Axel Pauly
Axel Pauly is one of the rising stars of German wine. He took...
over the Pauly estate from his father after doing vintages in California, New Zealand and other parts of Germany. Most of the seven hectares of vineyards are in the heart of the Mosel Valley in the village of Lieser, with the exception of a small parcel in the highly regarded, neighbouring village of Bernkastel. The majority of Axel's wines are dry or off-dry in style and are closed with screwcap to preserve the purity and freshness from Riesling grown on the famous slate soils of the Mosel.
Vineyards
The Kabinett Riesling was harvested from the family's small parcel of vines in the single vineyard of Kardinalsberg, in the famous village of Bernkastel. Stringent crop-thinning and leaf-plucking ensured excellent flavour concentration in the ripe grapes, which were sorted and picked manually, to ensure only the best berries were selected at harvest time. Vines are on average 40 years old. The wine is a Kabinett, meaning that it was harvested slightly later in the season, resulting in riper fruit and a fuller palate than the earlier-picked styles.
Vintage Information
The 2015 vintage started late, with budbreak delayed by about two weeks in comparison to 2014, and flowering began in mid-June. From then on, the summer was hot and dry, which helped to promote almost perfect flowering and excellent conditions for ripening. September brought some heavy rain and continued warm weather, which caused some fear of rot, but thankfully the rains stopped at the start of October and cooler weather set in, providing good conditions for harvest.
Vinification
The grapes underwent skin contact for 10 hours prior to fermentation in stainless steel tank, in order to extract precious Riesling flavours. The fermentation lasted two and a half weeks at approximately 20°C, with natural yeasts used for this wine. The wine was kept in inert, large oak barrels for six to seven months, which resulted in a more mellow, smooth wine but without any hint of oak. It is slightly sweeter in style than Axel's other wines, as a result of the stopped fermentation that left a low alcohol of 8.5%.
Tasting Notes
The Kabinett Riesling is bright yellow with green reflexes. On the nose, there are notes of sweet honey and melon, ripe apples and peaches, with touches of fresh hay. The palate is full and lively, with an elegant mineral slate taste, a touch of sweetness and long, lingering flavours of citrus and spice.
Vintage Information
| Vintage | 2015 |
| Grape varieties | 100% Riesling |
| Region | Lieser, Mosel |
| Winemaker | Axel Pauly |
| Alcohol (ABV) | 8.5% |
| Acidity | 8.6g/l |
| Residual Sugar | 57.4g/l |
Trade customers
Liberty Wines customers can order this wine directly from us.