LudesRiesling Ritsch Spätlese Feinherb “Gackes Unten” 2023 (750ml)

The “Gackes Unten” is sourced from a prime, central parcel of the Ritch, under the “Gackes,” which, you might imagine, is yet another word in the Mosel dialect for slate. This parcel is, literally, under a small wall outcropping of slate. This is a remarkably stoney part of the vineyard with very shallow soil planted to 85 year old ungrafted vines with very low yields. At 18g of residual sugar this is deceptively dry-tasting due to its whopping acidity. Insanely salty and long, a personal favorite. In 2023 this is a Spätlese Feinherb instead of a Kabinett.

This is simply a superlative wine – the only benchmarks we can think of are Stein’s Himmelreich and those of Hofgut Falkenstein. The nose is outrageously stoney, again that salty slatey note similar to the village-level Thörnich. This is a perplexing wine, with so much mineral and citrus and spice, yet also just a profoundly refreshing and clean cream note, though not at all malic or heavy feeling. So much fresh garden-greenness, a floral citrus-cream quality, yet an invigorating, crystalline and angelic-feeling delicacy. Superb.