Weiser-KünstlerRiesling Gaispfad Grand Cru (750ml)

The Grand Cru dry wines of Weiser-Künstler are among the most cerebral dry Rieslings made in the Mosel. They are wines of meditation, wines that seem to have something more to do with distillates or teas made from stone, ore and flower. They have very little easy fruit to hang one’s hat on. In other words, they are among the most thrilling wines from this fabled place.

Gaispfad is always one of my favorite wines from the Mosel, and from Wei-Kü. Even after 24 hours this wine just looks at you calmly, non-blinking – almond, watercress, celery stalks, extremely salty and airy almost… most Gaispfads I find dark, at least in their minerality… this is light. There are strange peaks of candied lime, ginger… on the palate it is tart, with a unripe peach note that veers into thyme, pepper dust, or other kitchen spices… these wines are so straight, removed, unemotional. They feel old – wise… from another time? In a way this feels like non-winemaking… like letting these vines make what they want. How this elemental wine comes from fruit I do not understand.

If you can, do not decant, yet keep the wine open for as long as you can; it is only more intriguing on days three and beyond.