2024 Julian Haart Molsheimer Zellerweg Herrgott Riesling, Mosel

Very cool and intensely herbal for a wine from the Wonnegau area of Rheinhessen, this has breathtaking chalky minerality on the super-concentrated and focused, medium- to full-bodied palate. The delicate thread of bitterness electrifies all this, helping push the long finish, then a final wave of extraordinary garden herb freshness pours over you. Drink or hold.

98 points James Suckling

Julian Haart is one of the cult names of modern Mosel, producing tiny quantities of intensely individual Riesling from some of the region’s most exciting vineyards. Based in Piesport, Haart trained with an extraordinary roll call of producers including Egon Müller and Klaus Peter Keller before establishing his own domaine. His wines marry Mosel delicacy with remarkable energy and site expression, and allocations have become fiercely sought after.

Molsheimer Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott lies well south of Haart’s Piesport home, in the limestone country of the Wonnegau. This is fascinating terrain for Riesling: rather than the familiar slate of the Mosel, the vines encounter limestone-rich soils that give the wine a distinctly chalky, tightly wound personality. The 2024 vintage brings freshness and aromatic lift, beautifully suited to Haart’s energetic style.

Pale straw with flashes of green, the nose opens with lime zest, green apple and white peach before revealing grapefruit, jasmine and fresh herbs. With air come crushed chalk, wet stone and a little citrus oil. The palate is taut and electric, with lime and crunchy orchard fruit driven by mouthwatering acidity. There’s a lovely stony texture through the middle, followed by grapefruit peel, green herbs and a long, dry, salty finish.

This deserves food with zip: oysters with finger lime, sashimi with ponzu, grilled prawns with ginger and lime, crispy pork dumplings or schnitzel with cucumber and dill salad. 

Cellaring: Drink from 2026 to 2038.