Blended principally between younger vines in the Saar’s Schlangengraben and relatively level parcels around the winery at Leiwen, the 2005 Riesling offers a lovely nose of yellow cherries, white peaches, and lemons. Luscious and delicate (with 10% alcohol) on the palate, this excellent value finishes refreshingly with ripe pit fruits and citrus, backed by judicious though quite noticeable residual sugar, and an undeniable sense of slate. The team here – cellarmaster Rudi Hoffmann, vineyard manager Hermann Jostock, and proprietor Nik Weis – continued their streak of highly successful harvests this year, albeit at the price of extremely low yields.Importer: H. B. Wine Merchants, New York, NY; tel. (917) 402-0456

Given the steep slopes of the region and resulting high production costs, it’s a mystery to me how proprietor Nik Weis has managed to keep his wines so affordable. The least expensive of his 2005s is a great introduction to the wines of the Mosel, with surprising minerality and precision for a wine that savvy shoppers can find for as little as $10. It’s crisp and clean, lightly sweet, but balanced by fine acidity. It’s delicate, yet full of flavor.——J.C.(11/15/2006)—— 89