I almost did a spit-take when the importer of this wine told me its price, but I’m glad I contained myself—it would have been a waste of great Riesling. And you’ll be glad to know that my shock was over how low, not high, that price is considering the wine’s impeccable pedigree.
Riesling lovers may recognize the term “Piesporter Goldtröpfchen” as one of the most famous, historic, and qualitatively important single-vineyard designations in the Mosel River valley (if not all of Germany). Goldtröpfchen, which means “little golden drops,” is the vineyard, a perfect south-facing amphitheater in the Mosel village of Piesport, and the presence of that name on a label is as good as gold—especially in an exceptional vintage like 2015. This sublimely aromatic, textured, refreshing Riesling Kabinett (on the drier side of the spectrum) from Weingut Hain is an amazing find, plain and simple; Hain may not be as well-known as some of the others who bottle wines from this site, but they’re a Piesport-based winery working in their own back yard, and it shows: They absolutely nailed this wine in 2015 and we bought every bottle we could. As it turns out, this is the last of it; the importer informs us that he bought the last remaining cases from the winery, making us perhaps the only outlet in the US with a substantial inventory. I’ll be stashing a few cases away for the years to come (this wine will age impeccably), and I strongly recommend you do the same. At this price, it is hard to pass on an opportunity like this.
Piesport, and its Goldtröpfchen vineyard, sit at a sharp curve in the Mosel River about mid-way up this famous valley. The steeply pitched site spans 67 hectares, curving slightly at each end to form an amphitheater and enjoying protection from harsher winds as a result (you’ll notice a subtle rendering of the vineyard on Hain’s clean, stylish front label). Goldtröpfchen has been a prized wine-growing site since Roman times, with a mix of soils that includes iron-rich clays, quartz, and the Mosel’s signature bluish “Devonian” slate.
The Hain family has been making wine in Piesport since the 17th century, and still operates a
hotel named for the village’s prized vineyard. Gernot Hain and his wife, Susanne, is the current proprietor, farming a little over 8 hectares of vines and crafting the wines in a 300-year-old, vaulted cellar under the hotel. In addition to Goldtröpfchen, they also vinify wines from the Domherr vineyard in Piesport, another important site.
This wine carries the ‘off-dry’
kabinett designation, and you will notice a slight kiss of residual sugar on the palate—really a perfect amount which is barely felt, balanced beautifully by ripe fruit and live-wire acidity that cleans up any sweetness in seconds. In the glass, it’s a vibrant yellow-gold with green reflections at the rim, with a beautifully perfumed nose of white peach, yellow pear, green mango peel, citrus pith, acacia honey, lime blossoms, and wet slate. Medium in body, the saturated fruit is carried on a raft of fresh acidity through a long and very satisfying finish. The amount of “presence” this wine has on the palate is considerable at this price—it’s a substantial, serious wine that will continue to develop more profundity over the next 5-7 years. As is the case with most ‘15s, it is explosive and lusciously textured and a pleasure to drink right away—simply pop a bottle about 15 minutes before serving at 50 degrees in all-purpose white or specialty Riesling stems. If you lay some down, expect it to develop more honeyed, mineral-accented richness over time without losing its clean, essentially dry finish. My go-to cuisine with showstopper German Rieslings like this is Thai, and you need not be shy about the spice (at just 8% alcohol and with that touch of residual sugar, this was custom-made to beat the heat). Check out the attached recipe and be sure to have plenty of this wine on hand, even if it’s just two of you—it disappears way too quickly. Enjoy!
