SteinRiesling “Ohne” Heinrich 2017 (750ml)

The “Heinrich” bottles are named after Ulli’s father; for Ulli these wines are the highest-level natural wines he makes. They are also sourced from the Klosterkammer (the same tiny, old-vine ungrafted parcel) yet they are normally picked later (the top selection of the vintage) and aged in smaller neutral barrels, from 225 liter to 400 liter depending on the amount of wine. The 2017 was in barrel for three years before bottling. This is more oxidative than the 2018ers; it is nutty and textural, with subtle tones of almond, brioche, green banana and tea. The signature acidity of the vintage keeps it vibrant. This is a wildly complex wine for meditation.

Stein’s Riesling “Ohne” is, yes, a zero-sulfur wine. What is so fascinating, what is so beautiful about this wine, is that it shows the signatures of both grape and place; this is undeniably a Riesling from the Mosel. Very often the “zero-sulfur” of a wine covers up that very essence which it, in theory, seeks to reveal. That just isn’t the case here. The acidity, that slate minerality, is the core of this wine, yet it is not the angular, razor-sharp acid of a Mosel Kabinett. Rather, it is a minerality just as dense and compact, yet smoother – like the sword polished down to a perfect sphere. This is a stunning, finessed and ethereal expression of the Mosel – both so iconic in a way, and totally singular. Sorry, but it just is.