Hofgut Falkenstein can be categorized under: if you know, you know.

Over the last decade, Hofgut Falkenstein has become one of the most fiercely sought producers of Mosel (Saar) Riesling on the market. The major focus is on Riesling made in a traditional manner that accentuates the beautiful freshness and acidity that, for the purist, represent some of the most authentic examples left on the market.

Located in the Saar, the estate has over 40 years of winemaking experience - Erich and his wife revitalized the Falkensteinerhof winery that had fallen into disrepair, basically by themselves from scratch starting in 1985. Today Erich and his son Johannes farm almost 13 hectares - with about 1 hectare entirely ungrafted - in the Saar; several of their plots are in highly-prized vineyards, including Euchariusberg, a once-legendary vineyard you could consider a sleeping giant. The wines are very classic Mosel.

This is about as thoughtful and meticulous as winemaking gets. Each wine bottling - referred to by "A.P." number, which is in reference to each fuder (large cask) - is individual and usually separated by plot. The grapes are gently pressed and allowed to flow via gravity into their respective casks where they are allowed to ferment naturally. From there, once the wines have reached their desired maturity in cask, the wines will be bottled directly from the fuder, without racking or any other violent movement of the juice.

Normally there are several dollar signs associated with wines that are this sought after and this allocated, but this is not the case with these wines as they have grown in stature, not in price tag.