Four Great Rieslings! - 90+ points Wine Spectator

4 GREAT Rieslings!

Rieslings are wines that you can age for years!

I just tasted these with Justin of Wicked Wines. These are incredibly good and great values!

All 4 are from Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler (you should see the photos of this place!). All 4 are from the Mosel.

The Mosel is dotted with wine villages - these wines come from Bernkastel (3) and Wehlen (1). Dr. Peter Pauly and his wife, Helga, own 2 estates - "Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler" and "Peter Nicolay." These vineyards are on steelp, difficult-to-farm hillsides along the river. Peter Pauly is the offspring of the famous Bergweiler and Prüm families, who are first mentioned in official records in 1156. Pauly made wine with Christian Labonte and Josef Staab at Schloss Johannisberg in the Rheingau. His grandfather, Zacharias Bergweiler, was for many decades one of the most respected wine-growers on the Mosel.

Dr. Pauly took over his grandfather's estate while still a student in 1959, subsequently completing his doctorate and writing a thesis on the economic opportunities offered by the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer wine-growing region. Helga Pauly married Peter Pauly in 1971. Her family, the Berres, owned the "Peter Nicolay" estate. Carl Hubert Berres was one of the greatest competitors and closes friends with Zacharias Bergweiler. Their son, Stefan, runs the winery today with his sister, Ulrike.

The vineyards are 12.5 hectares (about 32 acres) are kept to low yields to produce the best grapes. The winery makes about 12,000 cases of wine each year (140,000 bottles). It uses stainless steel tanks and makes wine from 15 vineyards.

Have you ever wanted to know how to read a German label?

Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Riesling Kabinett Mosel Bernkasteler alte Badstube am Doctorberg 2007

• Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler - the winery
• Riesling - the grape
• Kabinett - this tells you the quality of the grapes. Once these words are written on a label, generally we are in the category of really good wines. Kabinett is the first (lowest) of the six subcategories of qualitätswein mit prädikat (QmP)- the highest quality-wine category in Germany. Kabinett wines must contain minimum amounts of natural sugar. These are the lowest minimums for QmP wines, and these wines are therefore usually the driest and least expensive. The other 5 subcategories are Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein and Trockenbeerenauslese going from 2nd lowest to the highest.
• Mosel - the region
• Bernkasteler - the "er" at the end means "of" or "from" - so this is from the village of Bernkasteler.
• alte Badstube am Doctorberg - the vineyard.

The 4 wines!

Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Riesling Kabinett Mosel Bernkasteler alte Badstube am Doctorberg 2007 (Germany) $27.99 - This is a SINGLE VINEYARD wine from one of the greatest vineyards in the Mosel Valley, alte Badstube am Doctorberg. The vineyard is sout-facing. The vines are at least 40 years old. Wines from here can age for YEARS! A plush, pillowy version, with good acidity defining the smoky apricot, orange and mineral flavors. Delicate and balanced, with a touch of vanilla on the finish. Drink now through 2022. 500 cases made. Wine Spectator, 91 points

Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Riesling Spätlese Mosel Bernkasteler Badstube 2007 (Germany) $32.99 - "Badstube" means "spa" (in the Middle Ages a hot spring created a "spa" here. Today, this area is synonymous with great wines. This vineyard is around the town of Bernkastel. The Badstube vineyard is not as steep as most of the Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler vineyards and it has a richer Devon slate stone soil. A distinctive mix of candied berry, floral and citrus aromas and flavors that pick up salty, mineral notes as it glides across the palate. Lovely texture and harmony, with a tangy, savory aftertaste. Drink now through 2030. 1,000 cases made. Wine Spectator, 93 points

Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Riesling Kabinett Mosel Bernkasteler Badstube 2007 (Germany) $22.99 - Needs a little air to reveal the peach, nectarine and salty, minerally elements. This is very savory, with fine balance and a saline, orange aftertaste. Drink now through 2022. 2,000 cases made. Wine Spectator, 90 points

Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Riesling Kabinett Mosel Wehlener Sonnenuhr 2007 (Germany) $28.99 - From the famous "Sundial" vineyard facing the town of wehlen across the Moselle. This vineyard produces full-bodied wines! The vineyard is 165 acres, but it is divided into a large number of individual parcels. This vineyard led to the citizens of Wehlen being well-off. In the early 20th century they built a suspension bridge across the river - that bridge and the sundial are historical landmarks. Plump, yet well-defined by its lively structure. Peach, lime and mineral notes are accented by strawberry and vanilla in this complex white. Fine length. Drink now through 2022. 700 cases made. Wine Spectator, 90 points

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