Carl Loewen Riesling Varidor 2023 (750ml)

Dry Riesling from Germany's Mosel is a study in tension between ripeness and cut, and this bottling from Carl Loewen puts that balance front and center. The Varidor draws on older vines, roughly fifteen to twenty-five years of age, propagated from the same ancient genetic stock as the producer's Quant. It is Riesling grown to fruit ripeness but vinified fully dry, a style the Mosel does with unusual clarity.

Expect a nose that opens on reduction and flint before giving way to hayflower lift and ripe, juicy russet pear. The palate follows through smooth and serene, expansive and full without weight, dry and carried by a bright freshness that threads through notes of herb and pear. The texture is where it settles, calm and finely balanced, the fruit and acidity meeting cleanly rather than competing.