1999 Nikolaihof Riesling Steinriesler
Community Tasting Note
sweetstuff wrote:
Friday, June 5, 2015 - A Vinothek wine aged many years in cask without disturbing. These Vinothek wines are aged in the part of the cellar nearest the stairs to guarantee some changes in atmosphere and temperature believed to be essential to the style. Steinriesler is a dialectical variant on 'Riesling'.
This is a wine that takes considerable intelligence and patience to judge or tease out what it has to give. Take this into account when reading the notes of persons inexperienced with this style of wine.
First of all, a slightly cloudy, fully yellow wine served from a decanter as a gift of Mary K at Winds, Yellow Springs, OH, at last night's Terry Theise tasting, presented by Sunny Brown. Brought to the table unexpectedly in the middle of courses. Alcohol 11.5 percent, $79/750 ml.
The nose starts off completely dieselled but almost completely closed. Needs perhaps fifteen minutes of sniffing and shaking to get off the gasoline.
After this, nutty and subtle nuances challenge the nose: roasted mixed nuts: almonds, peanuts, walnuts; fruit very subtle but quite alive, still growing when glass emptied.
Completely dry, with full, crisp, and broad acid balance, despite complaints to the contrary. Full-bodied with a teasing mouth-feel. Very long; requires drinking with full attention and for the most enjoyment on its own. A beauty requiring quiet and undisturbed contemplation, expressing something quite indescribable. Drink now or forever.
A classic with very few parallels outside similar wines made at this house, and with almost infinite depth below its sherried surface. Perhaps I would have been smarter not to give it a score at all, since it compares with so little.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue (2,473 views)
