Ulli Stein, in my opinion, is hands downs one of the most important figures in the Mosel wine region. I write this in consideration not of its past, but its future. There are big names that I remember from the early 2000s when Chambers Street Wines was still in its first decade. JJ Prum, Egon-Müller, Willi-Schaefer... I can spot these labels from a mile away, and the vintage bottles we would occasionally acquire would disappear in a heartbeat. That said, the American predilection for Riesling has changed greatly in the last 20 years, and the older collectors are drinking less! Younger drinkers often have unexplainable aversions to Riesling and tend to like Trocken and Fienherb expressions when they ask for Riesling specifically. Let's not even get started about young German drinkers! The fate of an enchanting and historic wine region is, for better or worse, in the hands of a very small community of wine lovers (many of whom are in the US) who share a fascination with and unwavering passion for Mosel Riesling. If we are the fire, Ulli Stein is the fuel. He stands with one foot planted firmly in the past, with a deep understanding of the history and significance of the region, and one foot swinging forward, bounding proudly towards seemingly insurmountable odds. I have written more thoughts, in a bit of a free-form fashion, which you can find on our "Past Offers" page starting Monday 11/10, but let's first focus on the important task of selling, buying and (sooner or later) drinking some 2024 Rieslings from Ulli Stein!

-Eben Lillie

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Here are new arrivals and returning favorites from Ulli Stein, all from the spectacular, albeit limited, 2024 vintage:
 
Blauschiefer Riesling Trocken - From two hillsides on blue slate, Ulli says "he's not friendly, he's spicy!" With notes of salty minerals and lemon pith, and less than 4g/l RS (barely enough to balance with the searing acidity), this is an electric, dry Riesling. 
 
Weihwasser Riesling Feinherb - A pre-selection (or first pass) of his best vineyards, Ulli picks grapes at the edge of the vineyards for this wine, not because quality is poor but because birds usually eat the grapes before he can pick them. Ulli will assure you that these are still very good grapes, though they are not the very best. The style is ever-so-slightly off-dry with white flowers and pear on the nose, and of wet rocks and stone fruit on the palate. 
 
Palmberg Riesling Kabinett Trocken - 60-65 year-old vines and 90-95 year-old ungrafted vines contribute to this fantastic Riesling that is still quite young, but already expressing lovely delicacy and fruit in the mid-palate. 

Klosterkammer Riesling Kabinett Trocken - Frost hit in April and killed 50% of the leaves at this site, along with many of the berries. The grapes had a very low Oechsle level but exceptionally good taste, says Ulli, and the resulting wine was a a totally dry Riesling (<1g/l RS). 
  
Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Feinherb - Different exposure here. The blue slate gives a more charming wine, says Ulli. He calls it a classic Kabinett hillside, with more blue slate and a small percentage of grey slate. 14g/l RS. Ulli says that Palmberg is usually better for stronger and drier wines, while Himmelreich is better for sweet, with average age of vines being 5-10 years older than Palmberg. 
 
Alfer Hölle "1900" Riesling Kabinett Trocken - The Alfer Hölle Riesling 1900 comes from a small parcel of about 1000 vines planted in 1900 and thought to be the second oldest vines in the Mosel. Year after year this wine startles us with its combination of soaring aromatics, old vine concentration, and seeming weightlessness. A truly magical wine from a special place.