It’s been nearly a decade since the wizard German wine importers at Vom Boden have picked up a new estate. Whatever could appeal to these masters of the Mosel and beyond, importer who introduced America to the wonders of Keller, Peter Lauer, and Emrich-Schönleber? How is there new ground to trod in the Mosel, after all, a region that has been heralded for centuries?
Tucked in the upper Mosel, north of the more famous Mittelmosel, is the village of Thörnich. Wines here have a more Saar-like profile with structured, tense wines. Here, the Ludes family have crafted wines in the same style since Hermann founded in the estate in the 1950s. In the Grand Cru vineyard, Ritsch, the family crafts wines uninfluenced by modern preferences for ripe and plush wines. Instead, the wines are, as Stephen from Vom Boden puts it, “rustic, transparent, bracing – even a touch brutal” that speak in a “faceted, crystalline and largely mineral-and-earth driven language.”
They bottle by parcel (see the photograph from Vom Boden), and most of their holdings are old, ungrafted parcels. Vines here average 75-years-old. The estate rarely crafts much above Kabinett, preferring its style (“the greatest on earth,” per third generation winemaker Julian Ludes). But that doesn’t mean the wines lack substance and complexity. Their standards are almost ridiculously high. In vintages where they don’t like the resulting wines, they sell them off in bulk in their entirety rather than compromise their name for profit.
How can these wines remain so affordable to us consumers? The estate must exist out of time, and our intrepid importers must have stumbled across it like as though they wandered into Brigadoon. And just as these wines themselves seem to be from another age, give them a nice sleep in your cellar if you can. Let them dream their dreams of decades past and they’ll reward you with a vision in your future.
10% off any 12 or more in-stock Hermann Ludes wines
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In Stock and On Sale Now from Hermann Ludes:
Weingut Hermann Ludes ‘Hermann’ Riesling, Mosel 2022 750ml $21.90 special, that’s $20.81 at 5% off and $19.71 at 10% off, 9 bottles in stock now
“The 2022 Hermann, as it is referred to on the consumer label, is a barely off-dry wine (with 9 g/l of residual sugar) made from fruit mainly harvested in the steep part Klüsserather Bruderschaft. It proves quite herbal, smoky, and spicy at first, before revealing direct notes of earthy spices, greengage, lemon curd, and yellow flowers. The wine proves tight and herbal on the straightforward and zesty palate. It proves a little bit smoother in the nicely animating finish. The aftertaste is still quite tart and already more dry-tasting than off-dry. This is a very good light and racy dry-tasting Riesling. 2024-2032” -Mosel Fine Wines
Weingut Hermann Ludes Riesling, Mosel 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $18 special, that’s $17.10 at 5% off and $16.20 at 10% off, 22 bottles in stock now
“The 2022 Mosel, as it is simply referred to on the consumer label, is an off-dry wine (with 24 g/l of residual sugar) made from fruit harvested in the Thörnicher Schiesslay. The first nose is very smoky (bacon), with, after a few minutes’ aeration, notes of earthy herbs, potpourri, yellow peach, greengage, and spearmint. The palate brings plenty of fresh yellow fruits, with a touch of creaminess and juiciness. The finish is clean and light. This light off-dry Riesling is simply delicious. 2024-2032” -Mosel Fine Wines
Weingut Hermann Ludes Thörnicher Riesling, Mosel 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $24 special, that’s $22.80 at 5% off and $21.60 at 10% off, 12 bottles in stock now
Mosel Fine Wines 90 points “The 2022 Thörnicher, as it is referred to on the consumer label, is an off-dry wine (with 12 g/l of residual sugar) made from fruit harvested in the steep parts of the Enggass and Ritsch. Restrained at first, the nose reveals fine herbaceous and lemony notes, with anise, smoke, flintstone, fine spices, white peach, cardamom, and mint. The wine is deliciously fresh and slightly juicy on the palate, with plenty of spices and a saline edge which gives tension to the very delicate and precise finish. The aftertaste is dry-tasting and superbly airy. This dry-tasting Riesling is remarkably elegant and fresh. 2024-2035+”
The next best price is $36.99
Weingut Hermann Ludes Thörnicher Ritsch Riesling Kabinett Feinherb “Gackes Unten”, Mosel 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $33 special, that’s $31.35 at 5% off and $29.70 at 10% off, 35 bottles in stock now
Mosel Fine Wines 93 points “The 2022er Thörnicher Ritsch Riesling Kabinett Feinherb “Gackes Unten” was made from fruit harvested at 81° Oechsle on largely un-grafted old vines in the middle front part of the vineyard part of the vineyard and was fermented down to off-dry levels of residual sugar (22 g/l). The nose is initially very closed, with only residues from its spontaneous fermentation, giving a very smoky and herbaceous aspect. It takes a few minutes in the glass for it to show its complexity, with notes of cassis, wild strawberry, candied grapefruit, fine spices, aniseed herbs, and fresh herbs. The wine has superb balance on the palate, with finesse but also intensity and grip. The finish is very long, chiseled, and refreshing. What a gloriously light yet deep expression of dry-tasting Kabinett! 2025-2037”
Weingut Hermann Ludes Thörnicher Ritsch Riesling Kabinett Feinherb “Gackes Oben”, Mosel 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $33, that’s $31.35 at 5% off and $29.70 at 10% off, 35 bottles in stock now
Mosel Fine Wines 94 points “The 2022er Thörnicher Ritsch Riesling Kabinett Feinherb “Gackes Oben” was made from fruit harvested at 77° Oechsle on 70-75-year-old vines in the upper front part of the vineyard and was fermented down to off-dry levels of residual sugar (17 g/l). The nose immediately captures one’s attention as it offers plenty of refreshing and airy elements of anise, minty herbs, spearmint, candied citrusy elements, orange blossom, and aniseed, all wrapped in a blanket of fine slatey smoke. The wine is vibrant on the palate as plenty of spicy and zesty flavors, which give it a superbly dynamic and focused edge. The finish is chiseled, focused, and superbly long. The aftertaste is marked by smoke, lime, and ginger-driven spices, and above all shows huge energy. This is a splendid dry-tasting and racy wine, made for lovers of straightforward and sharp Riesling. It only needs a few years to round off its edges. 2026-2037”
Weingut Hermann Ludes Thörnicher Ritsch Riesling Kabinett -t- “Im Schneidersberg”, Mosel 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $33, that’s $31.35 at 5% off and $29.70 at 10% off, 23 bottles in stock now
Mosel Fine Wines 91 points “The 2022er Thörnicher Ritsch Riesling Kabinett -t- “Im Schneidersberg” was made from fruit harvested at 78° Oechsle on 80-85-year-old vines in this prime Lieu-Dit and was fermented down to off-dry levels of residual sugar (15 g/l). The nose is captivating from the start, with hints of bacon smoke, residual spontaneous fermentation, and lots of fine spices. Then come aromas of vineyard peach, dried white flowers, gunflint, lime, grapefruit, and gooseberry. The wine comes over as straightforward and lean on the palate, with dynamism provided by some salivating acidity. The finish is taut, long, and tart, and clearly still austere. It will need a few years to soften. This lively, airy, and racy dry wine is remarkable, and will appeal to fans of this style. 2025-2035+”
Weingut Hermann Ludes Thörnicher Ritsch Kabinett “Terrassen”, Mosel 2022 750ml Displayed Price: $29, that’s $27.55 at 5% off and $26.10 at 10% off, 35 bottles in stock now
Mosel Fine Wines 94 points “The 2022er Thörnicher Ritsch Riesling Kabinett “Terrassen” was made from fruit harvested at 80° Oechsle in the terraced part on 75-80-year-old vines in the central part of the vineyard and was fermented down to barely fruity-styled levels of residual sugar (40 g/l). The first nose is still a little reduced, with herbaceous and smoky notes, mostly coming from its spontaneous fermentation. After a few minutes in the glass, it develops splendid complexity, with fine notes of bergamot, lemon, yellow flowers, vineyard peach, menthol, fresh herbs, and fine spices. The wine is airy and finely fruity on the palate, with sappy yellow peach adding creaminess and juiciness. The finish is remarkably light, yet intense and very long. This is a remarkable Kabinett from the 2022 vintage. 2030-2042+”