Markus Molitor Urziger Würzgarten Spatlese White Capsule 2023

Urziger Markus Molitor Wurzgarten Spatlese White Capsule is a single-variety Riesling from the Mosel, made by an eighth-generation family estate. The white capsule marks a dry wine, so this Spatlese carries the ripeness of late-harvested fruit but is vinified fully dry. It comes from the Urziger Wurzgarten, whose name means spice garden, a famous amphitheatre of red Devonian slate mixed with volcanic rock that is unusual in a region dominated by blue slate. This warm red soil ripens the fruit generously and gives the wine an exotic, spicy aromatic edge, while the steep slope, up to an 80 percent incline, and cold nights preserve the acidity that keeps a dry Mosel Riesling fresh. The wine spends six months in foudres on its lees, adding gentle texture and depth without oak flavour. The colour is pale straw with green tints. The nose is aromatic and lifted, with white peach, apricot and lemon over ginger spice and white flowers. The palate is dry and detailed at 11 percent alcohol, the ripe fruit carried by bright acidity and a warm, mineral, faintly spiced finish. Serve at 10 to 12 degrees.