Weingut Carl Loewen Leiwener Klostergarten Riesling Eiswein, Mosel, Germany

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Loewen’s perpetual pursuit of frozen grapes in a site ideally situated for winter chill continues with his 2007 Leiwener Klostergarten Riesling Eiswein. Pungent candied lemon rind, hints of mushroom, distilled yellow plum and pear, and wood smoke tweak the nose, sending shivers down my spine. Over-ripe plum and pear are shot through with lemon on the palate, but there is a silken smoothness of texture and luscious richness, rather than the angularity or aggressive brightness that characterizes so many young Eiswein, and which the nose here had led me to expect (or fear). A rather dreamy, wafting finish is not terribly focused and unusually mild for the genre, but still hauntingly lovely. Loewen says that in view of “80% botrytis” he was pleasantly surprised when this realized a sense of true Eiswein character, as well as the lift and wafting elegance that typify many of the best wines of its vintage. Hints of honey and caramel lend a Beerenauslese sense to the long, as yet somewhat superficially sweet finish. No doubt this will be worth following for at least 10-12 years, but I hesitate to speculate about the sort of evolution in store. Both botrytis and frost are wild cards in Riesling deck and when both are present, the game can take surprising turns. Karl-Josef Loewen finds similarities in character between 2007 and 2002, which he illustrated with a now spectacular Thornicher Ritsch Spatlese, a wine I already admired in its youth, but about whose combination of botrytis and slight severity of acids I at that stage expressed slight concern. Still, I was not entirely convinced by the analogy, or by certain of Loewen’s 2007s. Few German growers I know are as sanguine about botrytis in general as he, and it certainly touched most of his wines in 2007, at times awkwardly. Importer:Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300