2010 Mosel - Weingut Gunther Steinmetz

I always look so forward to my visits at the Steinmetz Estate. Out of all the producers I visit in the Mosel I feel that the Steinmetz's are kind of like my adoptive German family. There's Stefan, his engaging fiancee Sammie, his lovely mother Edith, Gunther (the patriarch), Sophia (the new addition) and of course Ramses the cat. And the past two years Mark who is Stefan's close friend has joined us. I get a home cooked meal every time I visit which is a wonderful thing as that is very rare in my life, get to joke around, as Stefan has an incredible sense of humor and loves all types of comedy, taste his magnificent Rieslings (which get better every year that I have been tasting since the 2004's), and drink way too much which results in me usually dead passed out on the way to the Nahe, which is where I usually go after the Mosel. This year was a bit different as we had to drive to Frankfurt to the good old US Consulate to get my new temporary passport as we all know that my stuff was stolen at Frankfurt airport. I got 15 minutes of sleep. We left at 6AM. A few words on Frankfurt. Hands down this is one of, if not the ugliest city I have ever visited. Just ugly. Modern gone kitsch gone awry. Just a wacky place with bright colors, no sense of real neighborhood and taxis that might be the most expensive in the world. But I do have to say, the swiftness and lack of any bullshit in getting my passport was nothing short of brilliant. Germans and the USA should have a United bureaucracy or something.

Now onto the wines. In 2010 Stefan Steinmetz made the best wines so far in his time making the wines at the estate. He did not de-acidify and is incredibly passionate about it. I, for one, applaud this passion for keeping it real. He only made one true Trocken I believe, which is the estate Liter, which is the best value I tasted while over there. This collection is stunning and the Geierslay wines from his new parcels are just stunning in 2010. But also wines from side valleys like the Muhlhemer Sonnenlay and Veldenzer Grafschafter Sonneberg produced some of the best I have ever tasted from these sites. Everybody should grab some of these as they are some of the most pure, unadulterated, gripping Rieslings from the Mosel I tasted in 2010, where many growers de-acidified their wines and made dull, lifeless wines from maybe some of the best material Mother Nature has ever offered the Mosel. Onto the wines.

1990 Kestener Paulinsberg Spatlese - We started with this wine as I was curious to taste again as a bottle I had this summer was tremendous. And, yes this was tremendous and even better than I remember it. A wine that would fit right in in 2010. 36 grams sugar and 12ish acidity. My kind of Riesling. Gorgeously detailed mineral nose with plum fruits. Also some yellow fruits show after some air. Forward and rich on the palate with bracing acids. Amazing texture and palate presence and of course German Rieslings uncanny ability to show age and outstanding youthful freshness at the same time is on full display in this wine.

2010 Riesling Trocken (1L) - Full on trocken and not de-acidified which was a rarity along the Mosel in 2010. This wine is an absolute freak show. Huge sponti, mineral and just plain stanky nose. Rich on the palate yet with great acids. I mean great Tony the Tiger from Kellog's great acids. Ripe and lemony with incredible concentration and spice. Tremendous wine.

2010 Veldenzer Grafschafter Sonnenberg Trocken - Wonderful wine from a side valley vineyard near the Goldtropfchen I believe. Distinctive nose of mineral and corn. Freakish acids on this wine but I loved it. Grippy and tensile palate with amazing purity. A trock-star. Bad pun, but it just came to me.

2010 Muhlheimer Sonnenlay Alte Reben - Ripe nose but with lovely edgy minerality, Silky, ripe and elegant on the palate. A creamed corn flavor with fresh mint. Great acids but lower than Sonnenberg Trocken.

2010 Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Devon - My notes at this point get a bit less accurate as, if you can believe it, the previous four wines took us three hours to taste, as this was over a long dinner. This was as rich as Devon can get but with grippy and high-toned acids. These 2010 acids also sneak up on the finish. Other times they get you right on the attack. This sneaks up on you. I know its hard for 10 grams of acid to sneak up on you but, believe me it can happen. Very elegant wine.

2008 Graacher Himmelreich Spatburgunder - Actually this might have been a dinner wine. Or not. Big, ripe and rich Pinot that went well with what we were eating. If we were eating. And yes this is Graacher Himmelreich Spatburgunder.

2010 Wintricher Geierslay "sur lie" - The wines from this vineyard in 2010 are epic. And I don't use the word epic lightly. Ever. Even in 2009 this vineyard yields Rieslings with great electricity and clarity. Such clean wines. Lemon and mineral nose and very sleek palate. Amazing purity and great grip on the back end. Very serious wine.


2010 Kestener Herrenberg Riesling - Creamed corn notes on this very ripe and rich wine. Very mineral and seems lower in acidity than the other wines.

2010 Wintricher Geierslay Spatlese Feinherb - This was one of the best wines I had all of last year so I had high hopes for the 2010. And wow did this set me straight. Very mineral and precise nose with mucho sponti aromas and amazingly precise on the palate. Only 9% alcohol and a whopping 10.7 grams of acid. Wonderful wine and a classic at chez Steinmetz.

2010 Brauneberger Kabinett Feinherb - Airy nose of sea breeze and minerals. Oceanic nose. Huge levels of concentration and killer acids.

2010 Veldenzer Grafschafter Sonnenberg* - This vineyard was outrageously successful in 2010. 12 grams of acid here! Passion fruit on the ripe palate but so juicy and electric die to the acidity. Profound.

2010 Brauneberger Juffer Spatlese* - 11.7 grams of acid and 92 grams of sugar. Ripe, juicy and elegant wine with an absolutely beautiful and haunting texture. Loads of apricot and peach fruits stay with you for minutes on end.

2010 Wintricher Geierslay Spatlese* - Pure and clean with candied fruit yet very fresh. Huge acids and I mean huge. Will last 100 years for sure. Amazing finish and just stunning wine and best from Geirslay in 2010.

2010 Muhlheimer Sonnenlay Spatlese** - Mineral and yellow corn aromas. Great acids and coolling fruits. Sorry notes are not up to par but this is hour 7 of tasting and at around 3:15 AM.

2010 Braunebeger Juffer Spatlese** - Mineral and sea breezey nose with a ripe, juicy and elegant palate. Amazing precision which was a theme in all the wines.

2010 Kestener Paulinsberg Auslese* - Wheat aromas? Huge, swelling acids and the level of ripeness along with the acids make this a brilliant Auslese. Stays with you forever. So intense.

You may not see it in my less than great notes but the 2010's from Steinmetz are the real deal. Buy, Buy, Buy.