We often talk about Bordeaux as the premier wine region to locate perfectly aged, ready to rock gems that offer tremendous value, and it’s true . . . for reds. For the white wine equivalent though you need to go to Germany, and more specifically the Mosel valley. That’s where, if you look hard enough, have the right relationships with importers, and a little luck too, you’ll discover something like today’s knockout value in aged to perfection Riesling. The estate where this wine was born is no longer in operation, but the wine itself is very much alive–exuberantly so! The 22 years of aging has essentially eliminated any perception of sweetness, leaving just pure minerality, texture, and a kaleidoscope of aromatic pizzazz. Oh, and you get all these fireworks for just $35. Boom! You can only find this wine right here, and we have just a few cases. Do not miss out.
The story of Weibau Leo Gessinger-Leyendecker is fairly straightforward: a long-standing estate had no obvious successors and no clear path to financial prosperity, so the vineyards and winery were sold off. It happens. The more interesting part of the story is that they left behind a small treasure trove of library wines, which ended up in the hands of Johannes Selbach, who then partnered with his friend and California based importer Hiram Simon to get them into our hands today. Together, Johannes and Hiram know more about Mosel wines than almost anyone on the planet, and knew that these precious bottles deserved good homes. The original stash of old wines has now dwindled to almost nothing, but we have the last few cases of the glorious 2002 “Zeltlinger Himmelreich” in stock now, and once they’re gone they are really gone.
The Middle Mosel is world renowned for its super steep vineyards planted on shards of blue devonian slate, plunging down towards the quaint villages and the river itself. This is the heart of the Selbach-Oster estate, so Johannes knows the “Zeltlinger Himmelreich” vineyard like the back of his hand, which is why he was more than happy to facilitate the importation of today’s library gem. In a word, this is unique terroir: sharp stones are everywhere, covering the vines so there’s barely a glimpse of any topsoil. This special terroir allows Riesling to be harvested later–ripe, and loaded with sugar–and still maintain a super precise, chiseled acidic structure. That push/pull of sugar and acid is present in the best wines and vines throughout Germany, but it reaches its apex on the dangerously steep slopes of the Mosel. There are no shortcuts here, everything must be done by hand, and often with harnesses so that the vigneron don’t meet their maker falling down those razor sharp slopes. It’s grueling work, and it makes it all the more beguiling to me and many others how these wines continue to be some of the best values in world class wine.
This 2002 from Gessinger-Leyendecker is a perfect example of how magical Riesling can be with proper age. It’s a classic Kabinett, meaning that when it was young it had a nice touch of sweet fruit up front, followed by a mineral loaded finish with super high acidity. But now time has softened the edges and transformed this into a textural, perfectly balanced gem. The residual sugar has all but disappeared, and the acidity, though still very present, is more rounded and elegant. Serve it chilled, but not too cold, in an all-purpose glass and the aromatics will soar: white flowers, petrol, peach skin, orange zest, dried apricot, fennel seed, wet rocks, and a nice little hint of white pepper. Because it is close to dry in perception I would serve it with a simple fish preparation, or even sashimi, or try it with a nice spread of aged cheeses and charcuterie. In truth this is one of those rare wines which will shine even without food, but given the extraordinary value you should load up and feel free pop a cork in as many scenarios as you like!
