In the small town of Kasel, just south of where the Ruwer River meets up with the Mosel, the “Nies'chen” vineyard dominates the view from the village. It rises at such a dizzyingly steep grade (up to 70%) you can’t help but wonder how it was planted to vines in the first place.
It’s widely considered to be the top site in the narrow Ruwer Valley, with soils of Devonian blue slate turning out finely etched, ethereally aromatic Rieslings like today’s supremely affordable bottling from Karlsmühle. This wine is such a pitch-perfect example of type: a classic Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Riesling in the
kabinett style, its hint of residual sugar effortlessly balanced by racy acidity. This miraculous tension so unique to German Riesling—wherein an ‘off-dry’ wine seems to finish dry within a blink of an eye—is something I’ll never tire of experiencing. During my travels in Germany last year, this was a wine that reached out and grabbed me, so much so that I arranged to import as much as we could immediately after tasting it. As those who follow our offers know, this isn’t the first instance of a modestly priced wine validating the time and effort to get it across the ocean—the value-for-dollar is just too good to pass up!
And there’s so much story behind it, besides: Headquartered in Mertesdorf (one town over from Kasel), Karlsmühle has been in proprietor Peter Geiben’s family since 1889, although as a farm it goes back much farther than that: remnants of a Roman-era stone mill are still found on the property. The Karlsmühle vineyard holdings extend over 12 hectares, including a small piece of the acclaimed “Nies’chen” in Kasel. This site is so steep it contains practically no topsoil—it is nearly pure blue slate and faces south/southwest, producing wines of incredible focus, depth, and mineral intensity.
So it is with this cool, crisp, etched-from-stone 2016: In the glass it displays the classic pale straw yellow core with silver and green reflections, with a nose that absolutely screams classic Ruwer Riesling: lime blossom, slightly underripe white peach, an exotic note of blue plum, a hint of petrol, yellow flowers, and a cooling note of wet slate. Medium-bodied and ultra-fresh, the wine’s perfect kiss of residual sweetness is quickly checked by electrifying freshness. You’re left with your mouth watering for some Thai or Vietnamese or even something simpler like freshly grilled seafood with a squeeze of citrus. I will admit it is hard to get me off the subject of Thai food when talking about a wine like this, so I would advise serving this in all-purpose white wine stems at 45-50 degrees alongside the attached recipe for Salt & Pepper Shrimp. This is the ultimate pairing for me. The wine will open up quickly in the glass and does not need decanting. The sweet, sour, salty and umami flavors you will encounter in the pairing will leave you craving the experience again and again. Enjoy!
