The Edinburgh Wine Club

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer: 15 November 2012

“Es gibt mehr alte Weintrinker als alte Ärzte.” Deutsches Sprichwort

Wine	Grape	Grower	Price	Comments	Ranking 1 – 3 and Best Value
Brauneberger Juffer trocken 2011	Riesling 12.5%	Martin Conrad, Brauneberg	€13.40 (£10.60)	Mature apples and lime on the nose, unmistakably oblique soft smoky aroma with salty mineral note on the palate and fine acid structure - a typical Juffer with character. (Wein-Plus.eu 85 pts – 3 star producer)
Saar 2011	Riesling 12%	Van Volxem, Wiltingen	€11.90 (£9.50) (Berry Bros & Rudd, £15.95)	Lively, bracing, pure mineral nose. The palate is dry with lovely mineral, citrus, pear and baked apple character. Very precise with a a spicy, mineral core. Generous and ripe but with good acidity and a dry finish. Weighty but precise, showing beautiful poise. Jamie Goode's wine blog, October 2012 Jancis Robinson: '30-year-old vines do their stuff. Roman calls 2011 a dream vintage, and his enthusiasm became convincing with this grand cru-like demonstration of a ‘simple’ estate trocken. Minerality, acidity and fruit are perfectly balanced. It never occurred to me to look for bargains at van Volxem, but this is dangerously good value for money.' 2012-2017 (Wein-Plus.eu 85 pts – 5 star producer)	Third
Lieser Niederberg-Helden Spätlese Trocken Gold-Quadrat 2009	Riesling 13%	Sybille Kuntz, Lieser	€17.50 (£14) (Wine Library£22.99)	Very dense and tingly. So meaty and dry on the nose it really is rather like white burgundy. Real richness on the front palate and then a great spread across it with some distinctive slightly astringency on the finish. I'd wait a little while before savouring this in all its glory. The alcohol in this is very well integrated. No heat on the finish. Delicious. Quite refined. Great balance. (Jancis Robinson 2010) (Wein-Plus.eu 87 pts – preliminary 2 star producer)
Blauer Spätburgunder Rosé halbtrocken 2010	Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) 11.5%	Longen-Schlöder, Longuich	€6 (4.80)	“Cherry and raspberry on the palate. Refreshing summer wine with residual sweetness.” (Wein-Plus.eu wine and producer unrated)
Maximin Leiwener Laurentiuslay Spätlese Feinherb 2010	Riesling 12.5%	Werner, Leiwen	€9.10 (£7.20)	Lively, fruity with a mineral finish (Wein-Plus.eu wine and producer unrated)	Second Best Value
Graacher Domprobst Spätlese Feinherb 2011	Riesling 11.5%	Kees-Kieren, Graach	€10.50 (£8.35)	Citrus fruit aromas reflect the benefit of the autumn sun and the palate is served by a harmonious partnership of pear, grapefruit, spice and flinty minerality. Still off dry, but with a tad more residual sugar and rich texture, a well-balanced feinherb with good length and a fair measure of complexity. (Jancis Robinson Purple Pages) (Wein-Plus.eu 86 pts 4-star producer)
Lieserer Niederberg Helden Spätlese Feinherb 2011	Riesling 12%	Ludwig Thanisch & Sohn, Lieser	€11 (£8.75)	“Peaches and apricots with a touch of lemon on the nose. Lively acidity on the palate Refreshing with very delicate slatey influences” (Wein-Plus.eu preliminary 2-star producer)
Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spätlese 2006	Riesling 12.5%	Geller Steffen, Bernkastel-Wehlen	€12 (£9.50)	“Indescribably complex, powerful and equipped with an intense berry aroma. The excellent sweetness is perfectly integrated and offers pure Riesling pleasure in perfection.” (Weingut) “Ripe, honey, orange peel, stone fruit and botrytis. Relatively low in acidity”	First
Piesporter Goldtröpchen Auslese 2011	Riesling 8%	Hoffman-Simon, Piesport	€14 (£11)	“Highly delicate and choicest, yet unobtrusive Riesling fruit, from lightly weathered slate; wonderfully creamy and juicy; brilliant play and harmony” (Weingut – re 2010 vintage at €9.50 a bottle) (Wein-Plus.eu preliminary 2-star producer)
Graacher Domprobst Auslese 2010	Riesling 7.5%	Josef Bernard-Kieren, Graach	€12.50 (£10)	“Partly candied stone and pomaceous (apple) fruit on the nose, some citrus, tart dried vegetal and herbaceous notes, touch of tobacco, delicate floral notes, earthy and mineral notes. Sweet fruit on the palate, more tart spicy vegetal notes, floral and earthy notes, lively acidity, slightly sandy tannins, good substance and persistence, good grip, hint of caramel, very good finish.” (Wein-Plus.eu 88 pts 2-star producer)
Cardinal Cusanus Stiftswein Graacher Himmelreich Auslese 2010	Riesling 9%	St Nikolaus-Hospital, Bernkastel-Kues	€13.00 (£10.30)	Gentle citrus fruit aromas are backed by a flavour with an attractive bitter edge, reflected by notes of both Seville orange and quinine. A very lively acidity makes a valid contribution to the drinking man’s kind of Auslese. (Jancis Robinson Purple Pages) (Wein-Plus.eu 86 pts preliminary 2-star producer)