Ansgar Clüsserath ‘Trittenheimer Apotheke’ Riesling Spätlese 2019
Location: Germany, Mosel
Winemaker: Eva Clüsserath
Grapes: Riesling
Soil: slate
Winemaking: Certified organic, hand-harvested grapes; gently pressed, fermented with native yeasts in traditional Mosel barrel and left on the lees until May
From us at M&L: Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann is devoted to her family’s exceptional Trittenheimer Apotheke vineyard. This is special terrain: a relatively protected southwest exposition allows the Mosel’s famous slate soil to collect warmth and release it slowly over an extended period, which promotes good transformation of the acids by the vines. A wine of beguiling paradoxes emerges, with delicate acidity mingling with a spicy, powerful minerality and a long, lush texture. Wines in this style beg for extended cellar aging, and were traditionally served with food only after a decade of maturation, but we enjoy the gentle off-dry expression as an aperitif or even with takeout.
The wines call the tune here, and Eva listens patiently, allowing them whatever space they need. After an initial period of skin contact, the grapes are pressed and filled into ‘Mosel fuder’—used 1000L oak barrels common to this region—where wild fermentation begins. Even well into spring you can still hear a light bubbling from the barrels. Upon release this is a golden elixir that feels special, even before it reaches its maturity in bottle.
This is a way of producing Mosel Riesling that feels timeless. What is the saying? “Style is never out of fashion”? Or something to that effect! Drink now with your favorite salty, crunchy seafood or a sinus-clearing bowl of khao soi.
From the Producer: Viticulture on the Mosel looks back on hundreds of years of tradition. Weingut Clüsserath has been in operation since 1670, always under family ownership. The collected knowledge and experience in Riesling cultivation is passed down from generation to generation. Meticulous manual labor is undertaken on the finest sites around Trittenheim, currently planted with Riesling vines that are up to 100 years old. Eva Clüsserath builds on this trove of experience, even as she also invests for the coming generation—and the next century in the history of Weingut Clüsserath.
The wines call the tune here, because only they know how much time is enough to ferment and mature. Eva listens patiently, allowing them whatever space they need. After an initial period of skin contact, the grapes are pressed and filled into ‘Mosel fuder’—used 1000L oak barrels common to this region—where wild fermentation begins. Even well into spring you can still hear a light bubbling from the barrels.
Bottling comes only after an extended period on the lees, well into late summer and following just one pass of filtration. This very slow and natural form of winemaking is the real cultural heritage of the Mosel, which Eva has rediscovered for her own family’s estate. The unbelievable aging potential resulting from this helps ensure that Clüsserath wines will continue to spread joy for decades to come.
The exceptional Trittenheimer Apotheke vineyard comes in part from its unique combination of rocky slate subsoil and a relatively protected southwest exposition. The slate collects warmth and releases it slowly over an extended period, which promotes good transformation of the acids by the vines. The result: delicate acidity mingling with a spicy, powerful minerality. Wines in this style beg for extended cellar aging, and were traditionally served with food only after a decade of maturation.