Villa Huesgen Riesling Grand Cru “Ürziger Würzgarten” Kabinett Trocken
WHY WE LOVE IT
- From the Ürziger Würzgarten, one of the Mosel’s most famous vineyards, on deep, stony, copper-red volcanic slate soil (Rotliegendes) facing south to east-southeast, with slopes up to 69%.
- The red volcanic soil stores water and heat well and stays well aerated.
- Made from ungrafted old vines more than 40 years old.
- A dry Kabinett with aging potential of 10 years and more.
Varietal: 100% Riesling
Elaboration: The vines are trained on single poles and with vertical shoot positioning, and farmed with sustainable, minimalist methods, including natural cover crops and limited yields. The grapes go through several rounds of sorting and are hand-picked fully ripe and healthy. After a skin-contact time adapted to each vintage, the wine ferments spontaneously and matures for 10 months in 2,400-liter wooden barrels. The wine is vegan.
Tasting Notes: Light golden yellow with greenish reflections. Intense apricot, vineyard peach, melon, quince and white flowers, with herbal notes and wet slate on the nose. Dense and very balanced palate, with elegant acidity, ripe fruit and a long mineral finish.
PRESS
2023 – 93 James Suckling
2024 – 91 James Suckling | 90 Wine Advocate
PRODUCER BACKGROUND
Villa Huesgen has made and traded wine on the Mosel since 1735 and is now run by Ado Huesgen, the eighth generation. The estate centers on the family’s 1904 Art Nouveau villa in Traben-Trarbach.
Its 6.7 hectares of steep slate vineyards around Traben-Trarbach, Enkirch and Ürzig are farmed sustainably and mostly by hand, with the steepest slopes farmed organically. In the cellar, the family keeps things natural, with hand harvesting and spontaneous fermentation. Riesling is the heart of the range.