2016 Schloss Lieser Estate Riesling Kabinett, Mosel

Given the recent expansion of Schloss Lieser, this generic Kabinett now relies largely on estate fruit and nevertheless reflects numerous sites ranging from Kues to Kesten but favoring late-ripening vineyards in Lieser and adjacent Maring that don’t face the Mosel. Scents of sea breeze, a hint of fusel oil, and a faintly cheesy reductive “Mosel stink” accompany intimations of fresh apple and lime that then deliver juicy profusion on a polished palate. Although finished alcohol here is marginally higher than in the corresponding Q.b.A. trocken, there is still a sense of lift appropriate to the designation “Kabinett” to accompany the wine’s sense of stuffing. The finish is animating and sustained, albeit relatively austere in its tightness, tartness, seed-piquancy and underlying stoniness. A saliva-liberating hint of marine salinity offers welcome satisfaction. I suspect that this wine’s performance will pick up in the course of 2018. While it’s true that renditions of a half-dozen or more years ago featured a significant amount of fruit from the Niederberg Helden, I’m still bullish on Schloss Lieser Kabinett trocken given how deliciously many of past examples have evolved.

88 Points Vinous.com David Schildknecht