Looking ahead for the weekend – this works best with an exciting Riesling from the Mosel. Today it is the 2006 Röttgen Alte Reben (Old Vines) from Reinhard and Cornelia Löwenstein who have their winery in Winningen.
The wines of the lovely Löwensteins have been a part of my life for over 20 years. They are something of a classic, here at Casa Curtius – non-conformist as the Löwenstein themselves. The grapes grow on steep Devonian slate south-faced terraces with a slope inclination of up to 70%.
Löwenstein relies entirely on low-tech. No mineral fertilizers, spontaneous fermentation, long maceration and extended time on lees. The results are unique, controversial and somewhat different – in any case, exciting for me. The wines such as this Röttgen Show how amazingly a 400 million old tropical seafloor can taste.
The 2006 bottle is indeed a great start into the weekend. It shows a right level of Röttgen´s opulence which is matured and balanced to the point, with a well-dosed pressure on the palate. Quince, peach, melon, Turkish delight. Matured, savoury with honey notes and a good dash of kerosene. Distinct phenolics on the back-palate. Mineral and spicy in the multi-layered finish.
