Loewen’s 2006 Detzemer Riesling Spatlese feinherb represents a new bottling from the Detzemer Maximiner Klosterlay, one of those sites (like Grunhaus and Longuich’s Herrenberg) once part of the Maximiner cloister’s holdings – always a sign of centuries of justified notoriety, even if many of the vineyards have been neglected in modern times. The full name being such a mouth- and label-full, and Loewen already having one wine so-labeled, he has simplified things here. Reflecting a blue slate portion of the Klosterlay (“Christopher’s Wine” comes from more grey slate), this is in Loewen’s words “an example of how Spatlese used to be” until the last forty years. While this has 25 grams of residual sugar, it tastes truly dry. Purple plum, cherry, lychee, and fennel pollen make for an exotic and alluring wine. And speaking of “alluring,” the satiny texture and mysteriously savory, saline, and carnal depths of flavor are just that. With so much intrigue, and amazing balance, and richness with (only 9% alcohol) delicacy of touch, this will be fascinating to follow for at least a decade. The Mosel’s greatest champion of once-great but recently-neglected sites and one of German viticulture’s most tireless outside-the-box thinkers in the search for quality, Karl-Josef Loewen took extra efforts in 2006 including adding supplemental pickers who helped him harvest in only ten days. He did not begin until October 8, believing that “before then, the ripeness just wasn’t there.” Loewen is notoriously fearless when it comes to harvesting botrytis, but he tended toward more whole-cluster pressing than usual to help guard against impure elements of rot. In an exciting development, beginning this year, Loewen is taking the lead with Carl Schmitt-Wagner in farming the latter’s ancient Riesling in Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg.Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel (516) 677-9300