2013 Riesling Ürziger Würzgarten Spätlese

When I returned to this estate again in January to photograph the bottle of 2013 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett that we portrayed as a Vinous Favorite, I took a look at the current list that was lying on the table. “Your wine is now sold out,” Karl-Josef Christoffel told me, “but we do have a few other bottles left. What would you like to try?” At these prices, I am always surprised to see such a large selection of Ausleses still available, going back to 1976. “Putting aside some of the better Rieslings for a later date was one of my brother’s hobbies,” he added. He then opened a 1988 Würzgarten, which he believed might show how the 2013s would develop with time. Given the fact that he now has only two hectares of vineyards and seldom produces more than 20,000 bottles a year, you are not likely to see his wines very often, but they are worth the search. As Karl-Josef Christoffel is now over 80 and has no children interested in working the soil, the long-term future of this estate is still unclear. “Perhaps one of the grandchildren will take an interest in the property,” he said, completely unconcerned. Still spry, he not only scampers up and down the steep vineyards but also regularly goes waterskiing on the Mosel. The six Rieslings portrayed here are his total output in 2013. All are first-class and two are among the best of their ilk in the vintage.