February 1, 2009 | News | Wines of the Month
The wine of the month for February 2009 is an Auslese from the 2006 vintage that simply left us speechless.
2006 has been highly praised by the national and international press and this for good reasons: yields were low, concentration high and the aromatics can be dramatic. However, 2006 is also a tricky vintage because speed was of the essence during the harvest as rot spread like wildfire after a spell of rain at the end of September.
Some stunning selections were possible but not all that rot was noble. Many wines that shine in their youth could well develop boringly rustic and simple flavors with age. The best wines from 2006 will be great, no doubt. However, this will only concern a tiny fraction of the wines.
This 2006er Auslese produced by the small but outstanding Jos. Christoffel jr. Estate run by Karl-Josef (KaJo) Christoffel, is however a no-brainer and on its way to become one of the great successes of the vintage. The precision and elegance are simply staggering.
We can only encourage anyone to try to lay their hands on some bottles of this gem.
A portrait of the superb Jos. Christoffel jr. Estate was published in Issue No 6 (May 2009) which includes details on its history, its holdings, its winemaking philosophy as well as dozens of tasting notes. This Issue is only available to subscribers. Not yet a subscriber? You can become one, free of charge, by simply registering yourself here below.
2006er
Jos. Christoffel jr.
Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese *** GK
04 07
96+
KaJo Christoffel produced this Auslese *** from grapes harvested at 137° Oechsle as well as a regular Auslese *** with 'only' 120°. To differentiate it from the regular Auslese ***, this bottle is sold as Auslese *** GK (and has a golden capsule). But it should really be seen as a modern equivalent of the rare and glorious Auslese ***** produced for instance in 1971, 1975 and 1976. The wine shows a very light golden color and a rather discreet nose at first. With some airing tough, flavors of pure peaches, yellow fruits, cherry plum and pineapple kick in, followed by notes of white truffle, flowers and refined spices. The botrytis is hardly noticeable and just adds a touch of complexity with a fine and subtle smokiness. The wine is intense and conveys a feeling of power. And yet, it remains incredibly light on the palate with a perfect sappy creaminess. It is an utterly seductive and elegant drink and the finish is a dream with freshness, vibrancy and stunning length. Despite the high degrees of Oechsle, the wine retains a real Auslese character. It is very impressive now but should have an even brighter future ... if you manage to keep your hands from the bottles. To us, it is one of the must-have wines from the 2006 vintage. This is very impressive stuff. Now-2040+
© Text by Mosel Fine Wines "The Independent Review of Mosel Riesling ... and beyond!"
Disclaimer: Mosel Fine Wines is an independent publication and has no commercial relationship with any Estate, association or organization featured in this article.
