Lars Carlberg, an American living in the German city of Trier (which I managed to miss when I visited--a pity because it's supposed to be gorgeous) is trying to launch a collection of terroir driven Mosel wines in this country. The collection is Mosel Wine Merchant. This Riesling is one from the portfolio.

The 2005 Alte Reben Riesling is a juicy little number at an old fashioned 10% alcohol (so expect it to be a little off dry) old -fashioned acidity and splashy spritzes of peach and orange oil.

Lars wrote the copy for the catalogue (http://moselwinemerchant.com/).
I'm so glad I didn't read before I tasted the wine. Why? Whoa, would I have been prejudiced in the wine's favor? Of course! How could I not have been? Heartbreaking stuff.

About Moritz he wrote:

"His lifestyle reflects his hand-to-mouth existence with neither investors to back him nor loans from the bank. He has an independent and outdoorsy spirit, working his mostly steep vineyards all by hand with no capital investment. Expensive tools and machines are borrowed from fellow growers. The wines are handcrafted in a cellar he has rented in the center of Oberemmel from the widow of a deceased winegrower. Trained in the hotel trade both as a chef in the kitchen and as a waiter on the floor, he changed course to become a winegrower. To make ends meet, he still waits tables at a local restaurant but he is not a hobbyist."

I feel the same way about struggling to make words pay the bills. Unfortunately I don't have waiting skills. The wine is delicious.

I get so many samples. 98% of them are industrial crap--even though they might be expensive. I'm always interested, however, when Faiveley shows up on my doorstep.

While I've been somewhat underwhelmed in the past few vintages I was very happy with two 2004's I recently tasted; the simple Bourgogne and the white Montagny, Domaine de la Croix Jacquelet

The basic red was not basic at all, kind of twiggy, nice vein of tannin which cut through an American Beauty rose-like pinot. A bargain at about $16. The Montagny was a tad more dense than a muscadet and had really lovely hints of preserved lemon. A very classy whitet burgundy at $20.

Totally minimal tasting notes, sorry, that's my style. I figure f you like this site, you'd be curious about these wines.

2005 Franck Peillot Altesse de Montagnieu. Bugey, France
(Solid, round with a fall-apple finish.)

2005 Clos Roche Blanche Tourainne Sauvignon, France
(Pure, beautiful, touch of licorice.) BARGAIN

2005 Gerard Boulay Sancerre Chavignol, France
(Killer long finish with a blast of minerality. Very appealing.)

2005 Antoine Arena Patrimonio Blanc Grotte di Sole. Corsica
(Succulent Vermentino from Cosica!! YES! This was also a winner at the Dressner tasting. )

2004 Fontaine -Gagnard Chassagne-Montrachet, La Romanée, Burgundy
(Sorry, all I wrote was THIS ONE. )

Wine on Passover is essential and usually a conundrum because most out there are the inauthentic confections of marketing departments. So, on the day I headed out to Chez Mom for Passover I stocked up on possibilities at Astor Place. I struck out with a crappy micro-oxed Rioja, there was a drinkable red blend from Israel (a little bit like E&J Gallo Hearty Burgundy), but the best kosher wine I've had in ages was a perfectly swell 2002 Alsatian Riesling produced by Abarbanel. At $18, it was great, kosher or not. It had all of the characteristic notes, intense flower, petrol. It hits the nose with power and promise and then dissolves into a dry and mineral hopping wine, perhaps just a tad dulled by the flash pasteurization of the meshuval practice.

LAILA-ELEKIKOS (VERDICCHIO) 2004. Really loved this one but it’s a tad expensive for what it is –probably would be around $18, don’t quote me. From the Marches, it had a stellar mineral quality, think of it as an muscadet, Italian style.