Lothar Kettern, Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Spatlese Mosel 2009

Vinous Reverie Notes
The estate was founded in the 1950’s by Lothar, but son Philipp has been in charge since 2009. To describe him as iconoclastic is an understatement. There is a paradox at work in Piesport which is that the easy-to-cultivate but inferior flatland vineyards on one side of the river cost much more than the fabled steep slopes of the Goldtropfchen bowl on the other. But Philipp is a maniac for quality, so he traded almost all the land bought by his father for more challenging but infinitely more rewarding parcels in the Goldtropfchen, including some in the great Falkenberg portion and other higher parts whose cooler micro-climates accord better with his aims. In the last year, he has expanded into Leiwen, buying parcels in the great Josefsberg vineyard, as well as increasing his holdings in Piesport. He has converted the estate to something approaching organic viticulture, while pushing the envelope with low-sulphur wines. He has also converted most of his production to dry and off-dry wines, while maintaining the noble tradition of classically sweet Mosels to the manner born. In short, he offers us something of everything – bone-tingling, electric Mosel classics, modern dry wines and cutting-edge natural wines. This wine with its heady, blossomy scent and the faintest hints of fusel oil, this evokes the Middle Mosel in an unmistakable way, while its cunning balance of sweetness and acidity simply could not be improved upon.