Schmitges Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett Trocken Vom Urgestein

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Schmitges’ 2009 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett trocken Vom Urgestein represents the first occasion I can recall in which the name “Urgestein” has been used on a Mosel label. He is giving nicknames to his dry cuvees so that the Pradikat terms can gradually fade into smaller fonts on the label, and eventual disappear. This bottling originates in gently-sloping, finely eroded slate-rich parcels down near the river and near to the Urzig town line that lend themselves to acid retention; positive “greenness” (reflecting as well the appearance of earlier-harvested bunches); and delicacy in the corresponding wine, which here manifest themselves as apple, grapefruit, and herbs, invigoratingly pungent and tart; backed by lip-smacking juiciness; and with smoky, toasted nut, and crushed stone accents. Lean but distinctively refreshing and saliva-inducing to the point of chin-tugging, this should, I suspect, be enjoyed over the next 2-3 years. “My father was going crazy in October,” says Andreas Schmitges, because contrary to normal practice “we were harvesting Monday through Thursday and then just working in the cellar or the vinotec over the weekend, all under beautiful skies, while he’s shuffling his feet and thinking ‘Hey, folks, at some point this lovely weather is going to be over.’ But our forecasters were reliable and the weather held as long as we needed,” he claimed, which in his case was until November 10. Schmitges relates that – in part under the influence of Mosel practices in a bygone era; in part based on “intensive exchange with Austrian colleagues,notably Peter Veyder-Malberg, over the last five years” – he now gives his musts destined for dry wines increasing skin contact and opportunity to oxidize before the onset of fermentations, which he allows to rise higher in temperature than is usual today on the Mosel. He also acknowledges a recognition that accumulation of degrees Oechsle can nowadays be problematic, for which reason his approach to soil management (including deep plowing and carefully-targeted greening); pruning; picking (“paying careful attention to acid-retention but also ripeness of acids”); and vinification (including spontaneous fermentation and longer lees contact) is reflecting increasing watchfulness lest wines become “too lush” or noticeably high in alcohol.Importers include: Dee Vine Wines, San Francisco, CA tel. (877) 389-9463; Ewald Moseler Selections, Portland OR tel. 888 274 4312; Magellan Wine Imports, Centennial, CO (720) 272-6544