Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett 2024

Wehlener Sonnenuhr is one of the most celebrated vineyards on the Mosel, a steep, south-facing slope of weathered blue slate above the river. Dr. Loosen farms old ungrafted Riesling vines here, and this Kabinett sits at the lighter, more delicate end of the range. The slate stores the day's heat and radiates it back to the vines, helping Riesling ripen on a slope where the river reflects extra light onto the fruit, while the mineral soil is the source of the wine's characteristic wet-stone edge. Kabinett is picked at modest ripeness and the fermentation is stopped early, leaving natural grape sweetness in balance with the Mosel's piercing acidity. The result is only 7.5 percent alcohol. The wine is pale with a green tint. The nose is fresh and precise, with white peach, crisp apple, candied lemon and a flinty mineral note. The palate is light and off-dry, the residual sugar carried by vivid acidity so the finish reads clean and bright rather than sweet. Serve well chilled at 8 to 10 degrees.