Important Update From the Founder

Mature reds and immature (mostly) whites

Tasted September 5, 2006 - September 6, 2006 by Rieslingfan with 663 views

Introduction

My tasting group gathered at the house for my annual turn. I did not have any real theme, but everyone in the group likes older reds but they always complain when I don't pour some of my favorite German wines. So I decided to take care of both.

We started with a couple of warm up wines.

The 2002 Heymann-Lowenstein Riesling Uhlen 'Roth Lay' was a very rich dry wine that showed lots of minerality, but did not have great flavor focus. I need to re-taste the wine tonight.

A 2005 Kerpen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese* was good, but not great. It also lacked focus (too soon after the travel from Europe?), but had very nice, ripe fruit flavors and decent acidity. Nice wine, but not a world beater by any stretch.

Then it was on to the tasting proper. All wines served blind and opened (with an ounce poured off to check for cork/other faults) an hour ahead.

Flight 1 - Cabernet (2 notes)

Red

1994 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon USA, California, Napa Valley

Very good but not outstanding Cabernet. Showed a bit thin on stuffing for its tannins. Some good fruit, earth and herb flavors, but it had a very short finish.

Comment

Red

1994 Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon Réserve Spéciale USA, California, Sonoma County

Delicious red and black fruit, good balance of tannins, fruit and acid, and a lingering finish. This is jsut getting to be mature, but has the fruit and tannin to carry it several more years.

Comment

Flight 2 - Syrah (2 notes)

Red

1995 Qupé Syrah Reserve Bien Nacido Vineyard USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley

Fully mature, shwoing black fruit, earth and herbal aromas and flavors. Softening but still present tannins keep everything in balance. Excellent wine.

Comment

Red

1996 Ojai Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley

This is still a very young wine. Lots of primary fruit, but the beginnings of a leathery/sweaty nuance. Excellent structural balance and capable of significant further age.

Comment

Flight 3 - Spatlese (2 notes)

White - Off-dry

2004 Schmitges Erdener Prälat Riesling Spätlese Alte Reben Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

Just off-dry. Very minerally with tropical fruit elements. Excellent balance and a long, mineral dominated finish.

Comment

White - Off-dry

2004 Weingut Josef Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Schloßberg Riesling Spätlese Germany, Rheingau

Excellent fruit (tropical), solid but not dominant acids and a long, fruit finish. The mineral elements are buried under a lot of fruit and a little botrytis right now. This needs and can support lots of aging.

Comment

Flight 4 - Auslese (2 notes)

White - Off-dry

1996 Darting Dürkheimer Nonnengarten Rieslaner Auslese Germany, Pfalz

Surprisingly good balance for a '96, with burnished tropical fruit and a long and refreshing finish. Drinking well now.

Comment

White - Off-dry

2001 Darting Dürkheimer Nonnengarten Rieslaner Auslese Germany, Pfalz

Lots of concentration and fruit flavors. Very rich mouthfeel and still plenty of road to go before it hits peak. Significantly better balance than the '96.

Comment

Closing

A good night. I gave very good to outstanding scores to all the wines. Our lowest scorer was 15.5/20 (UC Davis scoring system) with the highest at 18.2/20.

Mature reds and immature (mostly) whites

Introduction

Flight 1 - Cabernet (2 notes)

Flight 2 - Syrah (2 notes)

Flight 3 - Spatlese (2 notes)

Flight 4 - Auslese (2 notes)

Closing

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