2018 Riesling Kaseler Nies'chen Spätlese

Peter Geiben and Sylvia Wels harvested from mid-September to mid-October 2018. “We were amazed at the beginning of September how the grapes had kept gaining and gaining in must weight,” despite the prolonged drought, related Wels; and then, of course, some rain arrived to further stimulate vine metabolism, though also to sow seeds of botrytis. Results at this address are quite varied in terms of both personality and overall quality. But the best wines offer hope of a return to days when focus, clarity and distinctive personality practically went without saying in a Karlsmühle collection, while also vividly demonstrating the advantages that accrued in 2018 to early picking. A spread of botrytis wines was generated, but not ones reminiscent of the remarkable examples that neighboring Grünhaus and nearby Karthäuserhof were able to accomplish. (For background on this estate, consult the introduction to my coverage of its 2014s.)