiraz 2005, Swartland, South Africa

Quite a deep blood red colour, with a narrow carmine rim. The nose offers enticing aromas of bramble and raspberries, with a touch of eau de vie, some interesting bready and savoury/meaty notes and just a hint of tar. If there's any oak, it is very much in the background, because this is all about fruit - and some pretty good fruit, at that. The palate is initially quite rich and chewy, but not overly dense, with lovely bright bramble flavours, firm (but also quite fine) tannins and a lovely backbone of acidity. In fact there's a lightness (in a good way) that you don't often encounter in new world Shiraz, and whilst I would hesitate to compare it to a northern Rhone Syrah, neither does it fit the template of a new world blockbuster. The finish is warm and spicy, with a lovely sweet and sour note lingering on the palate, and the 14.5% abv really doesn't show, in what is really quite a balanced wine. It isn't complex, but neither is it a simple quaffer, and although lovely to drink now, I'd be interested to see what it does over the next few years. A nice wine. 14.5% abv.

Mas de Morties 1995 Coteaux du Languedoc Pic Saint-Loup

This is a remarkably youthful colour, given that this is almost 16 years old - deepish blood red at the core with a raspberry rim. The nose is fragrant with scents of garrigue herbs and spices, leather, meat/savoury and plenty of fruity nuances - raspberry and bramble, wild strawbs and a touch of citrus. The palate is initially quite reticent, almost as if the fruit has faded. But lo and behold - after half an hour in the decanter, it really begins to blossom, albeit in a fairly secondary way. All of those fruits begin to emerge, along with myriad savoury and earthy elements, soft spices and again garrigue herbs, complemented by almost-resolved tannins and juicy citrus-tinged acidity. It really is delicious. I've tasted a bottle or two of this wine before - indeed, this bottle was given to me by my friend and local restaurateur, CY Choong, as thanks for a favour - and it has never failed to impress. It is yet another example of a Languedoc wine with plenty of bottle age that more than holds its own against wines from much loftier appellations and regions. And yet it screams Languedoc - it simply could not be from anywhere else. And therein lies the moral of the story....... fine Languedoc wines such as this may be deliciously drinkable when young, but also have the capacity to age very gracefully indeed! A really lovely wine.

Domaine Treloar Tahi 2007 Cotes du Roussillon

I've waited a long time to taste this wine, since its predecessor the 2006 was released a good 3 years ago (and is still a baby, in terms of evolution). And I have to say, it has certainly been worth the wait. It is a blend of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre, with a dense but bright purple core leading to a tiny cherry red rim. The nose exudes class, with considerably complex aromas including (but by no means limited to) black cherries, bramble, citrus fruits, garrigue herbs, incense and licorice, and a cloak of gently toasty, beautifully integrated oak. As the colour would suggest, the palate is dense, concentrated and tightly-knit, but not so much as to hide a certain degree of subtlety, with a huge core of juicy black fruits and exotic spiciness, complemented by firm but very fine tannins and tangy acidity. Although I wouldn't dare to suggest it is ready to drink yet, those curious enough to try a bottle at this early stage - preferably with food, of course - would certainly not be disappointed, because all of the components necessary for a very fine wine are there. Indeed, although the 2006 was a hard act to follow, I think this 2007 just about shades it, because of its sheer complexity and potential for elegance. And whilst the 2006 is probably another 8 to 12 years away from its peak, this one may get there a little quicker - but I suspect it will also stay there for longer. This will be available for purchase via my website in a few days, priced at £17.95 (and if you are on my mailing list, you'll be amongst the first to hear about it). A benchmark Roussillon wine - and for me the finest Treloar red yet. 14.0% abv.

Kurt Hain Piesporter Domherr Riesling Auslese 2009 Mosel

This is not one of the wines I feature on my list (i.e. sell) but, although I didn't get to taste it when I visited the Kurt Hain winery last year, I was interested enough to buy a bottle. At 17 Euros from the cellar door, it isn't particularly cheap (and if I were to sell it, the price would be around £22) but then again it isn't overly expensive, in comparison to other top Mosel growers' Auslesen wines. And, although at this early stage it is yet to fully display the sheer vivacity and "zinginess" of the Kabinett and Spatlese wines from the same grower, it certainly has the structure to evolve beautifully towards its peak (which I would say will be at least another 10 years). At just 7.0% abv, it is currently all about the fruit - and lots of it. Aromas of apricot, mandarin orange, lemon zest and lime oil fairly leap from the glass, accompanied by subtle hints of apple pie, basil and wet slate. Come to think of it, there's even a touch of florality as well. The flavours are super-intense, with all of those lovely aromas manifesting themselves on the palate, in a way that fills the senses and lingers for an age. In fact, as it opens up over the course of half a day, this wine really begins to blossom, to the extent that the acidity really comes to the fore - both on the nose and in the mouth - thus revealing some of the promise that lies ahead. Of course, I would happily sit and drink a whole bottle of this myself, such is its sheer deliciousness and up-front fruitiness, but it really does deserve to be kept for a few more years, in order to fulfil its enormous potential. A real cracker, which can only get better. 7.0% abv.
              

Pancakes and Riesling - a match made in heaven!

OK, so I can't claim to be the first to discover this fact - one which is, come to think of it, rather glaringly obvious. I'm currently tasting my way through a few more bottles of Kurt Hain and Dr F Weins-Prum Riesling and writing full tasting notes for the website, in preparation for the delivery of my shipment later this week. It is hard work, but someone has to do it - all in the name of research, of course!

And since yesterday was Pancake Day, it was an ideal opportunity to do a bit of impromptu wine and food matching. We started with some tortilla wraps, filled with hot and spicy chilli con carne and a freshly-made onion, capsicum and chilli relish. Although not the ideal match, both Rieslings were a refreshing and fruity accompaniment to the chilli, especially the Kabinett, which was slightly drier and with a touch of refreshing spritz. But the wines really came into their own with pancakes, laced with a little sugar and lashings of freshly-squeezed orange juice. The Kabinett coped admirably, but the Spätlese, with it's flavours of mandarins and apricot and intense acidity, really was a match made in heaven, mirroring the sweetness and acidity of the pancake toppings.

Kurt Hain Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett 2007 Mosel Saar Ruwer

The nose on this wine really is something to behold - intense lime, apple, stone fruit, herb and wet slate aromas, with a palpable whiff of the acidity lying in wait on the palate. When I first tasted this in September 2010, it seemed soft in comparison to the 2009, but perhaps that intense acidity and minerality have begun to temper the overt fruitiness - all part of the evolutionary process in great Riesling. Whatever the case, this has turned into a wine with incredible focus and verve, with lime oil, tree fruit and grape flavours melding beautifully with truly mouth-watering, palate-cleansing acidity and a mineral depth worthy of the finest Mosel Rieslings. Although it is so, so good to drink now, I think it has the structure to age and evolve for perhaps another 10 years. So the choice is yours - drink it now, for its sheer vitality and youthful exuberance, or leave it for a few years to develop the more mineral and tertiary aromas and flavours of classic aged Riesling. It really is a fabulous wine - and I promise it will put a smile on your face! £11.95

Kurt Hain Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese No.12 Rotschiefer 2009 Mosel Saar Ruwer

Bright, pale yellow/gold, with a water rim. Of the trio of Hain Spätlese 2009's in our range, this one is probably the softest, most fruit-forward and hedonistic of them all. That said, it already shows a fair degree of complexity, even at this early stage. The nose is absolutely brimming over with the scents of fresh grapes, mandarin orange and apricot, with plenty of that classic Mosel minerality cutting right through the fruit. My rule of thumb for 2009 Mosel Rieslings is that the Kabinetts have almost Spätlese levels of ripeness, whilst the Spätlesen are more akin to Auslesen - and this one is a perfect example, with intensely ripe, luscious fruit flavours and a hefty dollop of residual sugar. But great Riesling at any level needs acidity to balance the sweetness, and this one has it by the bucket-load. The result is a wine of both immense concentration and supreme balance, with the acidity countering the fruit sweetness perfectly. The purists would probably say that this wine needs 5 to 10 years before it is really ready. I say it is utterly wonderful and delicious now - and will always be so. £14.95

    

A delicious trio of wines

Even apart from the lavish birthday celebrations last week, I've had the good fortune to enjoy lots of really good wines over the last few weeks - always in moderation, of course! But it's a bit of a job keeping all my notes together, so it may take a while to put them together into something more cohesive, before writing about some of the stand-out wines. Meanwhile, here are my notes on a rather delicious trio from this week.

Kurt Hain Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese No.12 2006 Mosel-Saar-Ruwer

Already a hint of petrol on the nose, making me think it may be quite advanced. But the palate is bright, fresh and simply crammed full of youthful fruit, with an astonishing intensity of flavour, combining stone fruits, sweet apples and soft citrus. The level of ripeness and residual sugar is pretty much up to Auslese level, but any suggestion of sweetness is more than offset by stunning acidity and a wonderful backbone of slatey minerality, all of which makes for a wine of incredible focus and balance. It makes your tabs laugh alright, but puts a real smile on the face at the same time, and the length on the finish is very impressive. It is a beautiful, world-class Riesling. In about 2 weeks' time, I will be taking delivery of a host of wines from Weingut Kurt Hain. I was hoping to be able to include some of this very wine, but by the time I placed my order, it had unfortunately sold out. The good news is that I will have the 2009 vintage, which is already every bit as good, and perhaps with an even better future ahead of it. Look out for it on my list, very soon - at £14.50 a bottle, it's a lot of a wine for the money.

Les Vins de Vienne Sotanum M.M.I Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes

Vins de Vienne is a collaboration between three of the Northern Rhone's top growers - Yves Cuilleron, Pierre Gaillard and Francois Villard and this wine, made from Syrah (and perhaps a little Viognier) grown on the slopes around the commune of Seyssuel, just north of Vienne. Therefore, it cannot qualify as Cote-Rotie (which lies a few miles to the south, and on the other bank of the Rhone) but my goodness, it smells and tastes an awful lot like Cote-Rotie - and a very good one, at that. It is quite a deep, rich purple/red colour, but just beginning to show a little maturity at the rim. It smells lovely - crunchy black and red fruits, violets and lilies, damp earth, just a hint of smoky bacon and some well-integrated, top-quality oak. The palate shows plenty of depth and even some richness, but is supremely balanced and elegant, with softening tannins and really juicy acidity. There's plenty of black fruit in there, but also a layer of sweet and sour cranberry, which gives a refreshing lift. Finishing the dregs of this wine tonight (i.e. day 2) it has lost a little of its initial vitality, but gained even more complexity. Indeed, this is one of those Northern Rhones that - for me, at least - displays an almost Burgundy-like flavour profile and elegance. If you have some, I'd say you can start drinking it now, or age it for at least another 5 years. A real stunner, which cost me about £16 at auction, although current vintages aren't cheap, retailing at up to £35.

Les Vignes de l'Arque Vin de Pays Duché d'Uzès Rouge 2009

I wrote a note on this wine late last year, from a tasting sample sent to me by Les Vignes de l'Arque, whose wines used to feature heavily on the Leon Stolarski Fine Wines list. And thanks to that sample (plus a whole host of other good wines) they are now very firmly back on my list. They arrived in stock last week, so it was never going to be too long before I opened another bottle of the Duché d'Uzès red, and (as if I didn't know it already) it is a cracker. It has amazinly intense aromas and flavours of bramble, plum skin and blackcurrant, with further notes of orange peel, soft spices, tobacco, oak vanillin and meat/leather. A riper, more sun-drenched red wine would be hard to imagine, with those red and black fruits complemented by chocolatey tannins and really good acidity acidity. At 14.8% abv, it is no shrinking violet, but it remains beautifully balanced, without even a hint of heat - just fruit, fruit and more fruit. Oh, and a bit of fruitcake thrown in for good measure. For the money (£9.95) this is a brilliant wine, and without a shadow of a doubt provides the best quality/price ratio on my list. You'd be mad not to try it!

   

A lovely, Spring-like Saturday, plus 2 very different white wines

Although today is grey, damp and blustery around these parts, yesterday provided a tantalising glimpse of Spring. It was a lovely day to be out on the golf course (even though my game wasn't exactly on song - though I did come tantalisingly close to another hole-in-one) and we even had to take a layer of clothing off after a few few holes, with glorious sunshine and the temperature almost nudging into double figures. Of course, it is still only mid-February, so there is still time for a sting in Winter's tail, but I always feel that when March is approaching, we're almost there. Having said that, I think the long spell of bitterly cold weather we had in November and December has delayed the growing season a little - perhaps not a bad thing, since the seasons have certainly been a bit out of synch over the past few years. So I guess it is just about the right time for these pretty little flowers to put in an appearance.............

The first Snowdrops of Winter, spotted by the side of the 17th green

Hain Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett 2009, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany 

Here's something that fits perfectly with the almost spring-like weather we enjoyed yesterday. TLD and I enjoyed our first bottle of this wine whilst sat on the terrace at the Hotel Piesporter Goldtröpfchen in September last year  - and have enjoyed several more since then. It really is a wonderfully drinkable and more-ish wine, with aromas of limes and wet slate, nettles and cut grass, apple and mandarin orange. Over the last few months, it has shed a little of its puppy fat, with the intensely mouth-watering acidity integrating more with the rich, almost Spatlese level fruit. I have no doubt that this wine will age and evolve gracefully for another 5 to 8 years, but I find the combination of mandarin and lime, a touch of honeyed richness and oiliness, together with truly mouth-watering acidity almost impossible to resist. Look for this wine appearing on the Leon Stolarski Fine Wines list, within the next month or so. The price will be around £11.75 - a bit of a bargain, for a wine from a top grower, in a top, top year.

Mullineux White 2009 Swartland, South Africa (widely available - average price around £14.95)
61% Chenin Blanc, 23% Clairette and 16% Viognier, fermented and matured in 225 litre barriques (it doesn't say how new, or for how long). This is the third in a trilogy of wines from this grower that I have drank over the last few weeks, and I was hoping (given some positive - even, occasionally, gushing - reviews I have read) for great things. On first pouring, the nose displays quite pronounced sweet apple and stone fruit aromas and a touch of Chenin minerality, with background notes of honey and sweet oak vanillin. But I don't really get much in the way of freshness - it comes across as big, rich and ripe, without any of the high notes or suggestion of acidity that I would expect from a wine dominated by Chenin Blanc. The palate shows more promise in the acidity stakes, but still not quite enough to lift it sufficiently for my taste. There's a good deal of Chenin flavour, again with some rich, baked apple flavours and a touch of mineral, but the overall impression is of a slight pithiness and alcoholic warmth, rather than elegance and freshness - perhaps more in the way of a southern Rhone blend (and, to be fair, 40% of it is just that). After a day or two in the fridge, the remains of the bottle begin to show a little more freshness and the overripe flavours have receded somewhat, although the elegance I crave has still failed to materialise. It is an OK wine, but I was hoping for so much more, and I wouldn't buy it again. If you're interested in trying something in the same vein (in fact, a very similar blend, from the same region) that really does tick all my boxes, then I would suggest the gorgeous (and significantly cheaper) The Liberator Episode 1 The Bureaucrat 2009, which I will happily sell to you for the princely sum of £12.95. ;-)


         

The Hotel Piesporter Goldtröpfchen and the wines of Kurt Hain

I can't believe it is just a month since TLD and I returned from our short break in the Mosel Valley - it all seems like a distant (but lovely) memory now. Furthermore, I can't believe that it has taken me this long to share some of my impressions about the country, the region, the scenery, the people, the food and (very importantly) the wines. And although we only actually visited 2 wine growers for tastings, they both turned out to make wines of a very high standard indeed. Actually, one of these visits wasn't really a "visit" at all, since the Kurt Hain winery is situated underneath the Hotel Piesporter Goldtröpfchen, which (rather conveniently!) happened to be our base for the duration of our stay. Indeed, the hotel is owned by the Hain family - current winemaker Gernot Hain looks after the wines side of things, whilst his wife Susanne runs the hotel.

The hotel is situated in the old part of Piesport (the newer part is on the other side of the river), which sits snugly between the north bank of the Mosel and the magnificent amphitheatre of the Piesporter Goldtröpfchen vineyard. It isn't hard to find, since there is really just one road, with the hotel, a church and a few houses dotted along the riverbank. It really is a lovely, peaceful setting.
  

Old Piesport, viewed from the main town on the opposite side of the River Mosel -

- the hotel is between the bridge and the church

And the hotel itself really is rather lovely, too, offering an extremely comfortable level of accommodation. Our room was really spacious and airy and had a delightful view over the river, with patio doors and small balconies, from which to view the vineyards behind.

The Hotel Piesporter Goldtröpfchen

A room with a view - and so comfortable, too

Breakfast was served in the main restaurant area, with a variety of breads, charcuterie, cheese, conserves, cereals, boiled eggs and unlimited fruit juices, tea and coffee. One never need go hungry! 

A hearty breakfast - enough to see us through until dinner

Our total bill for 4 nights bed and breakfast came to just 280 Euros - which has to be a cracking bargain, in anybody's book. We'll certainly go back there one day (hopefully sooner rather than later) and I would recommend it wholeheartedly to anyone looking for a base from which to tour the Middle Mosel region. Full details of both the hotel and the winery can be found on the Hain website.

So....what of the wines? Well, I have to say that they turned out to be every bit as good as I expected. The Hain family has been growing wine since 1600, and today has holdings in Piesport’s top sites of Goldtropfchen and Domherr, with a total of around 5 hectares under vine, producing approximately 35,000 bottles a year. Gernot Hain began managing the estate in 1988, and no less an authority than Hugh Johnson has described him as “one of the most talented young wine producers on the Mosel.” A little Rivaner, Weißer Burgunder (Pinot Blanc) and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) is grown here, but most of the vineyards are given over to what I personally consider to be the greatest white grape variety of them all - Riesling. And Riesling is what we concentrated on for our tasting. All of the wines are vinified in a traditional manner, using mostly very old oak foudres, plus some stainless steel tanks. These are wines of substance, well-structured, with fine fruit and mineral tones and great aging potential. Because there were so many wines on offer (getting on for 50, in all) we stuck with the traditional fruity (or "fruchtige") versions, rather than the increasingly fashionable trocken and feinherb wines, which I personally find less attractive.

Here are my notes - some of them just brief impressions jotted down in the Hain cave, others a bit more in-depth from a recent tasting session at the Nottingham Wine Circle.

Hain Weißer Burgunder 2009

This was dry, but nevertheless quite rich and full, with good structure and subtle oak-ageing. Could turn out very interesting.

Hain Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett 2009
We enjoyed 2 or 3 bottles of this during our stay and I could never tire of it. Limes and wet slate on the nose, with a touch of herbaceousness - even herbiness - including aromas of nettles and cut grass, even fresh peas. Oh, and loads of fruit, with apple, lime and mandarin orange. It is fairly rich for a Kabinett, almost like a Spätlese, with flavours of mandarin and lime and a touch of honeyed richness and oiliness, all held together with truly mouth-watering acidity and a taut, mineral streak. Delicious, long and lovely. 

Hain Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett 2007
This is softer and mellower than the 2009, with the acidity softening, yet still oh-so fruity and delicious.

Hain Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese No.12 2006
This is markedly different to the 2009's, in that it is rich and intense - almost painfully so, when first opened - with lime, lemon, stone fruit and mineral aromas, with a faint but definite whiff of trademark diesel/petrol. The palate is incredibly intense, almost super-charged, with essence of citrus, mango and crystallised fruits, allied to zingy acidity and strong minerality. There's a definite hint of botrytis, too, which adds a rich, honeyed quality. This is many years from being "ready", but shows fantastic promise for the future - and actually softens out nicely over a couple of days after opening. A stunner.

 

Hain Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese No.12 2005
This is possibly even more mineral than the 2006, yet lighter on its feet and more approachable. Slatey, lemony fruit, with floral notes and no noticeable botrytis. This is one to drink now, whilst the 2006 matures. Long and lovely.

Hain Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese No.12 Rotschiefer 2009
Intense aromas of grape and mandarin, with loads of mouth-watering acidity to complement the residual sugar. Clean, pure, focused and delicious.

Hain Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese No.13 Grauschiefer 2009
There's a touch of sulphur on the nose, at present, but not enough to mask the intense mineral, lemon and lime aromas, with hints of white pepper, cloves and flowers. The palate shows intense lime and peach flavours, dessert apples and spice. For all its lush sweetness and huge core of ripe fruit, it is incredibly focused, with laser-like acidity. Balanced, poised and very long. Fabulous stuff.

Hain Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese Felsterrassen 2009
Another intense wine. The nose has stone/slate, with an array of fruit aromas including (but not limited to) lemon zest, peach, apricot and mango, along with an interesting toffee/fudge note. And what a palate - the flavours of oranges, apricots and grapes are so rich, so intense, so concentrated, yet once again this is a wine that is so focused and zingy with its backbone of minerality and acidity. It is just this sort of contrariness that  I love in fine Riesling - how can a wine be so luscious and seemingly sweet, yet so utterly bracing, juicy and mouth-watering? Is it worth 2 Euros more than the Rotshiefer and the Grauschiefer? I think it is. A brilliant, delectable wine, with a great future.

Contact details:
Weingut Kurt Hain, Am Domhof 5, 54498 Piesport
Tel: 06507-2442
Email: weingut-hain@t-online.de
Web: http://www.weingut-hain.de/en

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.

     

A few days in the Mosel Valley

Ten kilometres from our destination, the landscape all around consisted mainly of gently rolling hills and fields – all very pretty, but not what I expected. With less than five to go, we were driving along winding roads through densely forested hilly terrain. We’d seen the odd stream here and there along the route, but hadn’t caught a single sight of anything resembling a navigable river. I was beginning to think that we had taken a wrong turn somewhere, but the sat nav usually knows where it is going. Then all of a sudden, with less than two kilometres to go, we emerged from the woods, and there it was.

For some reason, I had expected the final stage of our journey to take us at least a few kilometres along the banks of the Mosel into the town of Piesport. But it had actually taken us straight in, via the top of the Piesporter Goldtropfchen itself. I have seen many photos of this famous crescent-shaped hillside amphitheatre before, taken from both the top and the bottom, but none of them (least of all one of mine) can really do justice to the magical view that greets you when you emerge from the trees and really see it all for the first time. Straight ahead, the view stretches for several kilometres, with vines clinging to every available square metre of the steep hillside. And a full 200 metres (almost 650 feet) below lies the beautiful village of Piesport, which sits snugly between the Goldtropfchen itself and the banks of the majestic, meandering Mosel.

The stunning view from the top of Piesporter Goldtropfchen

I remember driving towards Chamonix for the first time, a few years ago, and catching a disappointingly fleeting glimpse of the summit of Mont Blanc, through the thick cloud cover. Waking up the following morning and opening the curtains to a cloudless sky and an uninterrupted view of the mountain in all its glory was a sight that will stay in my mind’s eye for as long as I live. And it may seem overly romantic to say so – especially to non-wine geeks – but my first sight of the beautiful Mosel Valley, coming as it did from the very top of one of its most famous vineyards, had exactly the same effect. As a lover of wine, coming to one of the most beautiful wine regions on the planet (which also just happens to make some of the finest white wines on the planet) is like a pilgrimage for me. It really is a very special - and very beautiful - place.

Tomorrow is our wedding anniversary - TLD and I will have been married for 25 years. And I can't think of many better places in which to celebrate such a milestone. Obviously, we have lots of stuff to see and do, so the last thing I should be doing is sitting here typing into a laptop. But I'll tell you lots more about our trip over the next few days. Hopefully, I'll also add some more photos soon - something that either my laptop or Blogger seems reluctant to do at the moment. :-(