The Mosel is home to the most laser-focused and filigreed German Rieslings. Estates like J.J. Prüm and Fritz Haag put this iconic region on the worldwide collector map in the 1700s, but today's offer highlights the new generation. A.J. Adam marvels the senses with saturating and powerful style, electrifying acidity, and unmatched texture that stands out from traditionally-minded estates.

A.J. Adam works with 1950-planted vines in Dhron and Piesport and farms their minuscule four hectares entirely by hand. The incredibly steep Hofberg vineyard receives maximum sun exposure, moderated by the Dhron tributary below and the whipping winds coming above the Hunsrück Mountains. The estate's hallmark is maximum ripeness with a fierce dry-extraction in the cellar.

The lineup ranges from the bone-dry Grand Cru-level Hofberg and Goldtröpfchen to the painfully rare Beerenauslese. Wines tasted back to 2001 have barely budged in their evolution, still showing fresh salinity and pale straw hues. A visit just before harvest in 2012 was my first exposure to these wines, and since then, each vintage has been accumulating in my personal cellar.

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