Old-school Napa Valley mountain Cabernet Sauvignon... from the Mosel?
Yes, you're reading this correctly.
Dr. Ulrich Stein, call him Ulli, is a staunch traditionalist—firmly committed to ungrafted old vines and steep-slope viticulture—yet with a penchant towards the provocative and iconoclastic.
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In the late 1980s, largely as a means of infuriating the local wine authorities, Stein planted Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in his steep vineyards in the Mosel.
It was, of course, highly illegal to do this; the grapes barely ripened. It was a soulful and audacious gesture, little more.
Fast forward three decades, and, well, things have changed considerably. This is no longer just a gesture; in fact, it has become one of the wine world's most unlikely cult Cabernets.
The 2022, one of the greatest vintages for red wine ever in Germany, is simply next level.
At only $45.95 in the 4-pack, this is not only one of the most fascinating expressions of "mountain cabernet," it is also one of the most affordable.
Yet the comparisons are not the full-throttle expressions from contemporary California but rather the old-school Napa cabs of the 1970s and 1980s. These were wines that traded on layered, unctuous dark fruit, yes, but also fine herbal aromatics, minerals, structure, and acid.
Stein's singular mountain Cabernet has something of this soul, yet filtered through the slate-riddled, steep-slope vineyards of the Mosel. The 2022 is plush and pushing, yet balanced and energetic.
This is easily the most complete rendition of this wine ever.
This is a bottle of red worthy of a winter's fare, a table warm with laughter. Yet there is also enough structure to age the wine five to ten years or longer, so if you can grab a 4-pack, do not miss.
To order, email offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
Special 4 pack price automatically applies at checkout.