On Sale Now!
“Should we all buy more Merkelbach? Yes, of course!” – Mosel Fine Wines
We adore the wines of Weingut Alfred Merkelbach, irrationally and perhaps more than any other grower in the Mosel. They set the curve for the term “old-school,” having made their wines in similar style for almost 70 years. These wines capture the delicacy and etherealness of Riesling like few other wines we’ve tried. Terry Theise, when importing the wines for Skurnik, described their wines as “like VAPING Mosel Riesling.”
The estate is owned by two brothers, Alfred and Rolf. With no descendants to hand off the estate to, they quietly continued their work following decades of experience, practice and dedication to traditional methods of winemaking. The brothers live simply, love what they do and don’t seem to find any joy in excess, just pure satisfaction in doing what is exactly right, if the prices and Terry Theise’s stories are to be believed. They are of the dying breed in the Mosel, producing wines of a different era from vines planted decades ago.
The tiny estate boasts mostly ancient (and sometimes ungrafted) vines grown on steep terraces along the Mosel River in Urzig and in Kinheim. When most of the Ürziger Würzgarten vineyards were replanted during the re-alignment of the vineyards, Merkelbach’s vines remained on original rootstock. Today, the vines average around 50 years of age, spring chickens next to the brothers themselves.
The resulting wines are some of the most haunting expressions of the Mosel. They have a charm and an energy that’s unlike almost any other wine we’ve tasted. In fact, their closest comparison might not be in the Mosel at all, but rather with Jacky Truchot’s wines in Burgundy—another producer who managed to create unbearably delicate, ethereal wines that bottles sunshine and joy.
It was no secret that the brothers planned to retire. It’s one of the many reasons that we feel a painful tugging at the heart when we mention their wines to our readers. That announcement came with the 2018 vintage, the last they produced on their own.
As longtime lovers of these profound wines, we stocked up as much as we could in recent releases despite how bittersweet it felt to do so. We knew our readers would want to stash away some of these tremendous last vintages. For those who wish to stock up, now is the best opportunity to do so on our three-day sale. To those looking to try these wines for the first time – we doubt this will be your last and encourage you to take your first sip this very night.
Enjoy the wines now, enjoy them years from now; these wines could well outlast us all.
Check out a by-the-vintage guide & a quick explanation of the numbering system at the bottom of this newsletter!
We adore the wines of Weingut Alfred Merkelbach, irrationally and perhaps more than any other grower in the Mosel. They set the curve for the term “old-school,” having made their wines in similar style for almost 70 years. These wines capture the delicacy and etherealness of Riesling like few other wines we’ve tried. Terry Theise, when importing the wines for Skurnik, described their wines as “like VAPING Mosel Riesling.”
The estate is owned by two brothers, Alfred and Rolf. With no descendants to hand off the estate to, they quietly continued their work following decades of experience, practice and dedication to traditional methods of winemaking. The brothers live simply, love what they do and don’t seem to find any joy in excess, just pure satisfaction in doing what is exactly right, if the prices and Terry Theise’s stories are to be believed. They are of the dying breed in the Mosel, producing wines of a different era from vines planted decades ago.
The tiny estate boasts mostly ancient (and sometimes ungrafted) vines grown on steep terraces along the Mosel River in Urzig and in Kinheim. When most of the Ürziger Würzgarten vineyards were replanted during the re-alignment of the vineyards, Merkelbach’s vines remained on original rootstock. Today, the vines average around 50 years of age, spring chickens next to the brothers themselves.
The resulting wines are some of the most haunting expressions of the Mosel. They have a charm and an energy that’s unlike almost any other wine we’ve tasted. In fact, their closest comparison might not be in the Mosel at all, but rather with Jacky Truchot’s wines in Burgundy—another producer who managed to create unbearably delicate, ethereal wines that bottles sunshine and joy.
It was no secret that the brothers planned to retire. It’s one of the many reasons that we feel a painful tugging at the heart when we mention their wines to our readers. That announcement came with the 2018 vintage, the last they produced on their own.
As longtime lovers of these profound wines, we stocked up as much as we could in recent releases despite how bittersweet it felt to do so. We knew our readers would want to stash away some of these tremendous last vintages. For those who wish to stock up, now is the best opportunity to do so on our three-day sale. To those looking to try these wines for the first time – we doubt this will be your last and encourage you to take your first sip this very night.
Enjoy the wines now, enjoy them years from now; these wines could well outlast us all.
Check out a by-the-vintage guide & a quick explanation of the numbering system at the bottom of this newsletter!
5% off any 3-5 in-stock bottles of Merkelbach
10% off any 6 or more in-stock bottles of Merkelbach
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Sale ends Friday, April 19th at 9 am Pacific.
10% off any 6 or more in-stock bottles of Merkelbach
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Sale ends Friday, April 19th at 9 am Pacific.
We offer twenty wines from Merkelbach on sale now, including highlights from:
Kinheimer Rosenberg:
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Spätlese #2 2017 750ml Was $28, Now $24 special, that’s $22.80 at 5% off and $21.60 at 10% off, 24 bottles in stock now
Mosel Fine Wines 92 points “The 2017er Kinheimer Rosenberg Spätlese AP 2 was harvested at 88° Oechsle. It exhibits beautifully complex and refined aromatics blending floral elements with vineyard peach, grapefruit and spices. The wine is slightly reductive at first on the palate as it displays quite some racy acidity wrapped into a straight and pure structure. Notes of grapefruit, orange zest and spices emerge in the finish and lead to a slightly herbal and freshly tart feel in the after-taste. This is packed with quite some elements and only needs a couple of years to fully shine. 2025-2037.”
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Spätlese #2 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $31.90, that’s $30.31 at 5% off and $28.71 at 10% off, 24 bottles in stock now
John Gilman-A View from the Cellar 92 points “The 2018 AP #2 Spätlese from the Rosenberg vineyard has a beautiful touch of exotic fruit to its aromatic constellation, wafting from the glass in a very refined blend of kiwi, strawberry, lime zest, an almost salty expression of slate, apple blossoms and bee pollen. On the palate the wine is vibrant, complex, medium-full and filigreed, with a lovely dollop of fruit at the core, superb mineral drive and grip, zesty acids and a long, complex and beautifully balanced finish. This is such a classic example of middle Mosel Spätlese, with stunning interplay of slate minerality, pure, precise fruit and floral tones. Just lovely. 2020-2050+. 92.”
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Spätlese #3 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $31.90, that’s $30.31 at 5% off and $28.71 at 10% off, 32 bottles in stock now
John Gilman-A View from the Cellar 92+ points “The 2018 Rosenberg Spätlese AP #3 from the Merkelbachs is a touch more mineral in personality and has just a bit more mid-palate stuffing than the AP #2 version, but without sacrificing any of the classic filigree of this Prädikat level. It is also the more reserved of the two bottlings in its youthful phase, offering up scents of apple, pear, a beautiful base of slate, incipient notes of bee pollen, violets and iris blossoms. On the palate the wine is pure, medium-full and quite solid at the core, with lovely mineral undertow, zesty acids and fine focus and grip on the long and nascently complex finish. This is the Rosenberg Spätlese from 2018 that is going to demand a bit of bottle age before it starts to blossom, so the AP #2 is by far the better selection for those who are predisposed to want to drink their Merkelbach Spätlese on the early side. But, this wine will age superbly. 2024-2055+. 92+.”
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Auslese #12 2018 750ml Was $33, Now $29, that’s $27.55 at 5% off and $26.10 at 10% off, 24 bottles in stock now
John Gilman-A View from the Cellar 93+ points “The AP #12 Rosenberg Auslese is a bit more glazed in personality than the AP #1 version, but it is really a pristine coating of botrytis and one could not ask for better! The beautiful bouquet wafts from the glass in a blend of pear, white grape, lavender, violets, bee pollen, a lovely touch of minerality and a whiff of apple blossoms in the upper register. On the palate the wine is vibrant, fullish and complex, with zesty acids, excellent focus and grip, a superb core and a very long, filigreed and extremely classy finish. This is a beautiful wine in the making. 2026-2065. 93+.”
Ürziger Würzgarten:
“Vivid, toe-curling clarity of fruit and terroir make this my most beloved Mosel agency. These are just some of the keenest, spiciest, most helplessly beautiful wines you can ever drink… Merkelbach’s wines are like the world before anyone wrote poems about it.”” –Terry Theise
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett #13 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $28 special, that’s $26.60 at 5% off and $25.20 at 10% off, 36+ bottles in stock now
Mosel Fine Wines 91 points “The 2018er Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett was harvested from old un-grafted vines at 90° Oechsle in the part of the vineyard situated above the cellar of the Merkelbachs, just behind the village, and was fermented down to fruity-styled levels of residual sugar (50 g/l). It offers a hugely aromatic nose of white peach, apricot, floral elements and spices. The wine is beautifully balanced on the palate and leaves a long and refined feel of herbs in the finish. 2028-2048.”
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese #7 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $33 special, that’s $31.35 at 5% off and $29.70 at 10% off, 23 bottles in stock now
John Gilman-A View from the Cellar 93+ points “The AP #7 Würzgarten Spätlese from the Merkelbachs is also utterly classical in personality, but with more spice tones on both the nose and palate and an almost crystalline expression of the vintage that is utterly captivating. The superb bouquet wafts from the glass in a mix of lime, strawberries, kaleidoscopic slate minerality, bee pollen, a whisper of petrol, citrus zest and a topnote of fruit blossoms. On the palate the wine is vibrant, medium-full and slightly broader shouldered than the AP #5 version, with a great core of fruit, marvelous mineral drive and grip, zesty acids and a long, complex and perfectly balanced finish. This too is a marvelous interpretation of the Würzgarten, with perhaps a touch more depth than the AP #5, but not quite as filigreed in profile at the present time. Maybe- just maybe, this will ultimately nose out the AP #5 Spätlese with extended bottle age, but both wines are going to age beautifully and it is really hard to pick a favorite among them. They are differently style, quintessential expressions of Würzgarten Spätlese. 2023-2055+. 93+.”
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese #4 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $33.50, that’s $31.83 at 5% off and $30.15 at 10% off, 8 bottles in stock now
Stephan Reinhardt-Wine Advocate 92 points “From the core of the Würzgarten, including the Urglück parcel whose fuder wasn’t fine enough to be bottled alone (also in 2021), the 2020 Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese (AP 4 21) is pure and discreet on the well-concentrated yet still muted nose. Lush and round, this is a textured, fine and filigreed yet quite intense and well-concentrated Würzgarten with a tight and saline finish. Still young, this Würzgarten should benefit from further bottle aging. 8.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted in September 2022.”
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese #7 2017 750ml Displayed Price: $33 special, that’s $31.35 at 5% off and $29.70 at 10% off, 27 bottles in stock now
Mosel Fine Wines 93 points “The 2017er Ürziger Würzgarten Auslese was harvested at 97° Oechsle. It displays a superbly aromatic, ripe and fruity nose of yellow peach, pineapple, honey, anise and smoke. The wine coats the rather intense palate with juicy yellow and honeyed fruits pepped up by a nice whiff of acidity. The finish is delicately smooth and long. This gorgeous “Auslese GK” in all but name only needs a decade to blossom. 2027-2047.”
Wine Spectator 93 points “A light, zesty style, with jellied lemon, yellow apple and crème brûlée notes. Very refreshing and mouthwatering, featuring a lithe profile that makes this easy to drink now. Rose water and mineral aromas echo on the finish. Drink now through 2035.—A.Z”
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach ‘Urglück’ Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese 2018 750ml Displayed Price: $39 special, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off, 36+ bottles in stock now
John Gilman-A View from the Cellar 94 points “The Urglück section of the Würzgarten is the Merkelbachs’ filet section, still planted with ungrafted old vines. The 2018 Urglück Auslese from Weingut Merkelbach is an utterly refined and effortless example of the vintage. The bouquet is the epitome of elegance, wafting from the glass in a blend of pear, apple, strawberry chiffon, bee pollen, lovely minerality, lime blossoms and hints of the honeycomb to come with bottle age. On the palate the wine is pure, bright and fullish, with lovely filigree and focus, a fine core, good mineral undertow and a long, nascently complex and simply superb finish. This is not flashy, but the one more pays attention to it, the further one is drawn into its bottomless sense of beauty. 2026-2065. 94.”
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese #8 2019 750ml Displayed Price: $36 special, that’s $34.20 at 5% off and $32.40 at 10% off, 19 bottles in stock now
Mosel Fine Wines 94 points “The 2019er Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese AP 08 was harvested in the sector next to the Sonnenuhr. It offers a hugely attractive nose of vineyard peach, whipped almond cream, minty herbs, spices, William’s pear, and candied grapefruit. The wine is still on the sweet side on the palate, but its refined fruity and creamy side are superbly appealing. Add to this a great zest and a sense of purity side in the long and animating finish, and you have all the elements for a great playful Auslese in a decade and more. 2029-2059.”
Weingut Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese #2 2020 750ml Displayed Price: $39 special, that’s $37.05 at 5% off and $35.10 at 10% off, 10 bottles in stock now
Mosel Fine Wines 94+ points “The 2020er Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese AP 2 was made from essentially clean fruit picked at 94° Oechsle and was fermented down to sweet levels of residual sugar (80 g/l). It offers a most engaging nose made of pear, white peach, smoke, strawberry, smoke, and fine spices. The wine is stunningly fresh, subtly creamy, and incredibly intense on the palate. Yet the flavors are precise, focused, impactful, and then again playful. The finish is focused, finely chiseled, and incredibly persistent. The aftertaste is as light as mineral water and yet so full of flavors. This is a truly remarkable Riesling in the making, with ample Schmelz but also an incredible raciness and lightness which more than reminds us of the glorious Auslese from the 1990s! This Auslese is a great success, and even has upside potential, it is that good! 2030-2060.”
By-The-Vintage Guide:
2017 is a bit of an unusual year for the estate, as the natural levity and playfulness is tempered by the seriousness of the vintage. The result, though, is some of the most remarkable wines the brothers made since their breathtaking 2012’s.
The 2018 vintage was a warm and generous year for Riesling. While some estates along the Mosel were left with out-of-control ripeness, to quote Mosel Fine Wines, “67 vintages of experience helped the mythical pair of brothers to navigate the vintage and to produce riper but still beautifully playful and engaging wines at all levels of the portfolio.” These are gorgeous wines that will age for decades as a lasting tribute to the final vintage the brothers produced on their own.
The 2019 vintage was to first in which Johannes Selbach of Selbach-Oster and his team assisted with vineyard maintenance, harvest, and vinification. Fans of the producer fear not, Johannes has kept the heart and soul of the brothers’ style.
2020 is similar in some respects to the two previous vintages: being warm and dry. Harvest started early, but was long and cool, allowing growers to time picking. The wines show more elegance than 2018 and less power than 2019. Per Skurnik, the wines are “juicy, succulent and draw you in,” with good extract, moderate alcohol, and structure.
Numbering Guide:
The Merkelbachs vinified each parcel separately, each fuder representing a different parcel. Because of their tiny cellar, their pradikät wines are composed of either one or two parcels, indicated by their AP number. We’ve included the AP number in the wines’ descriptions. This is the second to last set of numbers in a German pradikät wine’s entire, unique official registration number.
Shop the complete collection of Merkelbach wines on our sale now (that’s 20 options!) and browse our massive selection of 450 in-stock German Riesling options (that’s thousands of bottles!) on our webstore, including selections from Donnhoff, Molitor, and Selbach-Oster!
Don’t miss our additional sales going on now:
Envinate
5% off any 3-5 in-stock Envinate wines
10% off any 6 or more in-stock Envinate wines
Racines
5% off any 3-5 in-stock Racines wines
10% off any 6 or more in-stock Racines wines
Discount will not display online or in your cart,
We will adjust your invoice before processing your charge.
Envinate sale ends Wednesday, April 17th at 9 am Pacific. Racines sale ends Thursday, April 18th at 9 am Pacific