2012 Riesling Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese

This is one of my favorite estates on the Mosel. Given the fact, though, that it has only five acres of vineyard and seldom produces more than 20,000 bottles a year, even I do not often see these rieslings. Sadly, that is all that is left of a winery that once cultivated some 13 acres. As Karl-Josef Christoffel is 80 and has no children interested in toiling the soil, he has leased eight acres to other neighboring vintners. Still sporty, he not only scampers up and down the steep vineyards, but also regularly goes waterskiing on the Mosel--and makes stunning wines. The five below are his total output in 2012. All were first-class, and four of them are among the best of their ilk in the vintage. Breathtaking!