2014 Ansgar Clüsserath Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Feinherb

Ansgar Clüsserath

Germany / Mosel / Ansgar Clüsserath

In the case of Goldtröpfchen, nomen est omen: it literally means droplets of gold. Tremendous potential slumbers within the wines made from the naturally sweet droplets pressed out of fully ripened Riesling grapes grown in this site. It resembles a vast amphitheatre of vines, nearly all of which face due south – favourable conditions that enable Riesling to reach complete ripeness. Deep soils of weathered slate lend the wines a marked stony complexity; numerous water-bearing and -retaining substrata ensure an optimal supply of water and nutrients. Within the classic, south-facing site, the inclination of slopes varies from 30 to 70%. Even in their youth, the minerality of the wines from this site is notable. The Riesling character is harmoniously rounded out by rich aromas of exotic fruit and blackcurrant.

March, 2016

Stephan Reinhardt

Wine Advocate

92 points

The 2014 Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Feinherb opens with a dusty/slatey bouquet intermixed with super clear and ripe Riesling, orange and red cassis flavors. Round, elegant and intense, with a nice creaminess and delicate tannins on the palate, this full-bodied, virtually dry and complex Goldtröpfchen brings out the zesty/fruity character of the fresh red currant that which are so typical for the Goldtröpfchen cru. This is an impressively intense and elegant Riesling with a very good structure and perfectly balanced fruit. A stunning and age-worthy wine!

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About Ansgar Clüsserath

Weingut Ansgar Clüsserath in Trittenheim on the Mosel has been owned and operated by the family since its founding in 1670. But once again, it came to us through a CellarHand 'family' connection. In charge of winemaking these days is Ansgar Clüsserath’s daughter Eva, who happens to be married to 2014 Gault Millau Winemaker of the Year, Philipp Wittmann. Like Rheinhessen superstar Wittmann, Eva is a member of Germany’s new generation of winegrowers committed to traditional, ecologically sound viticultural practices as well as forward-looking methods.
Some 97% of the vineyards are planted to Riesling. The Clüsseraths have ramped up their emphasis on canopy management for fruit health and ripeness, and harvest all grapes by hand in several stages. Between crushing and pressing, the grapes are left on skins for up to 48 hours. The cool, damp cellar is the ideal setting for its 50-year-old Füder, the traditional round-bellied, 1000-litre casks in which the must undergoes a slow, natural fermentation. Afterwards the wines are left on lees, receiving no treatment except a single filtration prior to bottling.

About

Eva speaks the language of Riesling. Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann is an expert not only in her home region of the Mosel. She also knows the Pfalz and Rheinhessen, both bastions of great Riesling cultivation. The former reflects her work for the VDP in Pfalz; the latter her partnership with husband Philipp Wittmann - another member of the CellarHand portfolio, who grows mind-blowing Riesling in Westhofen.
Yet ultimately it is Eva, a graduate of Geisenheim, who acts as conductor of the fine tones here in Trittenheim and surrounds. She produces wines that are neither showy nor excessive. Her style is straight, taut, almost Saar-like. She is without question one of the finest operators on the Mosel.