Weingut Carl Loewen Leiwener Laurentiuslay Riesling Auslese, Mosel, Germany

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Candied lemon rind, honey, and high-toned almost sneeze-inducing herbal pungency scent Loewen’s 2007 Leiwener Laurentiuslay Riesling Auslese. Sassy and bright on the palate, this displays the sort of rather hard mouth-feel and sheen of noble rot that characterized the Ritsch Auslese A.P. #20. Here, too, we have an uncanny and unexpected sense of delicacy and lift, though with subtle suggestions of butterscotch and ample honey mingling with sappy, fresh pit fruit, and making for a striking juxtaposition with the wine’s bright, efficacious citricity. Loewen’s aim was to achieve “Mosel refreshment and dynamic, along with opulence.” I would say this wine is well on its way toward that goal and well worth following over the coming decade, during which it may well prove itself worthy of further cellaring. Karl-Josef Loewen finds similarities in character between 2007 and 2002, which he illustrated with a now spectacular Thornicher Ritsch Spatlese, a wine I already admired in its youth, but about whose combination of botrytis and slight severity of acids I at that stage expressed slight concern. Still, I was not entirely convinced by the analogy, or by certain of Loewen’s 2007s. Few German growers I know are as sanguine about botrytis in general as he, and it certainly touched most of his wines in 2007, at times awkwardly.Importer:Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300

Ripe and full of pineapple, lime and a beam of slate. It's creamy in texture and vibrant, ending with a mouthwatering finish. Nice overall harmony. Drink now through 2022. 12 cases imported.??–BS??Region: Germany / Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Select to Add

The 2006 Leiwener Laurentiuslay Riesling Auslese Fass 20, A.P. #19 (nicknamed “Fass 20”) comes from the upper terraces of the well-ventilated site. Honeysuckle and orange blossom float like a butterfly over the glass. Then a stinging citricity and tart purple plum are administered to the palate. A glaze of honey and a hint of creaminess signal an ennobling presence, but the tightly-knit structure and bright acidity beneath reveal the extent to which sheer dehydration got to these berries before the botrytis. Intensely dynamic and ester-rich in its finish, this is another case of capturing one’s interest by sustaining tension, and I suspect that will be the case for much of this wine’s potential 25-30 year life. The Mosel’s greatest champion of once-great but recently-neglected sites and one of German viticulture’s most tireless outside-the-box thinkers in the search for quality, Karl-Josef Loewen took extra efforts in 2006 including adding supplemental pickers who helped him harvest in only ten days. He did not begin until October 8, believing that “before then, the ripeness just wasn’t there.” Loewen is notoriously fearless when it comes to harvesting botrytis, but he tended toward more whole-cluster pressing than usual to help guard against impure elements of rot. In an exciting development, beginning this year, Loewen is taking the lead with Carl Schmitt-Wagner in farming the latter’s ancient Riesling in Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg.Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300

Loewen’s 2005 Leiwener Laurentiuslay Riesling Auslese Fass #19, A.P. #15 (I mention the cask number only because it appears more prominently on the label than the A.P. #) represents a pure botrytis selection. Smelling of caramelized and overripe peach, it comes onto the palate quite plush and oily, with caramelized peach, brown spices, orange rind, and honey. Despite its richness and plushness, this is a bit clearer in finish than the A.P. #14, but it is also a bit simpler. Both are imposing wines but I would be disinclined to speculate on how they might express their botrytis over time, and neither can hold a candle to this year’s Thornicher Ritsch Auslese. Given the rampant botrytis and rain of late autumn 2005, very few growers attempted to harvest Eiswein, and from what I tasted considerably fewer succeeded. Loewen – who is determined to make Eiswein from the Klostergarten every year – was one of those rare exceptions.Also recommended: 2005 Riesling Alte Reben ($ unknown; 84+?), 2005 Detzemer Maximiner Klosterlay Riesling “Christopher’s Wine” ($ unknown; 85+?), 2005 Leiwener Laurentiuslay Riesling Beerenauslese (unavailable; 86).Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300