German Wine

2014 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Riesling Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett

This spring I had the pleasure of visiting the Mosel for the first time.  I knew I loved Riesling and I knew the vines grow on the steep hillsides along the Mosel, but I had no idea how extreme these conditions actually are until I decided to hike through the Erdener Treppchen vineyard.   It was terrifying.  The vineyards are so steep that I couldn’t walk more than about 10 feet up a vertical row of vines before sliding down back to where I started.  The fragmented slate soils offered no support for my treacherous climb so I opted for the path that zig-zagged its way up the hillside.  The view was incredible and staggering; the whole time I was thinking “This is insanity, why would anyone decide plant grapes here?”   Having just savored the Christoffel wines at the nearby Monchof, I knew exactly why - the wines are exceptional.  

The 2014 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett is a steal at 30 bucks a bottle.  Much of Christoffel's block comprises 100+ year old, ungrafted vines.  It’s incredible.  The wine is concentrated yet sleek with impressive crystalline fruit backed by hard-core minerality and pulsing acidity - the perfect wine to kick off #SummerOfRiesling.

Mention this post and get 10% off a bottle today!