TN: 2012 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese Urglück

2012 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese Urglück - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (3/29/2017)
Most Mosel Spatlesen would be shut down and sullen at five years of age, but this bottling is definitely not. It’s still essentially the youthful wine it was on release, with maybe just a bit of an added bass note that makes it even better than it was when it came out. Apple skin, pear and lime zest flavors are complimented by bright acids that make for a beautifully refreshing package. It’s springtime in a glass!

Posted from CellarTracker

Love this producer.

Buy now - the brothers are old.

I’m still patiently waiting for my 2015 Urglucks.

Orc armies are often slow to deliver.

(Every time I see Urglück I think Lord of the Rings.)

Really? Got mine awhile ago. I am looking for more of the #7 spatlese. It is also “springtime in a glass.”

It got hung up with the NY AG war against wine. The workaround for delivery is taking a while.

I tried checking my palantir for my expected delivery date but all it does is repeat “There is no Eye in Urgluck”.

How does the Urglück differ from the regular Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese? I’ve been happily imbibing the 2015 version of the regular which at $16 is a steal.

The Urgluck is Auslese level, by regular Spatlese do you mean the #2?

Auslese in 2015 versus Spatlese in 2012.

I have the #7.

I have both the regular Spätlese and the Urgluck from 2012, but have never tasted them side by side. I will have to try that this spring/summer.

Are the 2012 Merkelbachs still drinking well? I had enough experiences with shut down 2012 Willi Schaefers that I stopped sampling the vintage and didn’t plan on touching for a while.

Urgluck is Auslese in 2015 only (AP #9), but was Spatlese in 2012 (AP #17).

The AP/parcel thing is getting a bit hard to keep track of with them though. They also bottled a “Lang Pichter” Auslese in 2015 (AP #8), though the Lang Pichter designation is only in the catalog (and perhaps the back label). The front label of the Auslese AP #8 doesn’t mention Lang Pichter, even though the AP #9 mentions Urgluck.

How well does this producer age? I picked up some 15 Urgluck Auslese but not sure how long to wait to open. I loved Merkelbach’s #7 and #10 Spat as well as the Rosenberg Kabs

The wines age as classical German Riesling. I had a couple of 1990 vintage bottles over the holidays, and they were lovely.