2014 Ansgar Clüsserath Vom Schiefer Riesling

Ansgar Clüsserath

Germany / Mosel / Ansgar Clüsserath

The dry Riesling “Vom Schiefer” (literally, from slate) provides an introduction to the world of steep-site Rieslings from the Middle Mosel. The grapes for this wine are sourced from three individual sites. Trittenheimer Altärchen, on the left bank of the Mosel, with weathered, shale-based soils, brings forth Rieslings with aromas of citrus, grapefruit and orange peel. Neumagener Rosengärtchen, located north of Trittenheim, has loamy, weathered, shale-based soils. Finally there’s Mülheimer Sonnenlay, situated in a side valley of the Mosel and known for its citrus and light mineral aromas. This cuvée of three sites gives an appealing wine that is lacy and light with slate notes. This is accompanied by fruit aromas of green apple, peach, and grapefruit.

March, 2016

Stephan Reinhardt

Wine Advocate

88 points

The 2014 Riesling Trocken Vom Schiefer assembles grapes from Trittenheim, Neumagen and Mühlheim, and offers lovely, clear and aromatic, bright lemon and apple fruit along with the flavor of crushed and weathered slate plates. Light to medium-bodied, silky and elegant on the palate, this is an intense and lingering mineral Riesling with great finesse and tension. Delicious. Just 10.5% alcohol.

Standard Bottle Out of Stock

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.