Part I: A Rieslingfeier of our Own I: Dönnhoff, Willi Schaefer, Selbach-Oster - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers
Part II: A Rieslingfeier of our Own II: Schloss Lieser, Weiser-Künstler, Fritz Haag - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers
Part III (this): A Rieslingfeier of our Own III: Emrich-Schönleber, Joh. Jos. Prüm, Alfred Merkelbach - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers
Emrich-Schönleber
We met initially with Hanne, who introduced the two vineyard sites to us before Werner took over. We had a blast talking a bit about the wines and winery (and complaining that their wines have always been a bit tricky to find here in Chicago), and with some locals who had popped in for a glass, before Werner went behind the counter to bring out the Halenberg TBA, and talking about the unbelievable amount of work that goes into making something like that. More astounding was that there were still bottles available for sale, and I was lucky enough to be able to bring one home with me!
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2015 Emrich-Schönleber Frühtau Riesling Trocken - Germany, Nahe (2/16/2017)
I quite liked this iteration of dry riesling. There’s something exotically tropical on the palate of this, and while it’s certainly quite acidic, it’s never in your face about it. Gentle and fresh, this is an excellent entry level trocken. (90 pts.) -
2014 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Halgans Trocken - Germany, Nahe (2/16/2017)
5 g/L residual sugar. Although this is a much leaner wine than the 2015 Frühtau we tasted just before, this too never had that screechy acidity that many dry rieslings suffer from. This is a more restrained bottle, with less fruity exuberance and more mineral raciness. (90 pts.) -
2013 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe (2/16/2017)
In an acid-driven year like 2013, you really have to be careful about acid bombs. This wine is none of that. There’s a beautiful elegance to this wine, thanks to a full slate of tropical fruit on the nose and palate. All counterbalanced by that high acidity, this leaves a very mouthwatering Spätlese. (93 pts.) -
2014 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe (2/16/2017)
This is one of the best 2014 Spätlese I have tasted. It is so gentle but powerful at the same time. You have to look for all the elements of a great Spätlese but they are all there. Enjoyable viscerally and intellectually, this is one of those magical wines that you can enjoy however you like. Delicious now, but I worry slightly that with more age, the more foregrounded elements mught fade a bit. (95 pts.) -
2014 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Auslese - Germany, Nahe (2/16/2017)
Yet another stunning 2014 from Emrich-Schönleber; I’m beginning to think I ought to hunt down the rest of the lineup to taste. These wines have been nothing but fantastic. This Auslese is in a lighter style, with a sort of airiness and lightness that is perhaps characteristic of the vintage. But there’s so much complexity here if you’re willing to dig for it… (93 pts.) -
2015 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese - Germany, Nahe (2/16/2017)
200 half-bottles produced. This is a much broader and denser wine than the 2015 Dönnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshöhle TBA. I recognize the futility of comparison here, but this doesn’t have quite the same acidic drive as Dönnhoff’s. In contrast this wine reminds me of the most of the 2010 Dönnhoff TBA (one of the best wines ever made), with its clearly delineated fruit and kaleidoscopic flavours. The spicy nose with rich botrytis is intoxicating. A masterpiece; I am deeply grateful to Werner for sharing this with us. (100 pts.) -
2012 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Eiswein - Germany, Nahe (2/16/2017)
Another intoxicating elixir from the brilliant hands of the Emrich-Schönleber estate. This is not as opulent as the 2015 TBA (not much in the world is), but this is still a concentrated distillation of the essence of riesling. The nose shows some of those lovely spicy Eiswein notes, with a mix of fruit and green herbs. The palate’s texture is not viscous, but it is certainly concentrated. Massively sweet and never cloying, this is a masterpiece of winemaking. (98 pts.)
Joh. Jos. Prüm
Driving to Wehlen, we were able to identify the winery from across the Sonnenuhr vineyard just by recognizing the building from the label. We met with Amei Prüm for the tasting, and she proceeded to take us on a serious comparative study of the Prüm wines, followed by a few bonus wines at the end. The 2015 GH Kabinett was outstanding (Amei referred to this wine as the perennial “naughty boy”), and although many of the wines I had already tasted before, it was certainly very educational to see them ordered the way they were. As we were talking about the various vineyards, we had gotten to mentioning the Johannisbrünnchen, a site particularly good for Eiswein because it tends to stay cooler, and even more amazingly, we were able to have a taste of it – and to top it off, being able to follow that with the GH TBA was superlative upon superlative.
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2015 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
#29-16, 8.5% abv. This had a brilliant spicy nose, with loads of white fruit and minerality. This is definitely easier to drink now than the WS version of this wine. Extremely expressive, there’s a youthful exuberance to this that is just so exciting. I don’t think that this has quite the same electric sizzle as the WS does, but it’s incredible drinking right now. I did find the sugar on this a little on the higher side, especially once this was followed by the lineup of 2014 Spätlesen. (95 pts.) -
2014 Joh. Jos. Prüm Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
#14-15, 8% abv. This is actually lighter and less sweet than the 2015 GH Kabinett that preceded. This seemed a little dilute and muted as well, with the fruit flavours not showing particularly well. There’s a nice florality to this wine, but I wish it had a little more heft. (88 pts.) -
2014 Joh. Jos. Prüm Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
#16-15, 7.5% abv. This is far bigger and broader than the BB Spätlese, and the fruit here shows more prominently and exuberantly. There’s still a slight touch of sponti on this wine. The ZS site’s earth is drier than the BB, which is responsible for the added concentration and fruit in this. Still, this is not a particularly dense wine, but it was on very good display today. (90 pts.) -
2014 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
#21-15, 7% abv. As we move up the hierarchy, this wine is again slightly bigger than the preceding ZS. This is quite expressive now, and the fruit is even more opulent. However, there is a fantastic mineral core on this that gives it so much interest. There is still a great balancing vein of acidity in this wine that makes it a very good Spätlese. (90 pts.) -
2014 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
#23-15, 7.5% abv. This was perhaps the densest and most complex of the four Spätlese in the Prüm stable today. Although it seemed a little bit closed, there was clearly a nice roundness to this wine from the sugar. There’s still a little bit of sponti and Wehlener funk on this wine, and I suspect with time, this will start to win out over the GH. (90 pts.) -
2012 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
9% abv. Oops, missed the AP on this one. This is a very, very ripe edition of this wine, and the contrast with the 2014 was extremely stark. There’s so much more dense fruit on this wine, and it’s almost like you can feel the 2% extra alcohol on this. Of course, this is not a complaint that this wine is hot, but it is a very stark contrast indeed. The fruit here has started to get quite creamy, and I actually thought the acidity on this was a little bit too restrained. Obviously, it’s not the best time to be tasting 2012s, but I greatly appreciated the extra peek. (90 pts.) -
2009 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
#14-10, 8.5% abv. I’ve made a huge mistake underestimating the quality of the 2009 vintage. This was an outstanding Spätlese, strutting its stuff proudly today. The same mineral core is decorated with light yellow fruit, the perfect amount of sweetness, and a very lovely light acidity that gently drives the wine to the finish. (93 pts.) -
2009 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
#06-11, 8% abv. Simply put, this is the Spätlese, but bigger. There’s an enticing spicy note on the nose that’s on top of all the good stuff in the Spätlese. Mostly though, this is an airy and gentle Auslese, without any heaviness despite the added concentration. One of the more elegant Auslesen that I can recall. (93 pts.) -
2007 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
#34-08, 7.5% abv. Although this has the immense ripeness of the vintage on full display, there is never a moment when this is too sweet, heavy, or cloying. Although lower in acid too, the minerality here almost makes up for that deficiency. The extra spice elements on the nose also add some interest. A very drinkable and lovely Auslese. (93 pts.) -
2004 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
#20-14. Served blind, I guessed the 2005 GH Auslese. How’s that for egg on the face? In hindsight, this made total sense, as there was a very nice vein of green acidity on the back end, but for whatever reason, I got it into my head that this was a riper wine. And without too much of the sponti to lean back on as well, I guessed that this was the GH, thanks to some very nice minerality. Whatever it was, it was delicious. (93 pts.) -
2003 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
Served blind. With just a little touch of roastedness on the nose, it was trivial to guess this as the 2003 vintage. However, again I got the vineyard wrong (I guessed GH – I suppose I had been tasting too many young wines at this point and I was fixated on the idea that the WS wines had more funk, even though I know it evolves out with time). In any case, this is a very ripe wine and the gasoline aromas are quite prevalent. Although very ripe, this is still made in a very restrained manner, and there is a lot to anticipate as the outright sugar fades. (93 pts.) -
2003 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
#10-07, 7% abv. I’m immensely pleased I bought a few more bottles of this recently. I was not intially a huge fan of this wine, but being able to try it again has me convinced that this is going to be a phenomenal GK. Sure, the fruit is very, very powerful right now and the sugar still a bit dominant, but the slowly developing secondary characteristics are very exciting. The spice and petrol here add so much depth to this wine. And on top of that, this is a 7% abv wine in one of the hottest vintages in memory… There’s some magic involved here. (95 pts.) -
2004 Joh. Jos. Prüm Bernkasteler Johannisbrünnchen Riesling Eiswein Lange Goldkapsel - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
#21-16, 6% abv. Served blind. The heightened acidity and insane smoke and spice on the nose had me thinking Eiswein right away. This is surprisingly not too sweet and is instead focussed on herbal and spicy flavours. There is a huge mix of citrus and tart stone fruit as well, and it all gets merged into a very, very powerful wine. (98 pts.) -
2005 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese Auction - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
In contrast to the two Nahe TBAs that were tasted, this is much more orange-tinted style. While the Dönnhoff and Emrich-Schönleber TBAs were primarily focussed on white fruits, this veered towards the orange spectrum (granted, this also has the benefit of 10 more years of age). There’s almost something Sauternes-like about this TBA but instead of weighing heavily on you because of the high alcohol content, the heft here is derived from the insane amount of fruit extract and sweetness. It’s certainly not cloying but there is such concentration here it is painful to drink quickly. (100 pts.)
Alfred Merkelbach
This was perhaps a little bit more of a challenging visit, as I had to do quite a bit of translation, but I will say without hesitation that the lineup here in 2015 was as good as it gets. I picked up quite a bit of knowledge here (qualified against my limited ability to understand German) – that the UW parcels closer to ET were considered better, that the brothers had given up the ET vineyards now because they were too difficult to work, that it was Willi Schaefer who arranged the decades-long connection between Terry and the estate… sitting in their living room was quite a throwback to a past which is before my time. Terry’s annual writeup on the brothers has always felt a bit too navel-gazy for me, but after the visit, I can do nothing but agree with him.
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2015 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
#13-16. I had perhaps gotten it into my mind that the Merkelbach wines were much more old school and drier, but this bottle of Kabinett was showing so much exuberance right from the get-go I got carried away by it just the same. Very crisp and light, with so much verve and life. Definitely on the sweeter end of Kabinett, especially for the Merkelbach style, this is an absolute joy to drink. (95 pts.) -
2015 Alfred Merkelbach Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
#14-16. This is an incredibly crisp and fresh Spätlese, again made in a slightly sweeter style, at least for the Merkelbach estate. There’s some lemony acidity to this, and coupled with the slatey minerality on this wine, this makes for a very crisp, mineral-driven wine. (93 pts.) -
2015 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
Alas, I’m not sure which bottling of UW Spätlese the wine I tasted precisely was, as my German was not quite up to the task of clarifying, and this was in an anonymous bottle. In any case, this is a delicious, classic UW Spätlese. It has that clear spice note, as well as some sweet apple flavours. Very dense, this needs time to uncoil. A light touch of herbaceousness on the finish adds even more interest. (93 pts.) -
2015 Alfred Merkelbach Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
This is almost a step backwards in terms of sweetness versus the ET and UW Spätlesen. At least that was how I perceived it. Of course, the step backwards in sweetness is not a step back in quality. This is a leaner, more classically styled Auslese, sitting on the lower fringes of the Prädikat. A little bit of grapefruit peel is commingled with tons of minerality and acidity to round out the palate. (93 pts.) -
2015 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese #9 ‘Urgluck’ - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
Absolutely brilliant. The spice notes on this wine are clear as day, and the bright minerality and fresh acids make this as compelling a wine as can be. It’s concentrated and dense with honeyed tart pineapple and a little bit of kaffir line. Obviously young but a joy to drink. Perhaps this was more accessible to me by virtue of the fact that this did seem sweeter than my experiences with Merkelbach wines… (95 pts.) -
2015 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese #8 ‘Lang Pichter’ - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
This is Fuder 8, and I don’t recall the Lang Pichter site explicitly marked on the label. Anyway, while the Urglück was big, this wine is even bigger, almost basically showing the Urglück amped up by 50%. This shows very much along the same lines, with the green herbal notes coupled with honeyed pineapple. It’s mouthwatering just to think about this. (95 pts.) -
1990 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/17/2017)
#10-91. This wine is etched indelibly in my mind – the result of an incredibly generous gesture from the brothers Merkelbach. The nose on this showed lots of petrol upon opening, but a lot of that blew off after a little bit of time. What emerges is a wine extremely similar to the legendary 1990 Joh. Jos. Christoffel UW Auction Auslese. It is simultaneously rich and powerful but tempered by acidity. There’s a touch of botrytis. The fruit is still incredibly fresh but counterbalanced by many secondary characteristics. Certainly the sweetness has been diminished by time, but this is precisely what an aged Auslese of impeccable pedigree should be. (98 pts.)
Miscellany
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2012 Tenute Rubino Primitivo Visellio Salento IGT - Italy, Puglia, Salento IGT (2/13/2017)
(At Quattro in Frankfurt.) A somewhat foursquare heavy red wine. Very, very sweet, with tons of sweet fruit (I’m almost certain there’s a little RS left in this wine) with a touch of spice. The palate is a shapeless, without acidity at all, and the tannins are pretty soft. Despite all this, this wine does seem to hold its 15.5% abv quite well. (83 pts.) -
1986 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/14/2017)
(Off the Belle Epoque list at the Hotel Bellevue in Traben-Trarbach.) #06-87. For a wine of this age, the storage has been simply incredible. There are still very clear signs of green in the glass and besides a developed petrol note, the fruit and acidity on this is as fresh as can be. Granted, the wine is not too profound or deep, coming from a tougher vintage like this, but the condition of this wine was stunning – fresh and crisp, like the day it was bottled. (90 pts.) -
2003 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/14/2017)
(Off the Belle Epoque list at the Hotel Bellevue in Traben-Trarbach.) From half-bottle. A monolithic wine that is a clear product of the vintage. Tons of ripe fruit in a nice mix, but they aren’t clearly delineated the way the best rieslings ought to be. There’s a lot of sweetness here, but it still seems appropriate for the Prädikat, but there’s also just a bit of acidity to freshen things up. (88 pts.) -
2005 Dönnhoff Schloßböckelheimer Kupfergrube Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe (2/16/2017)
(At Hermannshöhle Restaurant Weck.) #12-06, 8.5%. There was initially a bit of petrol on the nose which blew off with air. There was a bit of creamy fruit on the nose, with some peaches and other ripe stone fruit. The palate is in very good condition, which makes sense since this bottle likely only moved 500m its entire life. The palate still shows very crisp acidity, and almost a touch of green acidity. Very fresh and delicious, and a perfect pairing for the classic yet refined food at the restaurant. (95 pts.) -
2015 Weingut Dr. Crusius Traiser Spätburgunder - Germany, Nahe (2/16/2017)
#43-16, 13.5% abv. I don’t know if it’s my riesling-fatigued palate or not, but this is eminently drinkable pinot noir. A touch of spice and plenty of crunchy red fruit on the nose, followed by just enough tannins to give this the right roughness. Perfect drinking bistro wine. Love it. (88 pts.) -
2015 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Kabinett Auction - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/16/2017)
#08-16, 7.5% abv. Touch of sponti on the nose, this is not very expressive, at least on the aromas. The palate is incredibly rich and complex, with heaps of sweet white fruit. Beautiful and potent, with lots and lots of concentration. However this never veers towards overripeness; this is as classic Kabinett as it gets. (95 pts.) -
2015 Weingut Keller Westhofener Kirchspiel Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Rheinhessen (2/17/2017)
(At Laurenz in Mainz.) #42-16, 13.5% abv. After three days of lovely (that’s a German pun) Mosel wines, sometimes you just need something very different, and despite my fears and dislike of dry riesling, when you see a screaming deal on a wine list, you order it. This is an excellent wine, there is no doubt about it. The nose screams lemon oil and minerals, and the boldness here is a clear prelude of the things to come. The palate is incredibly dense and ripe, but perfectly poised thanks to the very potent acidity. We compared this in very favourable terms to a Corton-Charlemagne for its fat fruit, bold acidity, and crisp minerality. (93 pts.) -
2015 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/18/2017)
#22-16, 7.5% abv. From half-bottle. A little example of how differently wines show when they’re in a long lineup versus when you are drinking from a single bottle. Whle this indeed had much of the same (green) acidity that I remarked on in my note from two days ago, I felt that the precision in this bottle wasn’t as clearly there. There’s definitely a bit of sponti in this wine still, and lots of tart yellow fruit flavours, perhaps bordering on tropical. There is incredible sweetness here as well. Although open for business, I thought that this was just a little bit fat, and I would have loved even more mineral cut. (90 pts.)