Got a group of Berserkers together for a long overdue outing for dumplings and more at Northern China Eatery on Buford Highway. We had some very good wines. Too many to note as the wines were flying and piles of dumplings kept coming from the kitchen. I tracked the first few Rieslings before falling off. We also had bubbles from Renardat Fache (always joy in a glass, to steal Mike’s phrase) as well as some other nice Rieslings and a '76! Prince Poniatworski Aigle Blanc that was interesting in a time-capsule kind of way. A good night with a good crew.
1994 Weingut Hermann Ludes Klüsserather Bruderschaft Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9/29/2022)
Another terrific showing. Perhaps best bottle yet. Very subtle hints of petrol, but more floral. Graceful and elegant yet girded with extract that is balanced with a acidity that helps belies the wines age. Doesn't read like today's Auslese. On the way up throughout the night. Stellar.
1995 Zilliken (Forstmeister Geltz) Saarburger Rausch Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9/29/2022)
Nose here knocked me out: full petrol. In Waves. Balance is impeccable. Gulpable. Walks a line of rounded sweetness that buffers spicy food, but is not at all ponderous. Not showing age. Wonderful.
1997 Müller-Catoir Mußbacher Eselshaut Rieslaner Auslese - Germany, Pfalz (9/29/2022)
Rieslaner: Amber to orange color. Apricot, mango a nice touch of a nutty note. Holding nice acidity still. Balanced with an underlying richness. Kept coming back to this one, Really great.
I loved how each wine shined in a different way. With the petrol and verve on the Ludes, I never would have guessed it was the oldest of the three, the HGS MC offered richness and intensity, and the Zillikin tread a middle ground. When a 2009 Schaefer GH (I didn’t catch the prädikat) gets lost in the shuffle, you know it’s a good night! And you didn’t even mention your Gut Oggau, probably the most Instagrammable wine of the night.
I was reminded when I actually felt pretty good this morning that if you have to drink too many wines, off-dry Germans are the way to go. It was a great night and I look forward to the next one.
I opened that Ludes for a blind group a few weeks ago, and it was singing. Lots of stone fruit like white peach the first day veering to mango by the third day open.
My biggest regret of my purchases last year is not getting many more bottles of that 1994 Hermann Ludes Klüsserather Bruderschaft Auslese than the paltry 4-pack I bought.
The leftover Müller-Catoir (though there wasn’t a lot) went great with some (allegedly) hot and ranch chicken wings tonight. It was my last 750 ml of MC from the HGS era, but at least I have a smattering of 375 ml bottles.
Great tasting, notes and food pairing! Thanks for posting. The 21 Ludes are insanely great but I don’t think they made an Auslese and have only one Spatlese.
Conventional wisdom is that the estate’s wines lost at least some of their luster after Hans-Günter Schwartz’s retirement in 2001. I’ve had few wines since then so I can’t personally weigh in on the accuracy of the conventional wisdom.