2022 Immich Batterieberg CAI Riesling, Mosel

10.5%Alc. Residual sugar: 1.8 g/l. A cuvee from eight different vineyard sites from the central section of the Mosel Valley.

Picked from the first until the last day of the harvest on October 25, Immich's 2022 Riesling Kabinett Trocken CAI opens with a clear and very intense stone fruit and blossom aroma that is almost reminiscent of Pfalz Rieslings due to its supple ripeness and fleshy concentration. Very elegant and refined on the palate, this is a pure, light, crystalline and saline, rather lean but seriously intense and aromatic Mosel Riesling made with fruit sourced from several vineyards between Dhroner Hofberg and the coolish, east-facing sites of Burg, though the main part comes certainly from Enkirch. 37,000 bottles were filled in June 2023; 10.5% stated alcohol (and 3.4 grams per liter of residual sugar). Screw cap. Tasted in early July 2023.

92 points Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate

For an entry level dry riesling this has a wonderful peachy nose with a hint of flint. For just 10.5% alcohol it is full of ripe flavor. I love the interplay of the salty minerality with the generous fruit and moderate acidity (in this context). Good length. A cuvee from eight different vineyard sites from the central section of the Mosel Valley. Drink now. Screw cap.

91 points James Suckling

Immich Batterieberg has an extraordinary history stretching back to 1425 in the Mosel village of Enkirch. The Batterieberg name arrived in the nineteenth century when Carl August Immich used explosives to carve vineyard terraces from the steep hillside above the village. Today winemaker Gernot Kollmann is behind the estate’s distinctive style, producing dry Rieslings that have helped bring renewed attention to Enkirch and its remarkable old vineyards.

CAI takes its name from Carl August Immich and acts as a brilliant introduction to the estate. Fruit is drawn from vineyards around Enkirch, where steep slopes and slate soils give Riesling its combination of fragrance, acidity and mineral character. The 2022 season was warm and dry, producing a little more ripeness and generosity while the Mosel’s natural acidity keeps the wine energetic and firmly dry.

Bright straw yellow, opening with lime, yellow apple and white peach, followed by grapefruit and a touch of ripe apricot. Lemon verbena, fresh ginger and chamomile appear with air, while crushed slate and a faint smoky note add a distinctly Mosel edge. The palate has lovely fruit weight without feeling heavy, with citrus and orchard fruit wrapped around bright acidity. Preserved lemon, ginger and smoky slate carry the crisp, dry finish.

Thai prawns with lemongrass and lime would be excellent, alongside steamed fish with ginger and spring onion, pork and prawn dumplings, Vietnamese turmeric fish or crispy tofu with chilli and sesame. Our pick is the prawns, with plenty of fresh herbs, chilli and lime to bounce off the Riesling’s citrus and slate.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2034.