Stein - Riesling Palmberg Spätlese Trocken 2023

The Palmberg is Stein’s “Grand Cru” and a vineyard to measure against any other vineyard in the Mosel, period. It is an awesome site, an ancient wall of vines filled with ungrafted plantings that are 90+ years old. The Palmberg is cut on one side by a stream, so the vineyard angles away from the Mosel. In former times this was likely a liability, the cool wind pouring down the valley and the distance from the river keeping optimum ripeness in all but the top vintages just beyond grasp. This is no longer an issue and these cooler vineyards, especially when they have old vines, are a massive asset. This wine is ruthless, cut, mineral, fresh and phenolic. It is quite simply one of my favorite wines of this vintage and it will age, easily, for 10-20+ years.

Winemaking with Ulli is refreshingly light on “style,” instead focusing on what the vineyards say to him. Certainly there is a focus on wines that are dry; lightness and zip are more important than gobs of fruit. Complexity is good, but not at the expense of the whole – better to be simple and well done than overdone and, well, a mess. Cut is more important than size.

Palmberg is buxom yet vivid; the wine has an incredible 8 grams of RS and 8.9 grams of acid! It is juicy, almost succulent, densely mineral, glossy with so much verve and structure and bite. 80-100 year old vines in an amphitheater - this is without a doubt one of the unequivocal great vineyards of the Mosel.  

Tropical, nectarine, melon, pineapple notes.

Type: White
Producer: Stein
Varietal: Riesling
Country: Germany
Region: Lower Mosel
Farming: Working Organic, No copper sulphate