Brilliant Luxembourg Riesling

2004 Riesling, Domaine et Tradition, Domaine Mathis Bastian

Pass de Duchy on the left hand side – well that’s what it sounded like to me. Left side of the Moselle that is.

Take away this country – it has no theme. It is tempting to think of Luxembourg as a “beuro-country” producing wine only by qualified majority voting, perhaps highlighting a convergence between the prevailing styles of Alsace and Germany.In my antediluvian edition of Hugh Johnson’s Wine Atlas Luxembourg remains as uncharted as the dark side of the moon, whilst Andrew Jefford dismisses it as “not worth the detour”. Vines, however, have been grown on the slopes of Remich since before the Roman conquest, and survived serious damage by oidium in 1847, phylloxera in 1864 and mildew in 1878. Today, a thousand grape growers produce around 140,000hl of mainly white and rose wine a year. So there.

Virtually all production is for white and sparkling, the major grape varieties being: Rivaner, Pinot Blanc, Auxerrois, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer. The climate is one of the coolest in Europe for winemaking (rivalling England supposedly) and Luxembourg also has a clear-as-mad-mud cru classé system, worthy of the Circumlocution Office. Most wines are labelled as varietals. There is one covering appellation called Moselle Luxembourgeoise and tasting panels may rank superior wines as Vin Classes, Premier Crus and even Grands Premier Crus! This system has attracted criticism and a rival organisation called Domaine et Tradition which encourages local variation and expression and restricts yields.
Domaine Mathis Bastian, a regular visitor to the Guide Hachette comprises 11.7 hectares of vines on chalky soil located on the exposed slopes of Remich Primerberg overlooking the Moselle.

This is where Germany’s masculine Mosel finds its feminine side mid-stream, becoming Luxembourg’s Moselle (Tom Stevenson). The Domaine comprises 11.7 hectares of vines on the exposed slopes of Remich Primerberg. The vines are on marne soils and the Mathis Bastian aim for the best quality grapes with green harvesting, lutte raisonnee and successive tris. Grapes are picked towards the end of October.

In its infancy the Riesling, Domaine et Tradition is paleish yellow with green tints exhibiting chalky mineral notes, clean citrus flavours (lime), steeliness and finishes just off dry. With a little age it has developed super complexity with more waxiness whilst a schisty, salty and ozone minerality has emerged, but not at the expense of that shimmering white fruit quality. Plenty of cool, underripe pear and crunchy apple, but an iron fist of acidity adds plenty of structure and decisive freshness. The length is terrific, finishing on a teasingly understated note of smokiness. Overall still remarkably youthful, this wine will continue to improve over the next five to ten years.