Van Volxem, Alte Reben Riesling, Mosel

One of my greatest value purchases - a full case at $8 a bottle. From the Saar subregion of the Mosel Valley, which is the coldest and highest part of the Mosel. Made completely dry with no discernible residual sugar. Very high acid without tasting sour. The primary fruit is Granny Smith Apple with a touch of lemon lime citrus. Like all Saar trocken wines, tastes fine from release, will easily age and improve for 15 years, and is wonderful …

Lovely Riesling - pear and melon, paired with a light touch of residual sugar, balanced with a nicely integrated acidity. Long. Perfect partner with white asparagus. Drink very well now. Still has a lot of life in it, but I don‘t see it improving further. Drink up over the next 2-4 years.

Monthly tasting club LTC: Foie and wine (@ LWH by PvE) : Pear, apple and pineapple as well as some firne (petrol) in the bouquet. On the palate apple, green notes, firm acidity and a touch of sweetness. Beautiful wine with plenty of future.

Glass. Riedel Vinum Riesling From an impessive magnum bottle with a very balky wax seal :) Clear, light yellow color. Medium+ intense, still youthful beautiful nose, with tropical fruits, slate, floral notes, spices. Dry, vibrant acidity, more driven by minerals than fruit. Joyful but serious wine with a medium finish (bitter orange, herbs). Has a long life ahead and will certainly continue to improve over the next 5+ years and will be lovely to drink for at least 10+ more …

The nose is striking in its intensity, with tropical fruits, spiced orange, sweet cream, and moist slate. With time, spring floral tones begin to rise up from the glass with hints of roasted almond. On the palate, it first shows a severe pulse of acidity, which awakens the senses, and then suddenly turns to flavors tangerine and minerals with a weighty, satisfying texture. Hints of minerals and dill linger long throughout the finish with a twist of bitter orange rind. …

Van Volxem Tasting with Roman Niewodniczanski (Praelum Wine Bar) : From 50-120 year vines. A small step above the basic Saar bottling in terms of depth. Oily textured. Slightly sweet with predominantly yellow fruits. Minerality in the forefront again.

Van Volxem Tasting (Park Palace, Grand Park Hotel) : Crafted from 50-100 year old vines, this was a Riesling that had quite a bit of chracter on it. It had a deeper nose than the straight 2011 Saar Riesling, showing more tones of earth and chalk and a bassier waft of white melon alongside its fresh cut flower and chamomile scents, and then a twist of candied lemon rind and the littlest hint of spice. The palate too showed more …

At a Van Volxem tasting event. Some cardboard smell. Probably corked.

A private dinner (Restaurant Villa Merton **, Frankfurt, Germany) : Still a bit unsettled, needs time to integrate its residual sugar, more about minerality than about fruit, wonderfully floral, hint of peach, ripe but vibrant acidity, nose shows bitters from the skins, good intensity and length.

The 2011 Van Volxem Riesling Alte Reben is very light and bright yellow in colour with a nose of mangoes, green apples and peaches. Upon entry, the wine displays a broad palate of green apples and fleshy peaches with rising acidity towards the end palate. It finishes on a rather clean cut acidity with a medium finish. Rather pleasant, dry and mouth-coating riesling. Nice integration of flavours that spread broadly across the palate. Quite a ripe-styled riesling.

Winery Visit (@ Van Volxem, Saar) : Not so many notes. Concentrated wine with minerals and grasses. Good concentration and acidity. Probably wise to wait until 2014 and drink it until 2020 or even a bit later.