Meulenhof

Full-throttle fruit and serious stature characterize these ripe Mosel wines. Prices have remained moderate for impeccable quality. Outstanding success in 2001. In general Justen’s wines are more lush and peachy than, say, Merkelbach; not as stern as, say, Christoffel. They are comparatively straightforward and “easy” to understand because the fruit is overt and in-your-face. Even a cursory glance into that fruit, though, will reveal the proverbial Coat of Many Colors: interplays of flavor and texture that can be absorbing and rewarding. And the wines both keep and age.

•Vineyard area: 4.5 hectares
•Annual production: 3,000 cases
•Top sites: Erdener Prälat and Treppchen, Wehlener Sonnenuhr
•Soil types: Weathered slate with Rotliegand
•Grape varieties: 78% Riesling, 13% Müller-Thurgau, 9% Kerner