Rieslingfeier 2017

NYC
Tasted Friday, February 17, 2017 - Saturday, February 18, 2017 by ews3 with 4,772 views

Introduction

This was my first time at Rieslingfeier, but it will not be my last. A great event that showcased the excellent Rieslings (primarily from Germany), but also the generosity of the winemakers and the wine community. Really excellent wines were poured at all of the events, and it provided both a glimpse into the outstanding 2015 vintage, but also some perspective on different older vintages and styles of Riesling.

As with all of these large tastings, take notes and scores with a grain of salt. The seminars offered plenty of time to spend with each wine, and the Grand tasting was fairly open and I spent two sessions there so that I could spend more time with each wine. The grand tasting was difficult, as bottles would come around and you needed to find a glass if you wanted to try it. Those notes will be especially fuzzy, but I wanted to capture my brief impressions.

Flight 1 - "Different Strokes for Different Slopes" (8 Notes)

This seminar was a comparison of Austrian and German Riesling, moderated by David Schildknecht from Vinous.

Flight 2 - Giants: 2005 vs 2015 (8 Notes)

This seminar provided an excellent comparison moving up the Pradikat scale from two great vintages. The 2005s were in general riper, as one would expect, and the 2015s showed a vibrancy that will make them legendary.

Flight 3 - Grand Tasting (57 Notes)

The grand tasting offered the chance to interact with some of the producers, while tasting a great cross-section of German and Austrian Riesling. Many of the producers brought an aged example for the VIP session, which allowed for some great comparisons and perspectives on where the bracing young 2015s might head.

Flight 4 - Gala Dinner (46 Notes)

The gala dinner was an indulgent experience, with unbelievable contributions by both the winemakers (I was at the Donnhoff table), as well as the other attendees. Wines that would be WOTN in a typical tasting were available all over the table and I barely ventured to other tables. I tried to at least jot down a quick impression on everything, but I'm sure there are others I missed writing down, and everyone in the room surely tasted a different group of wines. Many of the Donnhoff and Von Winning (our neighboring table) wines were generously brought by the producers.

Closing

Thank you to the organizers!

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