4/6/26 - 

If you were lucky enough to snag some of the 2024 Max Kilburg Kabinett Rieslings when we offered them back in December, hopefully you have popped open a bottle (or two) and have learned first hand just how spectacular these wines are. I am guilty of opening many of his bottles at home and ordering them off wine lists across the city as I find these to be some of the most compelling wines, and one of the best values in the Mosel for Riesling. I simply cannot seem to get enough of them! Today I am excited to share the newest release of his Grand Cru Trocken, Spatlese, and Spatburgunder bottlings! 
 
Even as the 20th generation winemaker of his family's historic estate, Max Kilburg has quickly begun to make a name for himself. With his first vintage (in 2019) leading Mosel Fine Wines to call his Kabinetts, "firm, precise, racy, and hugely profound," it's clear something special is happening here! Since starting in 2019, Max has expanded a little bit, acquiring an older-vine parcel in Ohligsberg Grand Cru but in truth he is barely farming two hectares of his own vines. But as we know, sometimes the smallest are the mightiest. Max has since taken Riesling drinkers by storm!

All of the wines available today come from either Ohligsberg or Goldtropfchen, both Grosse Lage, or Grand Cru sites in the Mosel, but quite different stylistically. Ohligsberg is directly on the Mosel with most vineyards facing west. There is a 40-80% gradient (really steep!!) so all labor must be done manually. The soil is grey-blue slate with quartzite bands. With the Mosel river being quite wide here, there is great reflection of the sun that is then stored well in the dark soils helping to get peak ripeness. Wines from here are traditionally quite mineral driven with strong acidity and lots of intensity. 
Goldtropfchen creates an amphitheater around Piesport on the outer bend of the Mosel providing mainly southeast to southwest exposures. This juxtaposition provides long hours of sunshine with protection from the wind too. The vineyards are steep here too but closer to 30-70% gradient with deep, dark Devon slate soils that contain quartz and minerals. Wines from here tend to be richer and more fruit driven than their counterparts in Ohligsberg.
The parcel of Pinot Noir is in the Ohligsberg and was planted by Max's father in the mid-1980s. Max fully destemmed the fruit before fermenting and aging in matured oak barriques for 18 months. The result is a smooth, fresh, silky, Spatburgunder with excellent fruit and layered complexity. 
 
Between his small hectares under vines and the loss with the 2024 vintage, there are limited quantities available for all of these wines. We have taken as much as we possibly can, because once you try these wines you will not be able to resist opening more. With that, I would reccomend if you have the patience, to let the Spatlese age for a little as it will continue to evolve beautifully with more bottle age. 
 
-Hanna Krilov Cohen

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