90 percent Riesling
The Ruwer trumps
29 May 2010
Werner Elflein
Image: Deutsches WeininstitutThe vineyards in the Ruwer valley belong to the Moselle wine-growing region, which was still called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer until the law was changed in 2006. Riesling dominates the steep slopes. A proud 90 percent of the area is planted with the noble white wine grape. Nowhere else the proportion of Riesling in the grape variety list is higher.
Although the filigree and subtle Rieslings from the Ruwer are very similar to those from the Moselle and Saar, they have their own distinctive character. As a result of a longer growing season and lower average temperatures compared to the Moselle Valley, the Ruwer Rieslings are much more acidic and have a pronounced green herbaceous aroma, especially in cooler years. In warmer years, however, the differences sometimes blur.
In the steep vineyards, dark clay slate from the Devonian period is predominant. Precipitation is quickly absorbed, but also stored only to a limited extent.
Top vineyards line up along the river in a very small area. The best known are probably the Eitelsbach Karthäuserhofberg, the Maximin Grünhaus' single vineyards and the Kasel Nies'chen.
The 177 hectares of vineyards are shared by just over 20 wineries. Among the best producers on the Ruwer, the C. von Schubert'sche Gutsverwaltung, also known as Maximin Grünhaus, achieved worldwide fame at the latest at the Great Ring Auction in 1923, when New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel bought a fuder (1000 litres) of 1921 Herrenberg Trockenbeerenauslese at the record price of 100000 Goldmark. Other renowned wineries on the Ruwer are Erben von Beulwitz, Karlsmühle, Karthäuserhof and Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt.
The wines selected for our tasting were of high quality across the board, and in addition to the top dogs, the wines of the new discoveries (namely van Elkan and Projekt 156) were also convincing. For us, the wine of the day was the 1990 Lorenzhof Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel from Karlsmühle. Excellent performances at a high level were offered, as was to be expected, by C. von Schubert'sche Schlosskellerei and Erben von Beulwitz. The Rieslings from the Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt winery, the Karthäuserhof and from Ludwig Breiling, the long-time winemaker of the Karthäuserhof, also performed very well.
As a pirate that remained undiscovered, a 1997 Veldenz Elisenberg Riesling Spätlese from the Mülheim winery Max Ferd. Richter underlined that the Veldenz Rieslings are rightly called the “Ruwer wines of the Middle Moselle” due to the location of the village in a side valley.
The wines at a glance
Erben von Beulwitz
Eitelsbacher Straße 4
54318 Mertesdorf
Germany
Phone: +49 651 9561-0
Fax: +49 651 9561-15
Internet: www.von-beulwitz.de
E‑mail: info@hotel-weis.de
2008 Kasel Nies'chen Riesling Alte Reben Spätlese
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3519004 6 09 • 7.5 % vol alcohol
2007 Kasel Nies'chen Riesling Spätlese feinherb
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3519004 9 08 • 11.5 % vol alcohol
2007 Kasel Nies'chen Riesling Alte Reben Spätlese
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3519004 6 08 • 7.5 % vol alcohol
2005 Kasel Nies'chen Riesling Alte Reben Auslese
Germany
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3519004 4 06 • 8 % vol alcohol
2009 Mertesdorf Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett feinherb
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3536012 3 10 • 11 % vol alcohol
2007 Mertesdorf Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3536012 5 08 • 8.5 % vol alcohol
2009 Riesling Spätlese feinherb
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3536069 2 10 • 11.5 % vol alcohol
2009 Kasel Nies'chen Riesling Alte Reben Spätlese
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3536069 3 10 • 8.5 % vol alcohol
Karlsmühle
Im Mühlengrund 1
54318 Mertesdorf
Germany
Phone: +49 651 5124
Fax: +49 651 5610296
Internet: www.weingut-karlsmuehle.de
E‑mail: anfrage@weingut-karlsmuehle.de
2008 Lorenzhof Mäuerchen Riesling Kabinett
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3536016 12 09 • 9 % vol alcohol
2007 Kasel Timpert Riesling Spätlese
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3536016 22 08 • 10 % vol alcohol
2007 Kasel Nies'chen Riesling Auslese Gold Capsule
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3536016 15 08 • 8.5 % vol alcohol
1990 Lorenzhof Riesling Auslese Gold Capsule
Germany
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3536016 2 91 • 8.5 % vol alcohol
Karthäuserhof
Karthäuserhof 1
54292 Trier-Eitelsbach
Germany
Phone: +49 651 5121
Fax: +49 651 53557
Internet: www.karthaeuserhof.com
E‑mail: mail@karthaeuserhof.com
2008 Eitelsbach Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Kabinett
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3561303 8 09 • 8.5 % vol alcohol
2007 Eitelsbach Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Spätlese
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3561303 13 08 • 9 % vol alcohol
2006 Eitelsbach Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Spätlese feinherb
Germany
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3561303 12 07 • 11 % vol alcohol
2005 Eitelsbach Karthäuserhofberg Riesling “Nr. 33” Auslese
Germany
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3561303 14 06 • 9 % vol alcohol
Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt
Schloss Marienlay
54317 Morscheid
Germany
Phone: +49 6500 9169-0
Fax: +49 6500 9169-6
Internet: www.kesselstatt.de
E‑mail: info@kesselstatt.de
2008 Kasel Kehrnagel Riesling Kabinett feinherb
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3561077 8 09 • 10 % vol alcohol
2007 Kasel Nies'chen Riesling Spätlese
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3561077 29 08 • 7.5 % vol alcohol
Maximin Grünhaus
Hauptstraße 1
54318 Mertesdorf
Germany
Phone: +49 651 5111
Fax: +49 651 52122
Internet: www.maximingruenhaus.de
E‑mail: info@maximingruenhaus.de
2009 Maximin Grünhaus Herrenberg Riesling Auslese
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3536014 16 10 • 7.5 % vol alcohol • bottled under the former name C. von Schubert'sche Schlosskellerei – Maximin Grünhaus
2008 Maximin Grünhaus Abtsberg Riesling Superior Qualitätswein
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3536014 10 09 • 11 % vol alcohol • bottled under the former name C. von Schubert'sche Schlosskellerei – Maximin Grünhaus
2008 Maximin Grünhaus Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3536014 16 09 • 8 % vol alcohol • bottled under the former name C. von Schubert'sche Schlosskellerei – Maximin Grünhaus
2007 Maximin Grünhaus Abtsberg Riesling Kabinett
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3536014 33 08 • 8.5 % vol alcohol • bottled under the former name C. von Schubert'sche Schlosskellerei – Maximin Grünhaus
1996 Maximin Grünhaus Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese
Germany
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3536014 8 97 • 7.5 % vol alcohol • bottled under the former name C. von Schubert'sche Schlosskellerei – Maximin Grünhaus
1993 Maximin Grünhaus Abtsberg Riesling Auslese Nr. 83
Germany
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3536014 20 94 • 8 % vol alcohol • bottled under the former name C. von Schubert'sche Schlosskellerei – Maximin Grünhaus
1989 Maximin Grünhaus Abtsberg Riesling Auslese Nr. 96
Germany
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3536014 14 90 • 9 % vol alcohol • bottled under the former name C. von Schubert'sche Schlosskellerei – Maximin Grünhaus
2007 Riesling Spätlese
Germany
Mosel • Geschützte Ursprungsbezeichnung (g. U.)
Amtliche Prüfungsnummer 3519067 1 08 • 8.5 % vol alcohol
Symbols
| 🯅 | The rating of the wine is based on a single taster. The taster is named in the context of the rating. The tasting was either open or blind. In case of a blind tasting, it is explicitly labelled as such. |
| 🯅🯅 | The rating of the wine is based on two tasters. The tasters are named in the context of the rating. The tasting was carried out according to the four-eyes principle, in which both tasters agree on a joint rating. |
| 🯅🯅🯅 | The rating is based on a tasting by our jury and indicates the Mean value calculated by us from the individual ratings of the tasters. Our mean value is based on the median. |
| ⚖ | The wine was evaluated in a blind tasting. We have strict rules for blind tastings. The tasters do not receive any information that would allow them to identify the wines. The tasters are only given access to further information that goes beyond the subject matter if it is absolutely necessary for understanding the wines. |
| 🕓 | We only had limited time to taste the wine - typically during an open tasting event, such as a wine fair. It was therefore not possible to observe the development of the wine in the glass over a longer period of time. The informative value of our rating may therefore be limited under certain circumstances. |
| ⛬ | The wine was tasted as a barrel sample or before an official test number (Amtliche Prüfungsnummer or Staatliche Prüfnummer) was issued. We only accept samples of unfilled wines in exceptional cases, and then only if we can assume sufficient stability in the bottle for a period of at least three months. |
| ▲ | During our tasting, the wine showed conspicuous sensory characteristics. This does not necessarily have to be a wine fault. We categorise the quality and quantity of the abnormality and include it in the rating. Wine faults such as cork taint or an atypical ageing generally lead to a complete rejection. |
| Tastings that refer to the same bottle of a wine are visually summarised by a dotted line. |