2006 Rudolf Fürst Spatburgunder Tradition #22

Rudolf Fürst in the Franken appellation was started in the 17th century and is owned and operated by the father and son team of Paul and Sebastian Fürst. Paul Fürst took over the estate in 1970 and today his son also is a winemaker. They are known for their Pinot Noirs, though they also grow Riesling, Silvaner, Pinot Blanc and other grapes. The 50-acre estate produces 9,500 cases a year. Wine Advocate has often awarded the wines ratings in the mid-90s, and called a recent vintage Pinot Noir “full-bodied, intense and powerful on the palate…. great complexity, length and aging potential.”

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer is Germany’s most prestigious wine region and it is comprised of the vineyards surrounding the Mosel River and its tributaries, the Saar and Ruwer. This region is the northernmost of Germany’s primary viticultural areas, located on the western edge of Germany just above the northeast corner of France. Internationally Mosel Rieslings are considered among the finest white wines in the world. In Germany and elsewhere, the region’s name is often shortened simply to Mosel, and in fact since 2007 Mosel has been the formal name of the region for viticultural purposes. The references to Saar and Ruwer were dropped for ease of marketing. The distinctively crisp, mineral tasting, acidic Rieslings produced in Mosel are attributed partly to the region’s slate soils and extremely vertiginous vineyards. Many vineyards are on 60 to 80 percent cent inclines along the three rivers. Riesling grapes represent more than half of all the grapes grown in Mosel, followed by Muller-Thurgau, a white wine grape related to Riesling, and Elbling, an indigenous white wine grape often used for sparkling wines.