2017 Dr. Hermann Riesling Kabinett Piesporter Goldtröpfchen

It’s one thing to call a wine an incredible deal—and another to watch as vineyard workers winch a sled of golden grapes up a perilously steep slope, muscles and ropes straining against gravity and rock. The effort it takes to carve this wine out of the Mosel River valley walls is momentous, so to nab this lush but precise elixir at under $25 is nothing short of astonishing.  

Burnished with 93-point praise from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, cultivated on the extreme but sublime heights of Goldtröpfchen—a site named “Drops of Gold” for the intensity of its sublime Riesling crop—this 2017 Riesling is a triumph of honey-hued craftsmanship from a winemaking family with 400 years of experience, “one of the Mosel’s outstanding performers,” says the Advocate. Walking a violin string between vibrancy and lusciousness, a vein of mouthwatering acidity brings to life fragrant peach, flint, and apricot notes, touched with a kiss of mineral-infused sweetness.

“Quantities are rare here, so readers who are interested shouldn’t hesitate,” warns Parker’s publication—and we’re holding the last cases of this liquid gold in the U.S.

The timing of our Riesling trip worked out so that we were able to be on-site for harvest for some of Germany’s top producers. For wineries like Dr. Hermann, with properties high along the valley of the winding Mosel River, that process can sometimes look like outtakes from the Sylvester Stallone classic Cliffhanger. Pickers must navigate slopes of such treacherous, near-vertical incline that their feet can barely gain purchase on the rough slate soils.

But it’s rugged conditions like these that lead to transcendence in the glass, allowing these Riesling bunches to achieve a purity and intensity that almost no other grape on the planet can match. Vines see up to 15 hours of sunshine a day, filling grapes with rich concentration while root networks search deep underground for minerals and moisture, aided by the valley’s cool microclimate. 

The Hermann winemaking tradition dates back to the 1600s, but in the last ten years Christian Hermann—who took over duties from his father, Rudi, in 2001—has led the estate on an unprecedented streak of technical excellence. In less than a decade, he has achieved two near-perfect 99 point scores and a total of seventeen 97-99 scores from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. His rarest bottles go for $362 a pop.

Christian called the 2017 harvest “the smallest of my life.” It was a vintage that was rough for nearly everyone—except the customers. While accountants pulled out their hair out over losing roughly 50% of the crop to April frosts, Christian couldn’t help but marvel at the fruit that was left, characterized by a racy acidity and aromatic elegance.

The grey Devonian slate lends this wine a creaminess and mineral refinement, while stainless steel fermentation and bottling young retains a freshness that feels fresh-plucked from the Mosel River valley.

• Fruit Intensity
• Oak Intensity
• Body
• Sweetness
• Acidity

• ABV 8.00%
• 30 mins
• Drink Up
• % Riesling
• Serving temperature – 45°
• Stelvin