20213041_WGDE2021_ENGL

The Mosel loop with Marienburg Castle at Pündericher
(today it houses an education centre of the bishopric of Trier)
MUCH MORE THAN SLATE,
STEEPNESS AND SWEETNESS
For consumers across the world, wines from Mosel, Saar and Ruwer are
still synonymous with German Riesling. For buyers, sommeliers and some
consumers, however, the image of the region has changed in recent years –
even if we are speaking about evolution rather than revolution.
WORDS THOMAS CURTIUS MW
What do top Rieslings from Mosel,
Saar and Ruwer have in common
with top Pinots from
Burgundy’s Côte d’Or? Both are something
like the gold standard for their respective
grape varieties. Where Riesling and Pinot
Noir are concerned, their style and expression
are unique, inimitable and a point of reference
for many winemakers, sommeliers and wine
writers across the globe. No matter whether
I am in Australia’s Clare Valley, in Washington
State, in London or in Hong Kong:
when colleagues and I exchange our most
memorable Riesling encounters, names like
Nies’chen, Scharzhofberg, Prälat, Sonnenuhr
or Uhlen always crop up. “The magic of
freshness, tenderness and this perfect
interplay of acid and sweetness makes the
wines from Mosel, Saar and Ruwer incredibly
exciting,” says Corinne Mui, chief operating
officer of the Asian Wine Service and
Education Centre in Hong Kong. She
emphasizes that top Rieslings from the Mosel
are a long way yet from tapping their full
potential there. By virtue of their excellent
ageing potential, she notes, many of these
wines make first-rate collectors’ items.
This, however, has to be communicated
much better to potential buyers. Seen from a
global perspective, most consumers,
216 falstaff Wine Guide Germany 2021