2001 Von Hövel Oberemmeler Hütte Riesling Spätlese- Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (1/4/2010)
The best spatlese I have ever had, dwarfing even the J.J. Prum from the same vintage. A buzz saw of gorge water and river rocks only amplifies the unfolding layers of fruit and spice. Caramel apple and lemon curd melt into a finish that then delivers a gorgeous, clear note of macadamia nut cookie. This is like a spat that robs from the best of kab, spat, and auslesen.
2001 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese- Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (1/4/2010)
An initial burst of sulfur blew off with time, so open this bottle well in advance. Context is everything in wine; this bottle might have been a star if it hadn’t been poured alongside that '01 Von Hovel. This one is crisp, but by comparison it’s less laser beam and more massaging shower head. A touch of diesel joins the apple pie to add richness, and the long finish is dotted with Mosel minerality. Either open it and wait a few hours to drink, or wait a few years to drink and open it. I’d go with the latter.
Thanks for the notes, Evan - I’ve really liked some Von Hovels I’ve had in the past too. We need more riesling notes here! This might just motivate me to add some soon…
Alan - I’m a riesling freak, and more to come. In fact, we did a flight of Auslese that included Van Hovel and Prum '01 along with Haag '04 and '96 (all but the '04 Haag were gold cap). Van Hovel again was the class of the flight, with a nearly endless finish. I’m currently on the hunt for more…
Despite the title of this thread, I’m not a big fan of having wines “compete.” It’s also why I ditched the idea of scoring after one go-round. But I admit that when J.J. Prum is around I’m pre-conditioned to expect to enjoy it more than others. VH was simply stellar.
Thanks for checking in on these, Evan. The Von Hövel Hütte is a star, year in, year out, and a great value. The 07s were super. I’m only sorry to see that I don’t have any of the 01 Spätlese!
John - I don’t have the benefit of a solid, consistent source that carries a range of producers. Rarely see Von Hovel, but obviously I’m now compelled to seek it. What’s your typical method of stalking these producers?
Too bad you don’t have the Spat; would love to get your take.
Stalking in the sense of identifying good ones, or in the sense of finding them? I taste a fair deal and I’ve visited the major wine areas of Germany (including a tasting at von Hovel a few years ago), so I have a sense of the producers I like. Here in NYC, it’s easy to get the top producers. If you’re shopping, check out Chambers St., Astor, PJ’s and Crush for starters.
Ah, finding them. Here in Rochester, it’s easy to find a wide range of many of the major wine regions; I can even find a healthy range of Loire Chenin. But with German Riesling, it’s typically Prum and a long list of high-volume producers.
Just out of curiosity, I checked web sites for a couple of stores up there and you certainly shouldn’t go entirely thirsty.
Marketview has some really top producers: Donnhoff, Darting, Fritz Haag, Hexamer, Gunderloch, Christoffel, Strub, von Kesselstadt and Molitor, plus Loosen and Monchof.
Bacchus has something beyond Liebfraumilch, too (though there’s certainly plenty of that on offer, I see!): Loosen, Molitor, S.A. Prum, St. Urbans-Hof and Richter (often a great value).