Picked this up at a local wine shop and I finally understand why people lose their minds over mature German Riesling.
Maximin Grünhaus Mosel Spätlese
The color alone caught me off guard—deep amber, almost like a light whisky. I would’ve assumed oxidation if I didn’t know better, but it was absolutely alive.
On the nose I got:
Honeycomb
Orange marmalade
Dried apricot and peach
Beeswax
That unmistakable aged Riesling petrol note
Wet slate/mineral
The palate was what really blew me away. It was rich and silky, with flavors of baked peach, quince, caramelized citrus, honey, ginger, and dried tropical fruit. Despite the obvious residual sugar, the acidity was so electric that it never felt heavy. Every sip finished long, mineral, and incredibly fresh.
I’ve always been more of a Burgundy drinker, but bottles like this make a very compelling argument that aged Mosel Riesling belongs in the conversation with the world’s greatest wines. It has that same ability to layer complexity over precision while somehow remaining effortless to drink. All with better price point. We had this with a tasting menu that included tuna, trout,ribeye and lamb and it was perfect. Such a great pairing, especially with the red meat.
Curious for those of you who’ve been collecting German Riesling for years:
What producers should I chase next besides Maximin Grünhaus?
Is there a particular vintage range (late ‘90s, early 2000s, 2011, etc.) that’s in a sweet spot right now?
And what’s been your greatest aged Mosel bottle? I’m officially hooked.
by shorelysho
3 Comments
Go for even more age – Auslesen especially can go for many decades, but I’ve had Kabinetts back to the 90s that are still delicious. JJ Prum, Will Schaefer, and of course, Egon Muller. Hard to compare them to other regions since they are so unique, but in terms of extraction, complexity and length, they go toe to toe with any wine on earth.
forgetting which vinyard, but a 1990 Prum Spatlese a couple years ago with Vietnamese pork was a particularly memorable wine for me.
Better late than never
Couldn’t agree more!!! Just so not easy to find… at least in Indiana where I live