Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese, Mosel, Germany

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The Christoffel 2009 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese features candied citrus, herbal lozenge, and nougat in an overtly sweet, expansively rich, oily textured display. Seamless and long, it’s still apt to strike many tasters – it did me – as being overly-sweet. It should hold up well for the better part of two decades, and if you wait 10-12 years the sweetness will have backed off considerably, but after the 2008, it’s a slightly disappointing. I have over the years bought many of those Christoffel wines that I deemed already best-balanced in their youth; yet, despite that, I seldom drink one within its first decade. I had to forego Hans-Leo Christoffel’s droll wit this year and (no offense meant to him by this remark of course!) taste with proprietor Robert Eymael.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

The Christoffel 2008 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese practically epitomizes the lift, finesse, and dynamic interplay of fruit, herb, and mineral elements that are this vintage at its best. Sassafras, orange liqueur, salted apple, and pungency of wood smoke on the nose presage a succulent, lushly-textured yet bright palate that both sooths and invigorates in its long, luscious finish. I would expect at least 20 years of delight and fascination from these bottles. Hans-Leo Christoffel can continue to point out that an abundance of ripeness has made for “Pradikat inflation”, yet even he will admit that his and partner Robert Eymael’s 2008 vintage Kabinetts would have been top-notch Spatlesen during the 1980s, but not Auslesen. Speaking of which, not only did Christoffel and Eymael offer a complete range of 2008 Auslesen, they also did not begin picking any of them until late, insisting that there was not enough rain during harvest to dampen and diminish the value of botrytis as it collected on the grapes. Noble rot affected around 20-30% of the base material for those wines, an impressive group if not (in its early days, at least) on the stellar level often reached at this address.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300

The Christoffel 2006 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese emphasizes pineapple, tangerine, and herbal essences. Licorice and vanilla lend bitter-sweetness to its custardy palate impression, and there is ample freshness of acidity to enliven the finish. It may be that this could have handled even a bit more sweetness and thereby achieved further elegance, but the palate presence is convincingly rich and the bitter-sweet, slate-tinged length formidable. This is a Spatlese not only to savor over the next 12-15 years, but to experiment with at table. Hans-Leo Christoffel says he thought Robert Eymael must be jumping the gun when he began the harvest here, even though it was the 9th of October, but that it turned out not to have been too early at all. “Well, I wouldn’t ever have been able to catch up otherwise,” says Eyamel, “there weren’t that many pickers available. In three weeks, we finished.” And with what results! For further details on the Christoffel-Eymael collaboration, consult issue 163, and for notes on Eymael’s exceptional solo 2006 collection, see under “Monchhof” below.Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300

Spiced apples are found in the nose of the light to medium-bodied 2002 Riesling Spatlese Erdener Treppchen. This forward, satin-textured, fruit-driven offering coats the palate with well-ripened white fruits and slate. Fresh, plump, and fleshy, it has an appealingly long finish. It should be consumed over the next 12-15 years. All of Weingut Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben’s wines revealed relatively high levels of CO2 (a natural by-product of fermentation that disappears with time). Readers who find this trait unpleasant should wait 1-2 years before opening any of this estate’s 2002s. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300