Wine of the Week Profile 07/16/07
2005 Schloss Saarstein
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Riesling QbA

’05 Schloss Saarstein Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Riesling QbA $9.49
Schloss Saarstein’s 24-acres of vineyards enjoy ideal conditions for growing Riesling. They are situated on a steep hillside with south-west exposures and planted in black soil layered with slate. The nearby Saar River moderates the cool spring and fall temperatures while enabling moisture to hang in the night-time air in the hot summer months. The forest above the vineyard protects the vineyard from cold winter winds. This excellent micro-climate combined with 10 to 60 year-old vines make for an entry level QbA that is a pleasure to drink. The vines give very low yields of intensely flavored grapes, which are harvested by hand. The wines are carefully batched in thousand-liter, wooden barrels to help maintain their individual character.

The winemaking team at Schloss Saarstein consists of the owner and winemaker Christian Ebert and his wife Andrea. They both grew up in the wine business and have run the family estate since ’94. Christian's father, Dieter Ebert, bought the estate and the vineyard after the war and built it up to one of the leading estates in the area.

This affordable and quaffable QbA has a pretty, gingery and cool slate-infused nose. The palate displays an elegant steeliness, balanced with crisp bright fruit flavors of white peach and clean ginger spice. This is ideal with Chinese take-out, grilled shrimp, jerk chicken, roast pork or simply by itself with friends at any casual get together. In short, this is a perfect white to have around the house for whatever comes up.

—Donald