Willi Schaefer, Graacher Riesling feinherb, 2009
Willi Schaefer is one of the stars of the Mosel, so much so it seems that he and his son Christoph even in 2011 think they don't need a website so that people can find out about them. Well, they are on our radar anyway, but I am sure others would appreciate the chance to learn more about this small, family-owned estate in Graach. The wine you see in front of you is one of the basic offerings, a "feinherb" or "off-dry" Riesling that comes with a screw cap.
When I recently had two wine loving friends visiting, I pitted the Schaeffer against an off-dry Australian Riesling in another epic Wine Rambler blind tasting battle.
Elegant, was my first reaction when I smelled the Schaeffer - a nicely blended nose of lovely fruit, mineral, cool herbs and a little creaminess. The creaminess, in fact, reminded one of my friends of a mandarin scented body lotion she apparently uses, whereas I thought more of creamy peach. And then there were lovely spices and some grapefruit.
Elegant is also a good way to describe the feeling of the Mosel Riesling on the tongue, where it is almost like a dancer. A feast of fruit (mostly stone fruit) with lots of fresh acidity, very crunchy mineral and a lovely caramel orange peel candy mineral finish that ends almost salty.
For a basic wine in this price range the Schaeffer clearly delivers.