Week 3 (12/5 - 12/12) Virtual Tasting Series for Charity - Riesling for Dakin Humane Society

[D@vid Bu3ker]

Wine: Riesling
Sponsor: D@vid Bu3ker
Format: Anything Riesling. I will pay $5 per posted TN, and $10 per TN if you post a photo of you with the TN. However posting the bottle label doesn't count for the $10 note.


About Dakin Humane Society
Dakin Humane Society is a community supported animal welfare organization that provides shelter, medical care, spay/neuter services, and behavioral rehabilitation for more than 20,000 animals each year. Since its inception in 1969, Dakin has become one of the most recognized nonprofit organizations in the Pioneer Valley and a national leader in animal welfare.

Our Mission
Dakin Humane Society delivers effective, innovative services that improve the lives of animals in need and the people who care about them.

What We Believe
We believe people are good and will make good decisions for animals when they are treated with kindness and understanding, and when they have enough information and resources.

Our Core Values
At Dakin, we have a set of core values that everyone involved with the organization shares and works every day to uphold. They are:

Integrity We hold ourselves to the highest standards of transparency, honesty, and respect in our words and actions.
Compassion We serve all people and animals with open, compassionate hearts and minds.
Optimism We meet challenges with a spirit of enthusiasm and optimism.
Innovation We seek out new ways of doing things and embrace change.
Effectiveness We work in a way that gets results as efficiently as possible.

[D@vid Bu3ker]

Thanks for posting this Brig.

One thing that I should emphasize about Dakin, is that they take in animals from across the country when disaster (hurricanes, wildfires, etc.) strikes their homes. Sometimes when disaster strikes a dog or cat loses its forever home. Dakin helps them get a new one.

[salilb]

Is this the shelter where you adopted Houdini and Deus?

A few notes to help out their friends. From a mostly-Keller Abtserde tasting that Adrian hosted last night. The wines were all outstanding, though for all the hype (and price) the Abtserde GG gets, I found myself getting the more enjoyment from the Spätlese (and I recall it being the first bottle emptied as well).

2016 Weingut Keller Abts E® Riesling Großes Gewächs
Impressive, though this gives the impression of needing a lot of time. There's fresh, pale orchard fruit and intense minerality here, with time bringing out more high toned/greener herbal elements on the nose and palate. Fantastic overall balance with bright acidity that makes it feel very lively and bright, though it always gives the impression that it's holding something in reserve.

2015 Weingut Keller Abts E® Riesling Großes Gewächs
Like the 2016, it gives the impression of being very young and somewhat unyielding at first. Unlike the 16, it opens up quite nicely with some time in the decanter, and with some air this turns into a remarkably vivid and intense expression of minerality. There's plenty of ripe Riesling fruit and a light floral note as well, but those characteristics are in the background and play a supporting role to the intense rocky mineral notes that dominate here. A fantastic wine to sit down and explore over a few hours. My favorite of the trio of GGs.

2006 Weingut Keller Abts E®.de Riesling Großes Gewächs
Poured after the '15 and '16 Abtserde GGs. I love the aromatics here - there's the same bright fruit and minerality the other 2 Abtserdes showed, but the botrytis here adds more depth with exotic tropical fruit and honeyed notes. Of the 3 GGs, this had easily my favorite aromatic profile, with air also bringing out some light smoky and burnished notes. It shows the richness of the vintage of the palate too - it's a heavier, slightly softer wine than the '15/'16 GGs, but still is very well balanced with no shortage of cut. Fantastic, though this is very much at peak and I don't see this improving with more time in the cellar. Aside - the label on the other GGs says "Abts E®" (ah yes, thanks VDP and your absurd rules), this one says "Abtserde."

2016 Weingut Keller Abts E® Riesling Spätlese
As good as the GGs were, this was my easy favorite of the whole lineup in terms of pure visceral pleasure. This feels electric with tons of acidity beneath an array of ripe citrus and tropical fruits, fresh herbs, and tons of minerality. It feels just slightly off dry, and the overall balance here is absolutely perfect. So damn delicious I can't decide if I just want to drink a bunch more right now, or give these some time in the cellar.

2017 Weingut Keller Abts E® Riesling Auslese
Like this a lot, but it seems painfully young and somewhat of a monolith right now. It's packed with ripe tropical fruit, honey, and plenty of acidity to balance the sweetness - but just comes across somewhat thick and primary at this stage, without the sheer electricity that marked the Spätlese and none of the complexity I expect time will bring. I'll leave my bottles alone for some time, and I expect this should evolve into something amazing given the raw materials and overall sense of balance here.

[D@vid Bu3ker]

Yes. Dakin is where our boys came from in December 2010.

[D@vid Bu3ker]

We have our first anonymous supporter, with a nice lump sum donation.

[Robert.A.Jr.]

Cool you support this charity every year. I may not be popping a Riesling this week, but if you post the donation link, I will give a modest donation.

[D@vid Bu3ker]

I'll open a Riesling for you when I get home later this week.

Donation link: https://www.dakinhumane.org/donate.html

[brigcampbell]

Cool you support this charity every year. I may not be popping a Riesling this week, but if you post the donation link, I will give a modest donation.

WARNING: you'll forever be receiving emails with cute and adorable animals. I refuse to unsubscribe.

[Robert.A.Jr.]

Cool you support this charity every year. I may not be popping a Riesling this week, but if you post the donation link, I will give a modest donation.

WARNING: you'll forever be receiving emails with cute and adorable animals. I refuse to unsubscribe.

LOL, I still get weekly emails from FMIII's charity! All good. I love furry animals.

[D@vid Bu3ker]

The things I will do for cute, fuzzy animals...

This was a bar pour at my hotel, and amazingly enough it was objectively good. Not too sweet, good acidity, and fresh tree fruit flavors. I would be happy to drink a glass of this if offered. Go figure. Good to have an open mind.

[Mark Y]

Is this the shelter where you adopted Houdini and Deus?

A few notes to help out their friends.

Thread title says 12/5... does this count or too early? basically has it started now?

[bob parsons alberta]

I will be happy to make a small donation through the website posted. I do have a 2017 Schaefer note coming up too .

[D@vid Bu3ker]

Is this the shelter where you adopted Houdini and Deus?

A few notes to help out their friends.

Thread title says 12/5... does this count or too early? basically has it started now?

I’ll allow it. The dates were not in the title until I edited it.

[brigcampbell]

Loading up the Xmas tree.

• 2016 Paetra Riesling "K" - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (12/5/2018)
  Fantastic. Buying more. Just a hint of petrol on the nose to let you know you're drinking a Riesling but not obtuse. Palate is yellow apple dominated but the acidity provides a citrus, lemon/lime foundation. Petrol shows up at the finish.
  

Posted from CellarTracker

[D@vid Bu3ker]

I need to get some of Bill’s wines.

[brigcampbell]

I need to get some of Bill’s wines.

He makes great wine and doing the right way. Really easy to support. Berserker to boot.

Hopefully he'll do another BerserkerDay offer for 2019. Last year's was a no brainer.

[IlkkaL]

I won't post a photo of myself but here is one of our Dr. Bürklin-Hund (name changed) - who fits the cause being a rescue dog - and the bottle.

• 2013 Dr. Bürklin-Wolf Ruppertsberger Hoheburg Riesling Trocken PC - Germany, Pfalz (6.12.2018)
  The nose is marked by a strong yet not quite overwhelming kerosene note. Additionally there are notes of lees, peach and crisp apple. The mouthfeel is quite rich and soft with the acidity coming through on the tangy finish. On the dry side, yet with no austerity whatsoever. Despite the relative softness this is neither flabby or tired. Instead it possesses nice crispness and energy, drinking very well and seeming like it could very well be on its way to firming up. While by no means the best PC the producer has made it is a quality wine in its own right and good stuff if looking for a Riesling with a bit more volume.

Posted from CellarTracker

[Nowell Karten]

I brought this to an Indian restaurant tonight:

2002 Robert Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Spätlese
Not yet tertiary but incredibly balanced and delicious. Green-tinged-light-golden color with aromas of peach and apple which are joined by cherry vanilla and sweet citrus on the opulent, intensely flavored palate. Medium-bodied and rich, though perfectly balanced by ripe acidity which carries this stunner to a long, almost prickly-textured finish. Fabulous.

[Jim Stewart]

2017 A to Z Riesling
My wife and I had a glass before dinner. Pale crystalline yellow liquid, clean nose suggesting the outdoors, complex taste hinting sweetness, slight tartness, a lot of fruit: apple with many other fruit nuances, including lime. Slight momentary bite to the finish, followed by a very long, dry, pleasant, lingering aftertaste. I enjoyed this wine. From Oregon! Pretty bottle! Also helps save the bees! ($12 at Costco)

[D@vid Bu3ker]

2012 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (12/6/2018)
Three years since my last bottle, and this is beginning to open up again, in a very early glimpse of what it will become. It appears that it will become bottled joy. Riesling angels dance on the head of a pin, and spread fruit, stone, smoke and a hint of petrol in their wake. It’s light and elegant, but full of flavor. It’s a clear picture of the Mosel, and the stony depths of the Schlossberg.

Posted from CellarTracker

[Robert.A.Jr.]

I really enjoy Selbach-Oster Kabinetts, and so rightly priced!

[J a y H a c k]

We had three rieslings last night for dinner and I will post notes on all of them, but I'm tired so I'll go with this as a starter and more, with photos, later.

• 2015 Dönnhoff Dellchen Riesling GG - Germany, Nahe (12/5/2018)
  Popped and poured at Pings in Chinatown with friends. Although this is a GG with 13%-ish (I forget exactly) ABV and fully vinified with no RS, there is some apparent sugar because of the fruit based profile. Apricots, pineapple, white pear and guava, in the order of intensity. Very smooth and easy to drink. Light on the acidity, which helps give the appearance of sweetness despite the lack of actual sugar. Well made, balanced and an excellent wine. (92 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

[bob parsons alberta]

I volunteer with tastings downtown and we had the store Christmas party last Sunday! With a lightly spiced gumbo, the 2017 Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spatlese was sheer delight. Rich pedigree, terrific length. Light straw in color with a floral mint(?) nose. Good acidity, lime and honey and hints of peach. Nicely shared by the nine sitting down for dinner.

[D@vid Bu3ker]

You beat me to the punch Bob. I have not yet had any 2017 Willi Schaefer wines.

[Vince T]

I found a leaking bottle of '03 Christoffel Auslese, and thought it'd be a good time to open it... I had not had much luck with the 4 bottles I bought on auction, with 2 of the previous 3 having been corked. I was not entirely surprised to find this bottle was corked as well.

2003 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese *** - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (12/6/2018)
This bottle was showing signs of seepage so decided to open it. Ack, corked. That makes 3 out of 4 bottles. Cardboard, underripe banana, and mushrooms. What a disappointment. NR (flawed)

So... I took a cue from Brig and also decided to open a Paetra K. Definitely nice for the price!

2016 Paetra Riesling "K" - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley (12/6/2018)
Nice hint of petrol, loads of crushed rock, lime, lime zest leading to a bit of white peach. Just a hint of sweetness. Just lacking a bit of focus and concentration, but otherwise a lovely mineral driven Riesling. (88 pts.)

[David Lewin]

At a Chanukah dinner with family and friends, first the 2011 Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spätlese, an explosion of fruit, actually like drinking fruit, tasted sweeter than the Auslese that followed, but with enough acidity to not be cloying. While I'm sure this will age, I'm not sure I will like it any more than now. After dinner, the 2003 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese **, a bit drier than the Schafer-Frohlich, but with more depth, decent acidity, I imagine bottles will continue to improve, or at least hold their own, for quite a while.

[Vince T]

At a Chanukah dinner with family and friends, first the 2011 Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spätlese, an explosion of fruit, actually like drinking fruit, tasted sweeter than the Auslese that followed, but with enough acidity to not be cloying. While I'm sure this will age, I'm not sure I will like it any more than now. After dinner, the 2003 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese **, a bit drier than the Schafer-Frohlich, but with more depth, decent acidity, I imagine bottles will continue to improve, or at least hold their own, for quite a while.

Glad to hear your bottle of Christoffel was a good one!

[David Lewin]

I bought a bunch of 2003's from Premier Cru and have had not problems. Sorry you had a different result.

[Mike Evans]

Tonight’s Riesling:

• 2002 C. H. Berres Kinheimer Hubertuslay Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (12/7/2018)
  Still fairly young and fresh, with clear light yellow color, it isn’t that complex, but is very pleasant offering green apple with a twist of lime and a mouth-watering tangy finish. (88 pts.)

[D@vid Bu3ker]

1998 Nigl Riesling Privat - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kremstal (12/7/2018)
It’s been a while since a wine stopped me in my tracks. It happened tonight with the 1998 Nigl Riesling Privat. From a forgotten vintage between the heralded 1997 and 1999, this is as complex a Riesling as I have ever tasted. My first sip caused me to do a double take, as I was immediately reminded of the 1990 Trimbach CFE Vendange Tardive.

When a wine evokes a taste memory I know I am experiencing something special. It’s an amazing wine. I have no more bottles, but I do have a new memory. This is why I love wine.

Posted from CellarTracker

[Mike Evans]

1998 Nigl Riesling Privat - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kremstal (12/7/2018)
It’s been a while since a wine stopped me in my tracks. It happened tonight with the 1998 Nigl Riesling Privat. From a forgotten vintage between the heralded 1997 and 1999, this is as complex a Riesling as I have ever tasted. My first sip caused me to do a double take, as I was immediately reminded of the 1990 Trimbach CFE Vendange Tardive.

When a wine evokes a taste memory I know I am experiencing something special. It’s an amazing wine. I have no more bottles, but I do have a new memory. This is why I love wine.

Posted from CellarTracker

62C53A11-C0B0-41B3-A3CA-5E12D6C471B0.jpeg

Nice note. The 1998 Gruner Senftenberger Piri Privat is drinking quite well now as well. I’ve been very happy with my 1998 Austrians, but it helps that I don’t mind botrytis in my dry whites.

Coincidentally, I brought home from offsite storage what my CT inventory showed was a 2000 Gruner Privat and just discovered that it is the Riesling. I need some QA help with my CT data entry, as that is the second significant incorrect entry I’ve found this week. I discovered the other when I opened a box showing 4 bottles of 1998 Roumier CM Les Cras and discovered that they were actually Bonnes Mares.

[D@vid Bu3ker]

Happy mistakes though.

[Jud Reis]

2005 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese - Cork completely saturated with some mold formed under the capsule but no signs that it had any impact. Still a baby. White peaches, minerals and just a hint of petrol on what is still a pretty closed and austere nose. Much more generous on the palate with lovely sweet peach and pear fruit with a nice spicy ginger note and plenty of balancing acidity. If I weren’t worried about the corks, I would let the rest of my bottles sleep for at least another decade. I think I paid $35 for these on release - is there a better bargain in the wine world!

[D@vid Bu3ker]

Don’t worry about the corks.

[Mike Evans]

Another Riesling from yesterday:

2000 Nikolaihof Riesling Federspiel Vom Stein - Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau (12/8/2018)
I wasn’t sure what to expect from an 18 year old federspiel, but what we got was a thing of beauty. Apricots and slate with a touch of petrol and a tangy finish, it combines richness and precision well and is hard to stop drinking. (92 pts.)

[Mike Grammer]

(hopefully in time)

2016 Pfeffingen Herrenberg Riesling GG

Quite dark when poured and unusual at about 13% listed. No experience with this house or plot ( I'm in my German Riesling infancy), but this presented as a forthright, tasty and ripe-ish yellow-fruited wine, but with not a lot of complexity backup behind it. Have no idea about ageability but would recommend slightly spicy Thai food to pair with this. Fine, just not anything more than that.


Cheers,

Mike

[Mike Grammer]

1998 Nigl Riesling Privat - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kremstal (12/7/2018)
It’s been a while since a wine stopped me in my tracks. It happened tonight with the 1998 Nigl Riesling Privat. From a forgotten vintage between the heralded 1997 and 1999, this is as complex a Riesling as I have ever tasted. My first sip caused me to do a double take, as I was immediately reminded of the 1990 Trimbach CFE Vendange Tardive.

When a wine evokes a taste memory I know I am experiencing something special. It’s an amazing wine. I have no more bottles, but I do have a new memory. This is why I love wine.

Posted from CellarTracker

62C53A11-C0B0-41B3-A3CA-5E12D6C471B0.jpeg

Very happy to see you had the chance for an experience like this, David. Hopefully more to come for you.

Mike

[Greg K]

Opened a 2008 Trimbach Cuvee Emile and a 2014 Schaefer-Froelich 2014 Felseneck GG. The Emile was very food friendly and had a massive nose of petrol, though I've always found it a bit lacking in the midpalate. The Felseneck was opened too young, but I really liked it - had some lovely fruit on the palate and paired really well with the sushi without overpowering it in any way.

[Mark Y]

2012 JJ Prum graacher himmelreich kabinett.
Not a lot of detailed notes. Pop and pour, sweet tropical fruit, lovely acidity, delicious. Forgot to take photo. #sad

[Mike Grammer]

At a Chanukah dinner with family and friends, first the 2011 Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spätlese, an explosion of fruit, actually like drinking fruit, tasted sweeter than the Auslese that followed, but with enough acidity to not be cloying. While I'm sure this will age, I'm not sure I will like it any more than now. After dinner, the 2003 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese **, a bit drier than the Schafer-Frohlich, but with more depth, decent acidity, I imagine bottles will continue to improve, or at least hold their own, for quite a while.

Glad to hear your bottle of Christoffel was a good one!

Mine was as well, Vince. From October of this year:

"2003 Christoffel Urziger Wurtzgarten Ries Auslese

I only had a very small sip of this, but that was enough to make me smile. Apple pie, but with the juice still drizzling out, this wins kudos for how bright and expressive it is over top of the sugar. Still a lovely freshness here, a very good bottling."

[fred o.]

2017 Nigl Senftenberger Piri. Light golden slate color. Nose waxy, floral with orange blossom. Palate initially rich bodied, waves of fruity flavor -- primarily bright citrus, flavors evocative of a flower garden; as my palate adjusted, it became wonderfully pure and crystalline, like ethereal grapefruit juice without any hint of bitterness. Really nice mix of weight and grace. 92 pts
--sourced from fellow berserker Martin Steinley. was confused as the previous years' labels had "senftenberger" listed prominently but it looks like Nigl has opted for a more minimalistic look recently. I really enjoyed this and just hope it and its vintage brethren can age as well as David's older Nigl example.

2016 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Großes Gewächs. light golden slate color. Nose honey beeswax, a gingery spicy citrus pith note, floral. Palate intense fruit depth but dry, pronounced apricot flavor, good weight, strong minerality. Still a baby and a bit too intense to drink at this stage but has a lot of depth to unpack over the coming years. 93 pts
--ordered from the Winehouse here in LA after a recommendation from Maria there, after I and a friend had asked about Keller there. Don't know how it would compare to Keller tasted blind, but it was very satisfying, would love to see how this develops over the next 5-10 years.

2016 Ovum Base Line. Bradley vineyard.
Straw golden color. Nose lightly waxy, golden fruit with notes of wild honey. Palate good richness, lychee and peach, some tart acidity, a bit of saccharine/almost chemical sweetness note. A bit simple and the almost chemical sweetness note was off putting but overall an interesting and food friendly wine. 89 pts
--sourced from Bar and Garden in Culver City, CA. Disclaimer: we heard about it through one of our friends in our tasting group who works there, Ned M., the SO of fellow berserker Grace P. a very interesting small shop with a very focused and curated selection, worth a visit for anyone in the area.

[D@vid Bu3ker]

Thanks Fred.

The 2017 Nigl Piri should age just fine, though it will end up in a very different place. The 1998 had botrytis. The 2017 does not.

[J a y H a c k]

• 2014 Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe (12/5/2018)
  Very nice wine. Not as sweet as I expected. Drank it with a Donnhoff GG and the relative sweetness of the two was closer than I would expect. I think this had a bit more acidity than the Donnhoff to balance the sweetness, but the fruit component was more apple and pear than citrus, although there was a bit of pineapple. Smooth and balanced. No petrol. I am not a petrol fan so that's good. Easy to drink. The nose was a bit tighter than I expected, but maybe that was due to the crappy glasses I was drinking out of, although there was a floral component. (92 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

[DanielPaik]

Pobega'ed a half bottle that was delivered today- 1 of 8 courtesy of First Bottle Wines. Definitely one of the best deals I've ever enjoyed. Onto the wine:

Straight out of the bottle, this needs a good 15-20 minutes to settle in and put on some weight. I've had some closed 2015 german wines, but this opens up nicely after about 30+ minutes. On the nose, there's delicious stone fruit and ripe apple flavors that I've found in many wines in this vintage, wonderful florality (i want to say white flowers, even though that seems almost meaningless), and a hint of wet stone that might just be my imagination. On the palate, it feels like a proper auslese and I don't detect botrytis. Great acidity that really straddles that line brilliantly so as to not be harsh or sharp.

Obviously this is a wine to hold. That said, half bottles, especially riesling ones, are rather annoying to stack in a Eurocave. I suspect these won't last as long as they should.

[D@vid Bu3ker]

Half bottles are God’s way of telling us to drink the wines.

[D@vid Bu3ker]

Looks like we're at $145 if nobody else does Riesling tonight (I might). Will do final tally tomorrow.

Also it's good that my employer will match the donation, so more bark (and meow) for the bucks!

[D@vid Bu3ker]

Wrapping it up with a nearly dry Alsatian Riesling. I only had a small glass, as I was too tired to really appreciate it, but the lime zest and white peach, along with pretty floral tones have me looking forward to more tomorrow night.

[Mike Evans]

One last Riesling for the kitties:

1998 Weingut Willi Bründlmayer Riesling Zöbinger Heiligenstein - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal (12/12/2018)
Honeyed apricots with a twist of honeysuckle and a dash of slate, rich but with a tangy finish, still on the young side, another example of the nearly immortal 1998 Austrians. (92 pts.)

And a shot of my own rescue furkid, Samuel, who appreciates the theme:

[D@vid Bu3ker]

Great! Thanks Mike. Samuel appears to have a bit of cattitude!

So it adds up to $180* ($360 with company match!) if I am not off with my math. We also had some folks who made donations on the side, and I (and Dakin) greatly appreciate that!

*I decided to count pet photos for the $10.

[bob parsons alberta]

Great result David..and many super wines too.