The fourth and last magnum of our New Year’s day gathering has a label that provokes clear expectations. A stone-wine, a mineral-loaded elixir is also what probably anyone who speaks German instantly thinks of when he sees that the wine is named “Steinreich“, which translates to “rich in stones” (“empire of stones” would be another possible translation). According to the Ansgar Clüsserath estate who made the wine, the name should recall the soil of the famous Trittenheimer Apotheke site where the vines stand on masses of blue slate and rocks. The winemaker in charge is Eva Clüsserath-Wittmann, the daughter of  the estate, who interestingly is married to Rheinhessen-winemaker Philipp Wittmann. On that night, this dry Mosel-Wine had to compete directly with the Van Volxem Alte Reben, the Riesling from the nearby Saar river we popped open just before. Not easy. Read the rest of this entry »