AN AFTERNOON OF RIESLINGS - Beautiful Wines, The Plaza (6/1/2011)
A nice leisurely afternoon with some fine Rieslings drank with sushi and dim sum. A great opportunity to taste a couple of top Pfalz GGs alongside some other sterling wines.
SAAR KABINETTS
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2009 Von Hövel Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Very decent - although it is certainly not in the top-tier of 2009 Kabinetts that I have tried. Nose was very tight, with a dusting of mineral scents, dried earth, subtle white fruit and touches of green herb. On the palate, the wine showed super-high acidity on the attack, but it gets nicely mellowed by nice fruit sweetnes, with pure pear flavours along the mid-palate. Rather sweet for a Saar Kabinett actually, and if not the acidity I might have thought it was a 2007. Not the greatest length, but the finish had a nice melting roundness at the end paired with a nice sense of presence and a serious line of steely mineral. Solid stuff, and it would have been rather pleasing if not for the fact that it was completely overshadowed by the excellent Egon Muller Kab we had alongside. (90 pts.) -
2009 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Brilliant, this was perhaps even better than the last bottle I tried. Tight on the nose, but this was both clearly serious and very attractive, with white flowers, nectarines, savoury earth and steely mineral scents gently wafting out of the glass. Rather more closed than the previous outing with this Kabinett, where the bottle had been opened for days, but still very nice. On to the palate. A bit of fizz on the attack, and then it shows the purest, cleanest, most laser-like precision as the wine shoots across the mouth with a fresh-fruited display of pear, green apple and lime into a long, finely detailed finish that displayed an unfolding minerality. Fantastic stuff - the acidity, fruit and mineral all combine to make a wonderfully crystallined Kabinett full of depth, vibrancy and a tingly precision that was even more impressive than the last time round. There was just so going on here that it made the pretty solid Von Hovel look like child’s play. Glad to have a couple more in the cellar to lock-up and store away until perhaps another 5-6 years. (93 pts.)
PFLAZ GGs
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2008 Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz Birkweiler Kastanienbusch Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Pfalz
An excellent wine. Rather more enjoyable in an intriguing, intellectual way though, and perhaps just shorn of some sensual pleasure at the moment. An intriguing wine nonetheless, very different from any other GG I have yet tried, with a nose showing lots of chalky mineral, along with some sweet vanilla, fresh green herbs, gooseberry, white peach and some grassy notes - smelt for all the world like a good Pouilly-Fume to me, with Didier Degeneau coming to mind. With time though, it opened up to show white flower scents, honeysuckle and white chocolate along with a touch of spice - more like a Puligny now. Palate had lots of power on the attack and plenty of depth wed to a lovely, singing freshness lent by some serious acidity. So much so that although there was a palate-staining intensity, there was also a deceptive lightness as the wine expressed itself in fresh gooseberry and green apple flavours alongside some superb minerality. This was not a straight line of steely notes running across the mouth in the way say the Egon Muller had, but was rather more akin to an infusion of crushed rocks into every crevice of the wine, so that the minerality absolutley filled the mouth. I thought Salil’s description of the wine being “essence of rock” was spot-on. Along with that haunting mineraity, the wine gave the impression of being super-dry at first, but opened with time to show fleshier, yellow fruit tones tinged with spice, alongside some bittersweet fruit peel notes at the finish. A cerebral wine for sure. I am sure it will take on a more outwardly deliciousness with age. Right now, this is one for the geeks - a wine to sit down with, savour and have long conversations over. (93 pts.) -
2007 Reichsrat Von Buhl Forster Kirchenstück Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Pfalz
Very good indeed. It was very interesting to try this next to the Rebholz - I thought the Von Buhl showed quite poorly at first, but this just grew and grew in the glass until there was little to choose between the two wines in terms of quality. They were very different stylistically though. While the Rebholz seemed to be more about minerality and focus, this was full on power. The ripe nose was a good indicator of where the wine was going, with peachy scents, nectarines, grapefruit with sugar, pomelo and some chalk and a little nutty note. With time, it opened up to show some soapy flowers, some exotic spice accents and tropical fruit notes as it became more and more expressive in the glass. The palate was a little tight and alcoholic at first, but it too opened up very well. Again, rich and ripe, with lots of spice notes an fleshy yellow fruit - yellow plums, peach, nectarines, all staining the palate with an impressive show of weight and concentration. Tremendous amount of stuffing here, all showing through in no holds barred, power-packed fashion. In spite of the depth and weight on the wine though, I thought it had a nice balance too, which was especially obvious as it moved into a long spicy finish, where more peach and nectarine fruit was accompanied by a nice savoury layer of mineral, spice and dry extract, with a nice juiciness that caused each glass to calls out to the next. Really nice, and I can only see it getting better over the next decade or so. (93 pts.)
A RED TO SPICE THINGS UP
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2002 Corison Cabernet Sauvignon Kronos Vineyard - USA, California, Napa Valley
I thought this was pretty good - a new world Cab that was unashamed of its sunshiny origins, yet having a nice balance to it. I am just not sure it is quite worth its entry price. Nose sure was attractive - cassis, prunes, savoury plum powder and dried earth with just a touch of toasty woodiness. The palate showed sweet ripe cassis, dark fruit notes and a touch more toastiness, all nicely balanced and juicy, with a lingering finish of wood spice and bacon along with a kiss of fine tannins. Very new world, a little straightforward, but rather delicious. I hoped it would develop somewhat as we left the bottle open until dinner, but it was rather obdurate, showing exactly as it did when first opened. (91 pts.)
A SWEET TO WRAP-UP THE AFTERNOON
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2008 Schloss Lieser Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Really solid stuff - this was first class juice. There was quite a bit of sulphur on the nose which stubbornly refused to blow off, leaving us sniffing at hints of Oolong tea, white fruits and honey - all a bit indistinct, diffused, and rather grumpy. On to the plate then, and… Woah! Wonderful, wonderful purity here, with ringingly clear expressions of white peach, honeyed plums, orange blossoms, and Oolong just tumbling out of the glass. Incredible presence too - the midpalate was a mile deep, yet had really impeccable balance that kept the wine lithe and lively. No fireworks, this was more gentle than that, but it was clearly profound stuff. Quite stunning really. The only downside, if you could call it that, was that the finish, while very respectable, had less than astounding length, ending surprisingly softly (after that tremendous entry) with more honeyed tones and a note of sultanas. No complaints though - this was simply brilliant, with everything packaged so tightly and with such integration that it went down beautifully. I can only imagine how good it will be in another couple of decades. (94 pts.)
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