The small town of Erden, where the Schmitges family has been making wine since 1744, is tucked neatly into one of the Mosel river's many dramatic bends, which give vineyards their unique microclimate. The slopes are steep, with a gradient of up to 70 degrees.
Andreas Schmitges took over the family estate from his father Heinrich in 1990. Joined by his wife Waltraud they were determined to turn the then fairly unknown Weingut with its excellent vineyard holdings into one of the Mosel's top wine estates.
The vines are grown organically and yields are kept low in order to let the wine speak of its place. At harvest, the grapes are hand-picked, gently pressed with pneumatic presses and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. After fermentation the young wines spend time on their lees before they are filtered and bottled. The goal is to intervene as little as possible during the vinification process.
The wines of Andreas Schmitges show elegant, refreshing fruit. But for me it's their crisp acidity along with the pronounced mineral character that makes these wines stand out.
The Riesling Grauschiefer is a fairly new wine in Schmitges' portfolio. The 2006 vintage is the fifth year in which Andreas Schmitges blends grapes from his elevated vineyards: 85% are from the Erdener Herrenberg (200-300m), the rest is from the Erdener Treppchen (110m). The Herrenberg accounts for the minerality in the wine, the Treppchen for its fruit. The Grauschiefer is a perfect match for a wide range of food.