2008 RIESLINGS (& A COUPLE 2007 SPATBURGUNDERS) - Dee Vine Wines, Pier 19, San Francisco (9/26/2009)
I always try to make it to Dee Vine’s tastings, usually once a month or so, because of the high quality of what’s poured, and the fact so many wines are poured–usually 16 or more. This month’s tasting was no exception. This was a good glimpse at the '08 vintage, as well as a good opportunity to try Fred Prinz’s well regarded Spätburgunders.
Spätburgunders
The single vineyard Spätburgunder was fascinating, with its smoke and pine notes, but it is pretty tight right now. The Trocken is one of the two best young Spätburgunders I’ve ever tasted. At $19 a bottle, it’s also a good value.
-
2007 Prinz Spätburgunder trocken - Germany, Rheingau
Pale red color with clear meniscus; nice tart red fruit, mineral, sous bois nose; silky textured, tasty tart red fruit, mineral, dried cherry palate with good acidity and grip; medium finish 91+ pts. (a good value at $19) (91 pts.) -
2007 Prinz Hallgartener Hendelberg Spätburgunder trocken - Germany, Rheingau
Pale red color with clear meniscus; tart, smoky, red fruit and pine nose; tight, tart and deep smoky red fruit, dried cherry, mineral palate; medium-plus finish 89+ pts. (89 pts.)
Trocken
Even though trocken is not my preferred style, there was a lot of minerality and terroir present in these samples, which made them quite enjoyable.
-
2008 Emrich-Schönleber Riesling trocken - Germany, Nahe
Pale yellow color; lime, green apple, mineral nose; tart green apple, lime, tart peach, tangy palate; medium finish (89 pts.) -
2008 Emrich-Schönleber Riesling “Mineral” trocken - Germany, Nahe
Pale green tinged yellow color; dried orange, lime, mineral, chalk nose; complex, minerally, tart lime, chalk, grapefruit palate, quite dry; medium finish 90+ pts. (90 pts.) -
2008 Prinz Hallgartener Schönhell Riesling Riesling Kabinett Trocken - Germany, Rheingau
Very light yellow color; green apple, lime, white peach nose; tight, tart white peach, lime, mineral palate; medium finish (88 pts.) -
2008 Fritz Haag Riesling QbA feinherb - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Light yellow color; tart peach, herb, mineral, tart green apple nose; solid, tangy, tart green apple, mineral palate, quite dry; medium finish 89+ pts. (89 pts.) -
2008 Emrich-Schönleber Riesling Lenz halbtrocken - Germany, Nahe
Very light yellow color; nice light green fruit, herb, lemon, mineral nose; tart fuzzy peach, mineral palate with good acidity; medium finish (90 pts.)
Kabinetts
A good bunch of Kabinetts, though not up to the '07 level, of course, in extract and depth.
-
2008 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Pale yellow color; light lime, mineral, light green herb nose; ripe lime, green fruit, tart green melon palate; medium finish (90 pts.) -
2008 Josef Rosch Leiwener Klostergarten Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Pale yellow color; very tart peach, mineral, peach peel, lime nose; tart white peach, mineral, green apple, lime palate; medium finish 90+ pts. (90 pts.) -
2008 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Nahe
Very light yellow color; minerally, yellow and green apple nose; focused, yellow and green apple, mineral, tart green melon palate; medium finish 88+ pts. (88 pts.) -
2008 Prinz Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Rheingau
Very light yellow color; tart nectarine, tart peach nose; tart peach, mineral, tart nectarine palate with good acidity; short-medium finish (89 pts.) -
2008 Schmitges Riesling Kabinett “from red slate” - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Light lemon yellow color; lemon, lemon rind, mineral nose; tart lemon, herbal, lemon zest palate with sprightly acidity; medium finish 90+ pts. (90 pts.)
Spätlese
Some very nice Spatleses. The complexity and power of the E-S Monzinger Halenberg was most impressive.
-
2008 Josef Rosch Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Pale yellow color; tart peach, mineral nose; creamy textured, ripe green fruit, lime cream, mineral palate with good acidity; medium finish (91 pts.) -
2008 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Light yellow color; minerally, reticent, white peach nose; concentrated, tart lime, tart white peach palate; medium finish 91+ pts. (91 pts.) -
2008 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe
Very light yellow color; tart white peach, mineral, baked lemon nose; nicely focused, silky textured, tart lime, white peach, green melon and mineral palate; medium-plus finish (92 pts.) -
2008 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe
Light yellow color; tart white peach, mineral, green herb nose; tightly coiled but tasty tart green fruit, mineral, lime palate with a vague sense of rock salt; medium-plus finish (93 pts.)
Posted from CellarTracker