As we’ve been talking lately about cellaring Riesling, we thought we’d introduce you to a few of ours that you may want to consider for your own cellar.
Erdener Treppchen (“The Little Staircase of Erden”).
The Erdener Treppchen (pronounced AIR-din-er TREP-shen) vineyard in Germany’s Mosel Valley is so steep that long ago, stone steps were built into the hillside to enable workers to reach the vines. Hence the name.
This vineyard was rated “First Vineyard” (“Erste Lage”) in the 1868 Prussian classification of the Mosel, and is rated “Great First-Class” in the Wine Atlas of Germany by Hugh Johnson & Stuart Pigott (1995).
The iron-rich, red slate soil produces wines that are muscular and complex, with an intense minerally finish. Wines from Erdener Treppchen are more like a powerful, hard-body rock climber (as opposed to the graceful ballet dancer that characterizes our Rieslings from Wehlener Sonnenuhr).
They benefit greatly from a few years in the bottle to develop fully, and therefore, would be a great addition to any cellar.
To help you decide, here are tasting notes for three of our Erdener Treppchen wines:
2009 DR. LOOSEN 
ERDENER TREPPCHEN RIESLING KABINETT
[88] Wine Spectator Rich, with a fresh base of acidity
driving the peach, lime and mineral notes. Lively, balanced and enjoyable now for its primary fruit. Spectator online, 2010
[89] Wine Advocate Lemon, sassafras, and black tea pungent smokiness in the nose of Loosen’s 2009 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett lead to a polished, cooling display of herb, honey- dew melon, and citrus that finishes with effortless refresh- ment and whiff of smoke and a kiss of wet stone. Here is another little classic of its type apt to perform well for 15-20 years. December 2010
[91] The Tasting Panel Juicy and crisp with racy acidity and lovely peach and lime fruit; spritzy, long and tangy with refinement and style. November 2010
Restaurant Wine The Erdener is extremely floral in character; a supple, off dry, intensely flavored Kabinett (jasmine, lime, honeysuckle, pineapple) that is well balanced and very long on the finish. October 2010, Issues #135 & #136
2009 DR. LOOSEN
ERDENER TREPPCHEN RIESLING SPÄTLESE
[91] Wine Spectator Ripe and silky, delivering a floral aroma and peach cobbler, apricot and white berry flavors, with hints of chocolate. The mouthfilling finish is juicy and fresh. Dec. 15, 2010
[91] Wine Advocate The Loosen 2009 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese is richer, yet more delicate than the corresponding Kabinett, suggesting herbal liqueur, honeydew melon, and lusciously ripe citrus on a succulent, buoyant palate and with a delightfully persistent, infectiously juicy finish that introduces hints of nut oils and salted caramel. There should be 25 years of potential pleasure packed into bottles of this. December 2010
[17] JancisRobinson.com Very intense, quite stern nose with real density. Very explosively fruity on the palate. Chalky finish in terms of texture. 2010
[91] Mosel Fine Wines This wine offers a very attractive smoky touch on the nose, with some white fruits and spices. Good firm zesty acidity nicely balances out the comparatively rich texture on the palate, giving some Spätlese character to this otherwise powerful wine. The finish is pure, very slick and quite long. It is still aromatically closed but should develop well with some aging. October 2010
2009 DR. LOOSEN 
ERDENER TREPPCHEN RIESLING AUSLESE
[90] Wine Advocate Musk melon, peach, and pungent peat and brown spices on the nose of Loosen’s 2009 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese suggest noble botrytis to a greater extend than did the corresponding Wehlener, an impression reinforced by a honeyed, faintly oily feel on the palate, where juicy fresh lime and tangerine keep things refreshing. Picked around a week later than the corresponding Wehlener, this should delight for a good quarter-century, and may well become more interesting in the process without losing its sensual appeal. December 2010
[92] Mosel Fine Wines This is driven by yellow peach, pineapple cake, orange peel and marzipan on the nose and offers a most stunning balance on the palate, with great aromatic integration and purity. The wine leaves a direct and firm sensation of richness and spice in the finish with a soft acidic backbone. This should develop into a beauty! October 2010
Read more about Dr. Loosen Erdener Treppchen.
Find out where to buy it for your cellar.
If you’re friended with us on Facebook, you may already know that Eric Asimov of the New York Times did a story last week titled “Sweetness that Bites Back: Auslese Rieslings from the 2010 Vintage.” 
Invoke the hoo! 