Nice. I’m a HL fan, but availability tends to be limited and I’ve mainly drunk Roth Lay and Röttgen. Never had this bottling! I guess it is one of their smaller parcels…
I really wish Dr Hermann was more readily available around here, although a good chunk does make it to the US so I guess I can’t complain too much. Kinheim is a village that doesn’t get much attention but it produces some amazing wines when in the right hands. The vineyards here are beautiful, if you travel just past the Erdener Treppchen you’ll find yourself there. The nose had some smoke to it so sulfur is still present but I get a hint of almonds and peach. On the palate it has a richness and depth of flavor while still being light that put Dr Hermann wines on another level for me. I get peach and a passion fruit/guava notes that makes me want more after each sip. It paired perfectly with our cajun blackened salmon and garlic cream corn. Luckily I got more of these as in about a year to two they will really be in their prime.
Popped this open last night, and absolutely love it. It’s got really fun layers. Grapefruit and some grilled lemon off the bat, followed with a hefty shot of acidity and some crushed stone salinity, then finishes with a tiny hint of smokiness and this cool savory note. Good weight to it, very satisfying and refreshing. It’s dry but not so crisp that it overrides the fruit bouquet and “roundness” of it.
A few at Noreetuh Friday night. 2009 Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer at our table (drinking well), 2023 Julian Haart Ohligsberg Kabinett (ungrafted) blind from the house (Jin!!! A wow wine), and pours of three Keller wines from K-P’s and Julia’s table after they left—2009 Morstein (a now wine), 2010 Kirschpiel (more tension, more time needed), and 2010 Hubacker Auslese*** (intense and tasty).
By some miracle I did call the blind on first guess.
Damn this was good. Tropical fruits and then a bunch of tertiary. Could age longer.
Wife is doing dry January so I drank half the bottle with homemade fried chicken and the other half the next day with pizza. Confirmed that Riesling pairs with anything and everything. Diet starts tomorrow I guess?
2004 J J Prum GH Spatlese rocked again this weekend.
I don’t think Steinmetz needs any more accolades at this point, but the superlatives all apply. Blown away by this. Otherworldly delicious. One of the best I’ve had. Hope I can find the feinherb…
Bowler Wines is distributing now. The feinherb should have wide availability in California. Ask your favorite retailer.
Recently landed a four bottle lot of this wine at auction — $33/bottle after vig… Not too shabby, and yet another example of the general affordability of German Riesling, especially if you’re willing to be patient, and also a bit flexible with which producers you’re buying.
2015 Markus Molitor Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese (Golden Capsule) - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (10/17/2024)
– popped and poured –
– tasted non-blind over 1.5 hrs. –
– AP #: … 18 16 –
NOSE: typical MSR; fresh rain, and some cucumber.
BODY: no spritz; medium-full to full bodied.
TASTE: great pairing with spicy scallops and shrimp dish; ripe, but with medium acidity; petrol is either very light, or there are petrol precursors here – hard to tell; 7.5% alc. is not noticeable; seems to be a proper Spatlese, if not a touch sweeter; not mind-blowing, but very good to low-level excellent. Drink or Hold.
1964
Pop and Pour: Awful, like diluted cider.
Next Day: Lovely, open nose of baked apple, but on the palate tastes like a crisp green apple. Medium to light weight and finish. Not thrilling, but perfectly serviceable with smoked fish.
Wow…fascinating!! This is sounding crazy … in a good way. Anything else to be said at all about that transformation? Were you expecting that, or did it just happen by chance, without much thought?
I’ve learned that really old sweet-ish wines often are funky and closed if you pop and pour. Contrary to many old delicate reds that crash and burn in a half hour, I found the whites need some time to blow off age (they have been cooped up a long time) and compose themselves (come into balance). Even with Sauternes from the 1920s and 1940s, I find them funky (almost seemingly corked) at opening and then twenty minutes later Voila!
Even not so old…a 2001 Lafaurie opened a few days ago was a simple “sweet wine” upon opening, but the next day was full of apricots, apples and this almondy VA which tasted like Yquem.
That said, I think by the second day both will be well on the downward slope. I’ll have to try some more old Germans…
You do. They are magical. I will not say that most are funky. Color is everything. The majority of Kabinett through Auslese that I have had, and I have had a lot, if the color is close to the original you will have a great bottle. Different story if they have some botrytis.
I’m lucky here…our birth years are 64 and 59 so you can imagine…I wish I had more.
As an aside, I’ve seen an increase in German lots at K&L from 71, 75, 76 and 83. They look to be in OK shape but I’m not sure I want six bottles of something, but the prices are compelling.
@Fred_Daniels I noticed those as well on K&L. Somebody offloaded an old collection of Riesling! I’ve resisted, not least because I’ve never heard of most of these producers. A few searches here and on CT turned up close to nothing, so it’s hard to throw the dice on that kind of crapshoot.
I picked up some of the 83 Max Grunhauser bottles, only bidder. I’ve had some pretty great experiences with older bottles from them.
Gratz!
I’ve been seeing those. Bottles look good, but, like you, I don’t want lots that big on such unknowns — I looked in CT for many of them — most without TNs, and many don’t even have CT entries, let alone notes.