Riesling Trocken '180°' Josef Milz 2009

The Riesling Trocken '180°' from the family-run Josef Milz winery constitutes a typically taut and mineral expression of Riesling from the Mosel Valley. The Weingut Josef Milz is one of the founding members of the VDP, an acronym for Verband Deutscher Prӓdikats, literally 'Association of German Pr', an organisation created in 1910 by some 200 wine estates in Germany with the aim of promoting quality wine production in the country. The name '180°' on the label is a reference to Trittenheim, the town where the Josef Milz winery operates, where the Mosel River makes a 180° bend.

The '180°' Trocken Josef Milz Riesling originates solely from grapes of the white berry variety of the same name, cultivated on very steep hillsides made up of blue-grey slate soils, overlooking the Mosel River. After harvesting, the grapes are immediately transferred to the cellar where they are vinified white through spontaneous alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel tanks without skin contact. This is followed by a few months of refinement, also in stainless steel, and then a further brief sojourn in the bottle until final release. The decision to process the wine entirely in steel is aimed at enhancing the freshness and varietal aromas characteristic of Riesling.

Straw yellow with brilliant greenish reflections is the colour of Josef Milz's Riesling Trocken '180°', which on the nose expresses pleasant aromas of fresh fruit and citrus fruits such as green apple, lime, pear, yellow grapefruit and tropical fruit, accompanied by mineral hints of flint and oil typical of Mosel Riesling. The progression on the palate is dry and creamy at the same time, with a decisive fresh-savoury shoulder guiding the taut, tantalisingly mineral finish that invites new tastings.