Found this in the cellar and do not have a record of owning it. Got to work on the book keeping. As Seth Rosenberg says, transparent and light. Clean apples, lime and stone on the nose. Nice acidity and spice on the palate. Really classic young Mosel wine. Great energy but at the same time open for business.
This bottle wasn't anything like my previous bottles. This was pretty sour and out of focus. There were distinct similarities to the 12 Anrecht I panned a month or two ago. Hypothesis: 2012 Germans have closed down hard. Wait 5-10 years before trying them. Judgement reserved.
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Same bottle as 9/21/16. This is aging nicely. The whole package is about lightness and transparency. The nose shows lime, powered stone, green and red apple, spice and white flowers. The palate is very similar, some of the zing is gone, but there is still good acidity. What has developed is a gentle classic expression of Riesling and Kabinett: red apples, spice, minerals, stones, some lime. This is gentle and lithe with a little more golden than before. The finish shows apple, spice, minerals and a solid lime acidity. Great stuff. Nose - 5-5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 16.5-17/20.
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Not much has changed since release as far as I can tell. Fresh and expressive, with distinct lime, and I really like Seth Rosenberg's cumin reference. Some cool stony minerality in the finish. Good stuff.
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Bought upon release at wine retail store. Light yellow color. Smells of limes and wet stones. Crisp, clean and little sweet. Great QPR. Yes, I would purchase this again.
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Crisp and sharp nose of lime, tart kiwi, melon, cumin, spices, chili peppers, flint and slate. Excellent on the palate with a light but electric palate of lime, chili peppers, cumin, spices, grass/herbs, flint, slate. The finish shows so much flavor that it is almost saline - again lime, cumin, slate - this is really sizzling. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.
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Same bottle as 4/30/15. There was maybe 1.5-2 glasses of this left in the bottle, sitting in the fridge. Just decided to try it to clear out some space. Little did I know that the wine would be better than when opened. The nose is light and crystalline - lime, flint, metal, white flowers. The palate has lost a little oompf, but it is so clear and pure: lime, spice, flint, slate, metal, white florals. $17 a bottle and it is better 4 weeks later - how often does that happen? Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17.5/20.
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Greet Adira and small BYO at our place, round 2 (Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, NYC): Can't stop drinking these. Cool nose with minerals, lime, stone, cool melon. Enters soft on the palate with sweet melon and lime, acid builds a little, good minerality. Lots of fruit so it feels sweeter than it is, but not too sweet. Melon, lime and stone on the finish. Not quite as on as other bottles, but still excellent. Nose - 4.5-5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 15.5-16.5/20.
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Opened this bottle while out for Thai food and brought the rest home, so this has been opened for about 5 hours. The nose is light and perfumed - wonderful and complex, with red apple, creamy banana or marzipan, some cumin, a touch of lime, honey, white flowers, maybe a touch of cool herbs - lavender? Some stones. It's really a nice melange. Classic Mosel Kabinett on the palate - enters light with bright acid: lime drizzled in honey, the mid-palate features lime, stony minerality, and some cumin spice, the finish is lime and stones. Light and airy, bright and refreshing. What more can you ask for? Another great showing for this wine. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.
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Same bottle as 10/5/14 - day 2. This has come around some. Nose of lime, red apple, cumin - brown spices, crushed stones and minerals, and a sweet&sour note. Also a green/herbal aroma. The lime, stone, and cumin dominate the nose and combine together nicely. The sweet&sour aspect started off a little volatile and screechy, but it integrated well with time. Enters with lime, honey, red apple, white flowers, cumin. The entry is soft, sweet and enjoyable, but the wine becomes light and airy in the mid-palate with the addition of significant but integrated acid - with lime, stones, spices and flowers The acid really begins to show at the end with a crisp and strong finish of lime, powdered stone and cumin - really packed with extract. The finish really activates the salivary glands. The finish seemed somewhat shrill as well, but it came around nicely. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16/20.
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This seems more muted than before, but I'm not drinking it under ideal conditions. The nose showed some lime, minerals and herbal qualities, but then seemed to shut down. The palate enters with honey, lime, and some minerality, but the acid towards the end seems somewhat disjointed. I'm putting this back in the fridge and trying again tomorrow. Not rated.
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Nose needs half an hour to open up a bit, and for a hint of nail polish remover to blow off. Scents of lime, herbs, and honeysuckle emerge. On the palate, juicy lime and golden apple, with herbaceous and mineral accents. Svelte and uncomplicated, with a sense of purity - the fresh lime really shines. Some spritz. Light, zippy, delicious.
Pale lemon color with a delicate nose of green apple, lime zest and a hint of flint. On the palate - medium sweetness with high acidity and a light to medium body. Flavors of candied lemon, green apple, stone and apricot with a medium to long finish. Beautifully balanced Riesling at a fair price. Just the right pairing with baked herbed chicken thighs, butter and parsley smashed potatoes, green salad with creamy honey & hot mustard dressing.
Another excellent bottle. Light and bright nose of apple, lime, stones, and an herbal cream type of thing going on. Similar on the palate with crisp apple and lime, some minerals, herbs and spice. This is very light on its feet - very 2012. Classic Kabinett and great QPR. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16.5/20.
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What Seth said. Needed some air time to come together and shake off some initially sugary qualities, but when it quickly snapped into focus, it showed great precision and cut, with a proper Kabinett lightness of touch. Paired wonderfully with a dinner of roasted beets with panko-fried goat cheese.
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Zak and Seth's Excellent Merkelbach Adventure (Umi Nom (Clinton Hill, Brooklyn)): Tasted blind against the UW Kabinett. Wonderful nose - lively with sweet and crisp fruit: lime, strawberry, peach. A complex herbal note of verbuena(?)/lavender. Crisp, floral. with good minerality - the nose really has it all. Delicious on the palate with lime, passion fruit, strawberry, sweet&sour. Excellent minerality. Light and lovely. Juicy citrus and stone on the finish. Classic Kabinett. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finsh - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.
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Boy, these 2012 Merkelbach wines are good. This is classic Kabinett - light and airy, well poised. The nose is full of apple, juicy lime, and a bit of peach. It's got brown spices and some crisp minerality. The palate follows logically. Great fruit and spice, good minerality - it is light, with just the right touch of sweetness, but with excellent cut and solid acid. Wonderful. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16/20.
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2/6/2019 - short and confused wrote: 92 Points
Found this in the cellar and do not have a record of owning it. Got to work on the book keeping. As Seth Rosenberg says, transparent and light. Clean apples, lime and stone on the nose. Nice acidity and spice on the palate. Really classic young Mosel wine. Great energy but at the same time open for business.
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8/14/2017 - Seth Rosenberg wrote:
This bottle wasn't anything like my previous bottles. This was pretty sour and out of focus. There were distinct similarities to the 12 Anrecht I panned a month or two ago. Hypothesis: 2012 Germans have closed down hard. Wait 5-10 years before trying them. Judgement reserved.
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9/22/2016 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 93 Points
Same bottle as 9/21/16. This is aging nicely. The whole package is about lightness and transparency. The nose shows lime, powered stone, green and red apple, spice and white flowers. The palate is very similar, some of the zing is gone, but there is still good acidity. What has developed is a gentle classic expression of Riesling and Kabinett: red apples, spice, minerals, stones, some lime. This is gentle and lithe with a little more golden than before. The finish shows apple, spice, minerals and a solid lime acidity. Great stuff. Nose - 5-5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 16.5-17/20.
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9/21/2016 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine:
Lime, powdered stone, white flowers. Lots of lime and minerals on the palate - excellent. Light mouthfeel. Good stuff. Lime finish.
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1/25/2016 - Beerzebub Likes this wine:
Not much has changed since release as far as I can tell. Fresh and expressive, with distinct lime, and I really like Seth Rosenberg's cumin reference. Some cool stony minerality in the finish. Good stuff.
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1/16/2016 - R&L Likes this wine:
Bought upon release at wine retail store. Light yellow color. Smells of limes and wet stones. Crisp, clean and little sweet. Great QPR. Yes, I would purchase this again.
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11/27/2015 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
Crisp and sharp nose of lime, tart kiwi, melon, cumin, spices, chili peppers, flint and slate. Excellent on the palate with a light but electric palate of lime, chili peppers, cumin, spices, grass/herbs, flint, slate. The finish shows so much flavor that it is almost saline - again lime, cumin, slate - this is really sizzling. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.
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5/24/2015 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine:
Same bottle as 4/30/15. There was maybe 1.5-2 glasses of this left in the bottle, sitting in the fridge. Just decided to try it to clear out some space. Little did I know that the wine would be better than when opened. The nose is light and crystalline - lime, flint, metal, white flowers. The palate has lost a little oompf, but it is so clear and pure: lime, spice, flint, slate, metal, white florals. $17 a bottle and it is better 4 weeks later - how often does that happen? Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17.5/20.
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4/30/2015 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Greet Adira and small BYO at our place, round 2 (Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, NYC): Can't stop drinking these. Cool nose with minerals, lime, stone, cool melon. Enters soft on the palate with sweet melon and lime, acid builds a little, good minerality. Lots of fruit so it feels sweeter than it is, but not too sweet. Melon, lime and stone on the finish. Not quite as on as other bottles, but still excellent. Nose - 4.5-5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 15.5-16.5/20.
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4/18/2015 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
Opened this bottle while out for Thai food and brought the rest home, so this has been opened for about 5 hours. The nose is light and perfumed - wonderful and complex, with red apple, creamy banana or marzipan, some cumin, a touch of lime, honey, white flowers, maybe a touch of cool herbs - lavender? Some stones. It's really a nice melange. Classic Mosel Kabinett on the palate - enters light with bright acid: lime drizzled in honey, the mid-palate features lime, stony minerality, and some cumin spice, the finish is lime and stones. Light and airy, bright and refreshing. What more can you ask for? Another great showing for this wine. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.
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10/6/2014 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Same bottle as 10/5/14 - day 2. This has come around some. Nose of lime, red apple, cumin - brown spices, crushed stones and minerals, and a sweet&sour note. Also a green/herbal aroma. The lime, stone, and cumin dominate the nose and combine together nicely. The sweet&sour aspect started off a little volatile and screechy, but it integrated well with time. Enters with lime, honey, red apple, white flowers, cumin. The entry is soft, sweet and enjoyable, but the wine becomes light and airy in the mid-palate with the addition of significant but integrated acid - with lime, stones, spices and flowers The acid really begins to show at the end with a crisp and strong finish of lime, powdered stone and cumin - really packed with extract. The finish really activates the salivary glands. The finish seemed somewhat shrill as well, but it came around nicely. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16/20.
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10/5/2014 - Seth Rosenberg wrote:
This seems more muted than before, but I'm not drinking it under ideal conditions. The nose showed some lime, minerals and herbal qualities, but then seemed to shut down. The palate enters with honey, lime, and some minerality, but the acid towards the end seems somewhat disjointed. I'm putting this back in the fridge and trying again tomorrow. Not rated.
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8/11/2014 - mdefreitas wrote: 91 Points
Just what a Mosel Kabinett should be. Apples, lime and slate with zippy acidity and lovely length. Airy, weightless and precise. Wonderful QPR.
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8/8/2014 - Beerzebub Likes this wine:
Nose needs half an hour to open up a bit, and for a hint of nail polish remover to blow off. Scents of lime, herbs, and honeysuckle emerge. On the palate, juicy lime and golden apple, with herbaceous and mineral accents. Svelte and uncomplicated, with a sense of purity - the fresh lime really shines. Some spritz. Light, zippy, delicious.
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7/20/2014 - TWDummy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pale lemon color with a delicate nose of green apple, lime zest and a hint of flint. On the palate - medium sweetness with high acidity and a light to medium body. Flavors of candied lemon, green apple, stone and apricot with a medium to long finish. Beautifully balanced Riesling at a fair price. Just the right pairing with baked herbed chicken thighs, butter and parsley smashed potatoes, green salad with creamy honey & hot mustard dressing.
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7/19/2014 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another excellent bottle. Light and bright nose of apple, lime, stones, and an herbal cream type of thing going on. Similar on the palate with crisp apple and lime, some minerals, herbs and spice. This is very light on its feet - very 2012. Classic Kabinett and great QPR. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16.5/20.
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6/7/2014 - aagrawal wrote: 89 Points
Retreat; 6/6/2014-6/8/2014 (Anvil Vineyard and Ranch): Fresh fruit, lemon-lime, some minerals; fabulous acidity, faint sweetness, fades quickly through midpalate; short-med finish with a nice tang. 89-90
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4/5/2014 - Billigan Likes this wine: 92 Points
What Seth said. Needed some air time to come together and shake off some initially sugary qualities, but when it quickly snapped into focus, it showed great precision and cut, with a proper Kabinett lightness of touch. Paired wonderfully with a dinner of roasted beets with panko-fried goat cheese.
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3/11/2014 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
Zak and Seth's Excellent Merkelbach Adventure (Umi Nom (Clinton Hill, Brooklyn)): Tasted blind against the UW Kabinett. Wonderful nose - lively with sweet and crisp fruit: lime, strawberry, peach. A complex herbal note of verbuena(?)/lavender. Crisp, floral. with good minerality - the nose really has it all. Delicious on the palate with lime, passion fruit, strawberry, sweet&sour. Excellent minerality. Light and lovely. Juicy citrus and stone on the finish. Classic Kabinett. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finsh - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.
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2/16/2014 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Boy, these 2012 Merkelbach wines are good. This is classic Kabinett - light and airy, well poised. The nose is full of apple, juicy lime, and a bit of peach. It's got brown spices and some crisp minerality. The palate follows logically. Great fruit and spice, good minerality - it is light, with just the right touch of sweetness, but with excellent cut and solid acid. Wonderful. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16/20.
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