Introduction to 2009 German Rieslings

Another tour de force event from this great importer/retailer.

• 2007 Sekthaus Solter Riesling Brut Sekt

  Germany, Rheingau

  Floral, moderately sweet fruit on the nose. Good Riesling fruit underneath, moderate dosage. Zippy acidity, good yeasty finish. I am not a big fan of Sekt wines but enjoyed this.

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• 2009 Weingut Johann Peter Reinert Wiltinger Schlossberg Riesling QbA feinherb

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Sweet orange peel and mango. More residual sugar than most of the early wines. The finish is more marked by lengthy minerality than a sense of underlying acidity.

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• 2009 Karthäuserhof Riesling feinherb

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Piquant orange zest. Light, almost dry. Beautiful fruit, slate finish. Lots of flavor for its weight.

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• 2009 Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan Riesling Trocken

  Germany, Pfalz

  Green aromatics. Fairly full, peach-tinged fruit with a tad of residual sugar. Not that long or well defined.

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• 2009 Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch (Erben-Thanisch) Riesling QbA

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Intriguing, distinctive aromatics of flowers and vanilla extract. Light on its feet, good citrus fruit, some amount of sweetness, authoritative acidity arrives on the back end. Very good and an especially great value.

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• 2009 Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan Deidesheimer Kieselberg Riesling Kabinett trocken

  Germany, Pfalz

  Orange oils and some honey. Dry, weighty, intense, high acid. Perhaps not the easiest or most delectable wine, but it certainly made its presence known on the palate.

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• 2009 Josef Rosch Leiwener Klostergarten Riesling Kabinett

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Lots of menthol upfront. Heavier style, even slightly oily. Loses something in the mid-palate and low acidity makes the stone fruit flavors seem dull. One of my least favorite wines in this tasting because of the balance.

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• 2009 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Kabinett

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Soaring high volatile tones plus peach on the nose. Light, off dry, crisp acidity, and good finishing minerality. Prototypical Kabinett weight.

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• 2009 Von Hövel Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Guava and papaya scented. Deceptively rich entry with perceptible residual sugar, but this is extremely long and racy with excellent acidity that makes the finish seem completely dry. I really liked this.

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• 2009 Schmitges Riesling Kabinett vom roten Schiefer

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Ripe baked apple. Lovely fruit that includes a burst of sweetness, orange, and some brown spice. It all gently fades into a wispy, weightless finish. Very flavorful, good value.

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• 2009 Weingut Robert Weil Riesling Kabinett

  Germany, Rheingau

  Menthol. Rich, full entry, moderately sweet for Kabinett. Deep peach and citrus fruit. Finishes dry. Not my favorite.

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• 2009 Weingut Knebel Winninger Röttgen Riesling Kabinett

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Herbaceous to the point of reminding you of another varietal altogether (Sauvignon?). Rich but not too sweet, good acidity, mineral finish. The fruit plays second fiddle to the grassy qualities. Strange and not to my taste.

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• 2009 Weingut Prinz Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling Kabinett

  Germany, Rheingau

  Very complex nose that is difficult to characterize. The sweetest and richest of the Kabinetts; basically at Spatlese ripeness. However, it is balanced by acidity and has a long, mineral finish.

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• 2009 Erben von Beulwitz Kaseler Nies'chen Riesling Spätlese Alte Reben

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Herbs and brown spices. Lush ripe fruit that is ever so pure. Delicious, a ton of slate on the finish. Seductive and forward-no need to wait on this but the balance is impeccable, and I imagine it will last. Not the bottles in my cellar, though.

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• 2009 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Spätlese

  Germany, Nahe

  Wins the prize for tongue twister of the day. Nice foil of honey and lemon. Given this nose, I expected more intensity and tension than were actually there. Minty finish, moderately sweet. It grew on me over several sips.

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• 2009 Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch (Müller-Burggraef) Berncasteler Doctor Riesling Spätlese

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Sulfur dominates the aromatics and palate, hiding the fruit. Hard to evaluate but still obvious that it is light and racy with excellent acidity. Otherwise, judgement must be deferred.

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• 2009 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Turmberg Riesling Spätlese

  Germany, Rheingau

  Subtle, intricate nose. Very rich, exotic fruit brought back into focus by its stony finish.

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• 2004 Josef Rosch Leiwener Klostergarten Riesling Eiswein

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  A "wow" nose of intense honey, creme brulee, and apricot. Unctuous yet not cloying spicy citrus. Very sweet. Long and lipsmackingly good, although the acidity is healthy but not prodigious.

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Overall high quality, but the slight excess sweetness and lowish acidity of many of the wines did not convince me that this is a truly great vintage.