German Wine

Winemaker Description 

The scent has tangerine and peppery slate notes, still very young. In the mouth the wine has tension, crisp acidity, juiciness, a slim concentration, a dense, substantial core makes the finish compact and taut. Middle Rhine minerals with Rheingau finesse. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2023

JamesSuckling.com by Stuart Pigott writes 94 Points | With its aromas of nutty, old-fashioned apple varieties and ripe quince, this striking dry riesling is an unspectacular beauty. It’s medium-bodied with a wonderful harmony of silky acidity, a hauntingly subtle minerality and a very long, stony finish that somehow manages to be very gentle. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. 

Winemaker Description 

The nose here is just a shade riper, with tart citrus flirting with barely ripe apricot, heading toward the peach register though highlighted by lemon curd and lemon zest, pretty citrus elements to brighten it up, even the riper twang of a lime. This has more density, for sure, more richness, though it has plenty of definition. Thinking of these wines in the context of the Rheingau is just crazy; my teeth are aching. The whole collection has acids – I should get the numbers here, if Eva hasn’t already sent them [note to reader: I never got any numbers on the acids b/c I'm just too buried in work right now]. There is a limey quality to this, sticky but fresh, gripping, that I really like. These are very damn good. 

Hans-Josef Becker’s grandfather (J.B.) founded this winery in 1893, and it is home to some truly astounding wines. The Spätlese Trocken is somehow both very serious and firmly structured, yet remains bright and affable. The old vines show incredible concentration - this wine is just a baby and could be cellared for decades. On the other hand, the 2022 vintage displays plenty of juicy, expressive fruit with crushing acidity and a bold mouthfeel. These wines have achieved cult-status for good reason.

Expert Ratings

James Suckling 97 Points | This very concentrated and super-elegant riesling Auslese is still tightly-wound. However, it already has a very wide spectrum of subtle yellow fruit and wild flower aromas. Terrific structure behind the rich, but still medium-bodied palate. Incredibly long, slatey finish with staggering freshness that pulls you back for more of this Mosel masterpiece. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.

Decanter 95 Points | Tangs of cut stone and lime zest are peppered with gunpowder and smoke, but there's a powerful core of ripe lemon, lime and yellow cherry flavours too. While light on its feet, it's an unctuous, supple wine with a pert tangerine sweetness. Quite a bit more expressive in youth than the 2022 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese, it's already hedonistic with a brief decant but certainly ageworthy as well. 

Wine Spectator 94 Points | Delivering power and concentration, this is densely packed in a compact frame. Opens up to reveal impressively fresh flavors of dried thyme and apricot. This white's acidity shows a crunchy texture, and a wet slate note brings a cooling feel to the finish. This is one for the cellar. Best from 2026 through 2046.

Vinous 92 Points | The 2022 Riesling Graacher Himmelreich Auslese is rather shy. The palate tingles with tangerine, ripe, rounded, aromatic, and full of tangy, zesty, sweet, ripe citrus. Wonderfully expressive on the mid-palate and with a subtle finish, full of those vivid aromatics. (Sweet).

Winemaker Description

This Riesling is rich in taste with a fresh, fruity delicate flavor.

Serve slightly chilled.

Expert Reviews 

James Suckling 96 Points | Here is a great Mosel Kabinett that needs a bit more time to show what it is really made of. Still very young with a pronounced yeasty character that slowly recedes with aeration, but the white peach and honeysuckle aromas that emerge are stunning. Extremely vibrant and precise, the slatey acidity making this fabulously graceful. As pure as an Alpine stream running with glacier water.

Wine Spectator 92 Points | This elegant version starts off closed before opening to reveal flavors of jasmine, sweet green apple and Asian pear. Shows impressive purity and inner density, with accents of fresh-cut chive and wet slate. Bitter, pithy acidity moves through, making for the shimmering, razor-edge finish, which lingers. Drink now through 2040. 300 cases imported.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

94 Points James Suckling | Very enticing nose with a wide spectrum of citrus aromas, plus a fresh yellow peach note developing with some aeration, then fresh mint. Very elegant with a wonderful minty coolness that makes this light-bodied off-dry Riesling feel as if it is floating like a cloud. Moderate acidity for this category, but the wine is still extremely vibrant. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

The Wine Advocate 92 Points | The 2022 Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Kabinett opens with a deep, intense and complex, floral bouquet of weathered slate, ripe citrus and stone fruit aromas intermingled with saline notes. Round, refined and sweet but also mineral, with the lovely stimulating slate expression of the unique Karthäuserhofberg, this is a generous, almost rich but refined and filigreed Kabinett with lingering and salivating salinity and grip.

Vinous 90 Points | The 2022 Riesling Karthäuserhofberg Kabinett has subtle peach and lemon on the nose. The lithe palate is dreamy, bright with lemon, gently sweet, and very tender. A subtle vein of lemon zestiness leaves this to finish in a refreshing, off-dry fashion at roughly 30g/L of residual sweetness. (Off-dry)

Winemaker Description 

The spicy spontaneous nose still dominates, but then the first fruity notes (juicy peach, grapefruit, white currant) and the slate literally pushes itself out of the glass. Very juicy and densely woven on the palate, a lot of melting, sweetness well integrated and countered by the invigorating acidity. A cabinet that will continue to reveal new facets over the next two decades.

Winemaker Description 

Initial powerful aromas of freshly cut grass and lime, followed by spicy aromas. Very nice the vanilla-bean. Elegant with vivid acidity, which gives the wine an enormous freshness. In the finish grated grapefruit peel. A really expressive Scheurebe! 

Expert Review - Vintage 2016

92 Points Wine Enthusiast | Hints of crushed mineral and fresh herb persist from nose to finish in this intriguingly earthy yet elegant dry wine. The palate is vibrantly citrusy, offering shards of lemon and lime accented by dried-orange peel and spice. Medium bodied but silky in texture, it's freshened by pert lime acidity.

Winemaker Description

Delicate, micro-production & precise øø wines from Baden, Germany, rapturously referred to as the hot-bed of classic Burgundy-indebted Pinot Noir. (and, of course, Riesling)

Philipp Reiß is currently in the process of converting his family estate from grape growers to wine producers, and these are the first, errr - fruits of that labor to make it stateside. 

A profound expression of Riesling that, despite having zero additives, sure calls for a decant and some hours for it to truly unfurl its majestic crystalline reach.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

A great entry into the distinct house style of Heymann Lowenstein - offering a textural and plusher experience than your average mosel producer. The Shieferterrassen (slate terraces) see's a small amount of contact with the skins broadening the mouthfeel and adding deeper flavours of citrus and stone fruit with flinty smokiness riding the taut acid spine. Full of personality with immediacy, tension and interest on display. Mitch Milicich, FWC

“A delicate, acutely elegant and mineral wine with an extraordinarily expressive body for this category. A model for the region’s winegrowers!” La Revue du Vin de France

Winemaker Description 

Deep yellow in color, with golden hues. On the nose it evokes aromas of hazelnut, orange peel, and butter. Rich and round on the palate with well balanced acidity and a long finish.

Winemaker Description 

Orange and tangelo, overripe peach and bergamot; juicy and firm, solid yet voluptuous, vaporous and long, plump yet muscular (how many ways can I say it?); a rococo opulent wine yet also seriously devout in its terroir, even as it blushes and giggles. SOS: 2 (8-27 years). 

Expert Review

The wines are deep, rich, powerful and dramatic...pinnacles in the history of dry German Riesling. -- Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate

Winemaker Description 

Light yellow-green in color. Nose of peach and lemon. Mouth-filling, taste of apricot and lemon, great acid level.

Winemaker Description 

An elegant and feminine Riesling with fine fruit of ripe lemon, apricot and pineapple. Juicy and harmonious on the palate, with charming acidity and a fine floral finish.

The Hochheimer 2024 comes from one of the lime-rich southwest-facing slopes of the renowned VDP. Erste Lage (Premier Cru) Hochheimer Hölle – a steep slope above Hochheim am Main, protected from northerly winds and characterized by loess loam and clay marl, which lend this Riesling its structure, depth, and saline tension.

Memo Summary Notes

The designation "Alte Reben" (Old Vines) indicates complexity and depth, while "Trocken" means the wine is bone-dry. The Hochheimer Stielweg vineyard is also designated as a VDP.Erste Lage (First Growth), signifying a top-tier site.

This wine's power and acidity make it a versatile food partner:

• Seafood: Grilled fish, lobster, or scallops.

• Asian Cuisine: Spicy dishes, especially with a balance of sweet and sour.

• Traditional German Fare: Lauchsuppe (leek soup), asparagus, or veal.

Expert Reviews