Been opening a few of the '12 Germans as they’ve started to land in the last couple of weeks. Love the style of the vintage - the wines for the most part are very light, pure, and racy, and I’m very glad I’ve loaded up.
2012 von Winning Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten Riesling Trocken
A faint trace of oak on the nose at first that disappears quickly to reveal a set of flavours that suggest this came from a rock quarry rather than grapes. There’s an incredible mineral presence here, stony, dusty and saline notes at its core, beneath fresh, tart grapefruit and pear flavours with a lightness of touch and finesse I don’t find often enough in German dry Rieslings.
2012 Kruger-Rumpf Münsterer Dautenpflänzer Riesling Spätlese
Incredibly primary at first, all about ripe ripe apple, stone fruits and a grapey sweetness for the first few sips, but over time other floral and mineral flavours emerge beneath the fruit as it gains more depth and nuance. There’s bright acidity beneath keeping it very light on its feet and easy to drink, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this heads over the next few years as there’s great purity and elegance to the flavours, and fantastic balance.
2012 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese Urglück
Spectacular, classical Spätlese that’s all about lightness and elegance. There’s a beautiful aroma that keeps developing with air, strawberries and apples framed by slate, gentle florality and more savoury dusty elements, and an incredible sense of purity and finesse on the palate; flavour conveyed with barely any sense of weight. The sweetness here is very understated (less than most Kabinett), matched perfectly by acidity that keeps this razor sharp and very vibrant. Absolutely stellar.
2012 Schloss Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Spätlese
This is really primary with lots of youthful apple and peachy fruit tinged with florality and slate, but what’s really striking here is the sense of sheer lightness and focus on the palate with tremendous acidity balancing the sweetness and keeping it razor sharp and incredibly vibrant. I suspect I didn’t buy enough of this. This is phenomenal.
2012 Schloss Lieser Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese
Lieser seems to have hit it out of the park again - like the Helden Spätlese, there’s very pure, juicy peach and red apple fruit tinged by floral and slatey notes, but it comes across a touch sweeter and more creamy on the midpalate, at the same time still having a remarkable sense of lightness and finesse. The raciness of the Helden is a bit more to my taste, but I’m glad to have a bunch of both in the cellar.