Melsheimer Estate Lentum 2019

ID:
• Origin: Reil (Mosel), Germany
• Appellation: Mosel Qualitätswein
• Grape variety: 100% Riesling
• Alcohol percentage: 12.0%
• Style: Dry, pronounced slate-mineral, saline and taut, with a surprisingly vinous mouthfeel
• Ageing potential: Now until 2036+

Lentum 2018 is an idiosyncratic, intensely terroir-driven Mosel Riesling that goes far beyond pure fruit expression. On the nose, it is more stony and subtle than exuberant: citrus zest, ripe pear, smoke, wet slate, and a light spiciness. On the palate, the wine is dry and layered, with a compact core, vibrant acidity, and a remarkably creamy, "chalky" texture that carries the long, saline finish. The whole feels both austere and exceptionally harmonious, with great depth and tranquility.

Vinification.
The grapes are harvested by hand and gently pressed. Fermentation occurs spontaneously with indigenous yeasts and is deliberately not forced: Lentum is known for its ultra-long, slow fermentation. The wine then matures for an extended period in large, old oak Fuder barrels (approx. 1,000 litres), typically for at least 3 years, with minimal intervention. Bottling only takes place when the wine has completely settled "on its own"; bottle ageing before release is not specified.

The domain.
Weingut Melsheimer (Reil) is a leading family business on the Mosel, led by Thorsten Melsheimer, known for an uncompromising, natural approach and extreme patience in the cellar. The estate works organically and biodynamically (Demeter) with a strong focus on soil life, biodiversity, and manual labour on the steep slopes. In the cellar, everything revolves around spontaneous fermentation, long maturation, and as few corrections as possible, so that the slate signature and the energy of Riesling remain maximally intact. Lentum is the calling card of this philosophy: a wine that uses time as its most important "intervention" and thereby becomes exceptionally complex and long-lived.