NYE 2022/23 (Gohlis Foodies): From 75cl, good cork, P+P. Last of 12 bottles, finally paired with exactly the right, rich food (sweet chestnut and porcini soup) to bring out its many positive qualities and cover for (or even profit from) the grape sweetness. Clear petrol signal on the nose; upfront sweetness on the entry, but at this stage of maturity and with the rich soup, the mid-palate is a marvel of sparky acidity, unctuous textural elements balancing undeniable mineral depth. Unmistakeably Alsace GC, and a strong reminder of what Alsace winemakers mean when they describe a wine as "gastronomic." 91P (some people at the table went as far as to say this was their personal WOTN).
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From 75cl, good cork. As previously noted, a sweet Spätlese without an appropriate warning on the label. Note to self: stick to buying Trimbach, Beyer or Hugel, just possibly Schlumberger (but check the RS stats first). 88P, but definitely one for those who like residually sweet Riesling.
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From 75cl, good cork. As previously noted. This was even sweeter than the 2014 Schlumberger GC Saering tased directly before, but lacked the brilliant acidity which brought the Saering into balance this evening. Try again in 2022? 87-88P
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I'm quite disappointed I drank this so soon. Mosel-like in its fruit, it shows distinctive Alsatian minerality in the mid-palate and that smokey halo on the finish. By golly the acid is cutting on this! This zooms through everything like a razor, but delivers such a fun ride. Definitely has the stuff to go another 5-10 years.
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Very nice refined and classy nose with tropical fruits. Taste: tropical fruits, quite sweet with even a hint of caramel. The acidity was not as lively as usual with riesling, indicating that this wine has entered the last fase of its life. Still really attractive. 88-89.
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From 75cl, perfect cork. Sweeter than tarte au citron, this lime/mineral, brightly acidic, very concentrated sweet Spätlese is not my idea of a table wine, at least not for the next few years. I suspect it will keep for decades, gradually slimming down to my kind of drinkability in, perhaps, 2028-ish. In the meantime, a little goes a very long way. Alsace producers do finally need to get to grips with labelling their wines as dry (which this isn’t) sweet (yup, very...) or dessert. 89P+(??)
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Taste: quite rich with tropical fruits, some mature notes, nice sweetness and that very nice, firework riesling-acidity. Nevertheless this wine lacked real freshness and is not for long term aging. 88(-89).
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Not terribly aromatic, but hints of stones, flowers and star fruit.
Medium-full bodied and quite rich. Moderately sweet with good acidity and palate presence. Decent with a ridiculously rich Chicken Gaston dish (chicken with mustard-cream sauce). 88
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From 75cl, perfect cork. Acidity, ripe lime-dominated fruit, (slightly clunky) sweetness, minerality —all the necessary elements are present, and all in their own way convincing enough. Unfortunately the compound itself tastes like a poorly mixed cocktail with lime cordial, vodka, lemon juice, some tropical additives (passion fruit? pineapple?), a few sugar cubes too much, and powdered slate. So far, so 86P. But I do believe there is a better future in store (and remind myself that I wouldn't expect a 2010 GC Médoc to taste any good for at least another 5-15 years...) Revisit in 2021?
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Color: golden yellow. Nose: Almond, a bit of petrol and a note that I recognize from pinot noir, remarkably, but that was hard to define. Nice fruit with at least pear, melon and apple. Taste: followed the nose. It was quite sweet, in fact a bit to sweet for me. The nose is a bit better than the taste. It developed over time in the glass. Excellent! We drank it with stewed eel. Nice, but the acids of the wine partly disappeared in the fat of the eel. This wine was to delicate for it. The riesling Patergarten of this producer seems more suited for pairing eel. The Schlossberg is better with crab or langoustines. Or simply on its own. I think I will drink my two bottles left over the next two years. 90-91.
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From 75cl, perfect cork. Sweet (somewhere between Rheingau Kabinett and Spätlese), but of course there is no warning anywhere on the bottle. Alsace is a minefield. Very good wine, which gained slatey/mineral interest in the hour after opening. 89P(+?)
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Cellarhand Riesling Tasting: Spice, lime, green apple, slate and mineral notes. Quite rich on the palate, though the minerality holds it back a bit. Some residual sugar that works well with the acid profile. Persists nicely, has style and substance.
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From 75cl, optically perfect cork (batch number 2511 1270), but horrible cork taint. Wine too young to be entirely undrinkable, but smoke and plump sweetness was all that was left more or less intact. I do prefer my Alsace Riesling dry, or at least balanced (and, of course, not corked). 11 bottles to go, so let's hope this was the only bad'un in the case.
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Paul Blanck Grand Cru Schlossberg 2010 Riesling (SRP $34): This gorgeous wine opens with luscious tropical fruit, citrus blossom, a hint of brine, and honeysuckle flavors that are anchored by a firm acid spine. It combines muscle with elegance and has good length on the finish. It is quite delicious now but has the potential to develop in the bottle for years. Region: Alsace, France. (Other info: ABV 13%, matured on lees in large oak barrels for 12 months, bottle aged 2-3 years before release, natural cork enclosure.)
LINK: bit.ly/1xFAEus
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2011 Rieslings #WineChat (My Place - Washington, DC): Bright gold color. Gorgeous nose of chamomile tea, clover honey, apricot jam, candied orange peel, lamp oil, some dusty notes. Crisp acid, I love the balance of tartness and richness in this wine. Clean, medium+ bodied, just a hint of sweetness. A whole fruit salad of apricot, green apple, kiwi, green melon, drizzled with honey and crushed rocks. A deep and pervasive sense of smoky minerals in this wine. Long finish with screaming acid. Age-worthy for sure. Aged on the lees in oak for a year and aged two to three years after bottling. From the granite soils of Alsace’s Grand Cru Schlossberg vineyard. 13% alcohol.
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Alsace, mostly Riesling; 7/30/2014-7/31/2014 (Alsace): Smoky, deep yellow plum/super-ripe lemon/grapefruit scent. Serious entry with quince, a touch of cinnamon, ripe acidity. Finish not as long as the rest of the package promises. 13% alc. Declared off dry (3), tasted slightly dryer (2,5) and very fresh. 15 EUR at cellar door. Excellent potential for 5 years+. 90P+
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12/31/2022 - honest bob wrote: 91 Points
NYE 2022/23 (Gohlis Foodies): From 75cl, good cork, P+P. Last of 12 bottles, finally paired with exactly the right, rich food (sweet chestnut and porcini soup) to bring out its many positive qualities and cover for (or even profit from) the grape sweetness. Clear petrol signal on the nose; upfront sweetness on the entry, but at this stage of maturity and with the rich soup, the mid-palate is a marvel of sparky acidity, unctuous textural elements balancing undeniable mineral depth. Unmistakeably Alsace GC, and a strong reminder of what Alsace winemakers mean when they describe a wine as "gastronomic." 91P (some people at the table went as far as to say this was their personal WOTN).
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12/5/2022 - honest bob wrote: 88 Points
From 75cl, good cork. As previously noted, a sweet Spätlese without an appropriate warning on the label. Note to self: stick to buying Trimbach, Beyer or Hugel, just possibly Schlumberger (but check the RS stats first). 88P, but definitely one for those who like residually sweet Riesling.
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12/13/2020 - Mckalm Likes this wine: 92 Points
Mkt bra. Till kyckling med curry o ris.
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7/23/2020 - honest bob wrote: 88 Points
From 75cl, good cork. As previously noted. This was even sweeter than the 2014 Schlumberger GC Saering tased directly before, but lacked the brilliant acidity which brought the Saering into balance this evening. Try again in 2022? 87-88P
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10/26/2019 - Mckalm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Se tidigare omdömen. Bra fortfarande. Bra till kassler
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12/10/2018 - depechemoroder Likes this wine: 92 Points
I'm quite disappointed I drank this so soon. Mosel-like in its fruit, it shows distinctive Alsatian minerality in the mid-palate and that smokey halo on the finish. By golly the acid is cutting on this! This zooms through everything like a razor, but delivers such a fun ride. Definitely has the stuff to go another 5-10 years.
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8/11/2018 - euroyup wrote: 88 Points
Very nice refined and classy nose with tropical fruits. Taste: tropical fruits, quite sweet with even a hint of caramel. The acidity was not as lively as usual with riesling, indicating that this wine has entered the last fase of its life. Still really attractive. 88-89.
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5/1/2018 - honest bob wrote: 89 Points
From 75cl, perfect cork. Sweeter than tarte au citron, this lime/mineral, brightly acidic, very concentrated sweet Spätlese is not my idea of a table wine, at least not for the next few years. I suspect it will keep for decades, gradually slimming down to my kind of drinkability in, perhaps, 2028-ish. In the meantime, a little goes a very long way. Alsace producers do finally need to get to grips with labelling their wines as dry (which this isn’t) sweet (yup, very...) or dessert. 89P+(??)
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4/30/2018 - euroyup wrote: 88 Points
Taste: quite rich with tropical fruits, some mature notes, nice sweetness and that very nice, firework riesling-acidity. Nevertheless this wine lacked real freshness and is not for long term aging. 88(-89).
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4/8/2018 - Mckalm Likes this wine: 90 Points
Mkt bra. Bra syra. Lite petroleum. Balanserad. Lite restsötma. Funkar till currykyckling med ris.
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4/9/2017 - WineGuyX Likes this wine: 88 Points
Not terribly aromatic, but hints of stones, flowers and star fruit.
Medium-full bodied and quite rich. Moderately sweet with good acidity and palate presence. Decent with a ridiculously rich Chicken Gaston dish (chicken with mustard-cream sauce). 88
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1/14/2017 - Mckalm Likes this wine: 90 Points
Some residual sweetness. À LOT of petroleum. Very Nice wine
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10/1/2016 - honest bob wrote:
From 75cl, perfect cork. Acidity, ripe lime-dominated fruit, (slightly clunky) sweetness, minerality —all the necessary elements are present, and all in their own way convincing enough. Unfortunately the compound itself tastes like a poorly mixed cocktail with lime cordial, vodka, lemon juice, some tropical additives (passion fruit? pineapple?), a few sugar cubes too much, and powdered slate. So far, so 86P. But I do believe there is a better future in store (and remind myself that I wouldn't expect a 2010 GC Médoc to taste any good for at least another 5-15 years...) Revisit in 2021?
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4/21/2016 - euroyup wrote: 90 Points
Color: golden yellow. Nose: Almond, a bit of petrol and a note that I recognize from pinot noir, remarkably, but that was hard to define. Nice fruit with at least pear, melon and apple. Taste: followed the nose. It was quite sweet, in fact a bit to sweet for me. The nose is a bit better than the taste. It developed over time in the glass. Excellent! We drank it with stewed eel. Nice, but the acids of the wine partly disappeared in the fat of the eel. This wine was to delicate for it. The riesling Patergarten of this producer seems more suited for pairing eel. The Schlossberg is better with crab or langoustines. Or simply on its own. I think I will drink my two bottles left over the next two years. 90-91.
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10/20/2015 - honest bob wrote: 88 Points
From 75cl. Sweeter than expected, saved by strong acidity and ripe lime fruit. One glass was enough for me. 88P
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8/13/2015 - honest bob wrote: 89 Points
From 75cl, perfect cork. Sweet (somewhere between Rheingau Kabinett and Spätlese), but of course there is no warning anywhere on the bottle. Alsace is a minefield. Very good wine, which gained slatey/mineral interest in the hour after opening. 89P(+?)
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2/12/2015 - CamWheeler wrote: 91 Points
Cellarhand Riesling Tasting: Spice, lime, green apple, slate and mineral notes. Quite rich on the palate, though the minerality holds it back a bit. Some residual sugar that works well with the acid profile. Persists nicely, has style and substance.
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10/24/2014 - honest bob wrote: flawed
From 75cl, optically perfect cork (batch number 2511 1270), but horrible cork taint. Wine too young to be entirely undrinkable, but smoke and plump sweetness was all that was left more or less intact. I do prefer my Alsace Riesling dry, or at least balanced (and, of course, not corked). 11 bottles to go, so let's hope this was the only bad'un in the case.
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9/9/2014 - Dezel Likes this wine: 91 Points
Paul Blanck Grand Cru Schlossberg 2010 Riesling (SRP $34): This gorgeous wine opens with luscious tropical fruit, citrus blossom, a hint of brine, and honeysuckle flavors that are anchored by a firm acid spine. It combines muscle with elegance and has good length on the finish. It is quite delicious now but has the potential to develop in the bottle for years. Region: Alsace, France. (Other info: ABV 13%, matured on lees in large oak barrels for 12 months, bottle aged 2-3 years before release, natural cork enclosure.)
LINK: bit.ly/1xFAEus
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9/7/2014 - Mckalm wrote: 90 Points
Mineral, petroleum, very balanced and tasteful & extremly nice wine.
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8/20/2014 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 92 Points
2011 Rieslings #WineChat (My Place - Washington, DC): Bright gold color. Gorgeous nose of chamomile tea, clover honey, apricot jam, candied orange peel, lamp oil, some dusty notes. Crisp acid, I love the balance of tartness and richness in this wine. Clean, medium+ bodied, just a hint of sweetness. A whole fruit salad of apricot, green apple, kiwi, green melon, drizzled with honey and crushed rocks. A deep and pervasive sense of smoky minerals in this wine. Long finish with screaming acid. Age-worthy for sure. Aged on the lees in oak for a year and aged two to three years after bottling. From the granite soils of Alsace’s Grand Cru Schlossberg vineyard. 13% alcohol.
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7/31/2014 - honest bob wrote: 90 Points
Alsace, mostly Riesling; 7/30/2014-7/31/2014 (Alsace): Smoky, deep yellow plum/super-ripe lemon/grapefruit scent. Serious entry with quince, a touch of cinnamon, ripe acidity. Finish not as long as the rest of the package promises. 13% alc. Declared off dry (3), tasted slightly dryer (2,5) and very fresh. 15 EUR at cellar door. Excellent potential for 5 years+. 90P+
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