2017 Riesling Kaseler Nies'chen Spätlese

As elsewhere along the Ruwer and Mosel, yields were cut significantly by frost, and harvest conditions demanded selectivity to eliminate rot. The resultant Karlsmühle bottlings occasionally display signs of less than impeccably clean fruit. Acid levels varied considerably and were at times surprisingly low. Whether because of low-level botrytis influencing fermentation or simply due to high must weights that Peter Geiben thought best not to translate into high alcohol, the 2017 lineup here features a couple of halbtrocken bottlings (though they’re not labeled as such) where usually there would have been legally trocken ones. (For background on this estate, consult the introduction to my coverage of its 2014s. Fans of Peter Geiben and Sylvia Wels as well as those who fondly recall the pure, precisely mineral wines that were routinely turned out at this address from 1988 through 2004 will be glad to know that their 2018s appear to signal an upward trend.)