Jersey Boys (Grand Sichuan, Jersey City, NJ): Dark. Molasses and figs. Spicy and horseradish. The palate is FUCKING INSANE - kumquats; tangerine and amazing and sweetness. Spicy peppers. So great.
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Grand Sichuan, Jersey City edition (Grand Sichuan, Grove St.): A dinner with Seth, Jay, and I - of course, Seth brought an old Catoir, and the only question was whether he'd bring a Riesling, Scheurebe, or Rieslaner. Ludicrous amounts of sweetness and richness; absurdly high acidity; somehow it all comes into balance and it works. I have no idea how, other than that Hans-Gunter Schwarz is a wizard. It's packed with ripe tropical fruit, those fiery spicy notes of Rieslaner (and the slight rough phenolic texture I usually associate with it), layers of botrytised honey and caramelly sweetness, and the whole package is just spectacular - intensely rich and sweet, yet feeling absolutely electric and shockingly light on its feet. A Cronenberg of a Rieslaner, and a goddamn delicious one.
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What a gorgeous wine! Tangerines, lemons, grapefruit peel, baked winter squash, sweet potatoes, honey, cooked carrots, flowers, apples, spices, vivid acidity balancing a lovely sweetness--this is on the dessert wine side of the Auslese spectrum. A beautiful and almost endless aftertaste. Medium brown, which makes me think it would be wise to finish any remaining bottles in the next few years. This is a treasure! [Tasted over an hour from the Jancis Robinson glass.]
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Recent acquisition. Cork wet to top w black mold. Cork smelled of TCA and indeed the wine was tainted. Brownish Amber color. Nose has madeirized fruit and cardboard. A shame because when sound this is very good wine.
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PNP. Cork intact. Color reddish Amber with gold edges. Looks very old. Nose shows pruny character up front that evolves to grilled pineapple with air. Now expecting some old tired oxidized thing, but swishing shows that this is very much alive and energetic with amazing citrus energy propelling the lengthy dense finish. Sipping allows the fruit and density to shine more and the acid is a beautiful counterpoint.
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My bottle. From 375ml. Yet another bottle of one of my favorite wines. Medium brown-red. Wonderful nose of mandarin, apricot, tangerine, quince and a touch of molasses and figs. Developing a black tea and herbal aspect. Very concentrated with sweetness and flavors, but you can smell the acid tang already. Big, as usual, on the palate - huge sweetness and extract still buffered by immense acids - HGS balance. Zak calls it 'Typhoon balance' - I like that. Similar flavor profile to the nose - lots of deep and sharp citrus along with rich sweetness. Massive and gorgeous. Maybe losing a step on the finish - I think the wine is a bit past peak: it is losing some concentration and vivacity - and will slowly decline from its heights, but it will take a while. 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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Reloaded on this at the big HDH German sale a while back. This has been open a day or two. Medium-dark brown-red-orange. Kumquat, tangerine, chili peppers, herbs, and flowers. Quite piquant, lively and sweet. Enters sweet and deep and spicy with kumquat, tangerine, honey, chili pepper and spice. The acid builds and builds. Razor sharp at the end with the citrus flavors in a long long finish. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 6/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 18/20.
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Color of a golden sunset. Leather, honey, hammering cold metal teeth ringing acidity, herbs, old books, dried apricot. Crazy acidity and liveliness for a 17 year old wine.
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An evening with friends (Sojourn Restaurant): The color was a rich gold with amber hints and a beautiful sheen. The nose was heady, with tropical fruits, orange peel and a hint of old library book, which ground the ripe fruit in reality. The palate showed flavors of more tropical fruits, but wrapped in baking puff pastry with teaming acidity that kept the sweetness in check. The finish was long with a sour patch tinge.
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(Mostly) Italians at Sojourn (New York City): Medium salmon color. Loads of rosewater on the nose, elements of raisin, spice and apricot. Very full on the palate and mouthcoating but the acidity made it semi sweet, long finish.
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Last of my 375s purchased near release from Calvert Woodley. Color: Dark brown-red, almost Mahogany. Very Muller Catoir Rieslaner nose - botrytis, spice, very sharp citrus/tangerine, kumquat, chilli pepper. Palate: Immense - tangerine marmalade. Huge acidity and sweetness, mostly balanced. Honey, spices and spicy. Acids build towards a long finish showing both the honey and the citrus acid. A touch cloying at the end middle, but this is a minor defect. I've watched this wine's glacial evolution for the last 14 years or so. The balance is not as good as it was 5 years ago, but it is still superb. Schildknecht says that Schwarz aborted an Eiswein attempt and dumped it into the Auslese - leading to a frightening acidity level. After drinking this for years, I have no doubt this is true. A monster - huge. Nose:6/6, Palate:5/6, Finish:6/6, Je ne sais quoi:2/2 = 19/20 = 98/100
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Trip to Boston; 6/4/2008-6/9/2008: dark gold color, ripe apricots, good cleansing acidity, delicious but not very complex. more tropical fruit then apple. excellent varietally correct dessert wine, but not stunning.
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Sadly my pour was from the end of the bottle and had a cloudiness to it, maybe from tartrate crystals? Light and pillowy with citrus and nut notes. Would have liked to have tried this earlier in the bottle.
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4/20/2024 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 93 Points
Jersey Boys (Grand Sichuan, Jersey City, NJ): Dark. Molasses and figs. Spicy and horseradish. The palate is FUCKING INSANE - kumquats; tangerine and amazing and sweetness. Spicy peppers. So great.
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4/20/2024 - salil wrote: 95 Points
Grand Sichuan, Jersey City edition (Grand Sichuan, Grove St.): A dinner with Seth, Jay, and I - of course, Seth brought an old Catoir, and the only question was whether he'd bring a Riesling, Scheurebe, or Rieslaner. Ludicrous amounts of sweetness and richness; absurdly high acidity; somehow it all comes into balance and it works. I have no idea how, other than that Hans-Gunter Schwarz is a wizard. It's packed with ripe tropical fruit, those fiery spicy notes of Rieslaner (and the slight rough phenolic texture I usually associate with it), layers of botrytised honey and caramelly sweetness, and the whole package is just spectacular - intensely rich and sweet, yet feeling absolutely electric and shockingly light on its feet. A Cronenberg of a Rieslaner, and a goddamn delicious one.
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11/11/2023 - SpenceP wrote: 95 Points
What a gorgeous wine! Tangerines, lemons, grapefruit peel, baked winter squash, sweet potatoes, honey, cooked carrots, flowers, apples, spices, vivid acidity balancing a lovely sweetness--this is on the dessert wine side of the Auslese spectrum. A beautiful and almost endless aftertaste. Medium brown, which makes me think it would be wise to finish any remaining bottles in the next few years. This is a treasure! [Tasted over an hour from the Jancis Robinson glass.]
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2/11/2017 - chcook wrote: flawed
Recent acquisition. Cork wet to top w black mold. Cork smelled of TCA and indeed the wine was tainted. Brownish Amber color. Nose has madeirized fruit and cardboard. A shame because when sound this is very good wine.
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7/4/2015 - chcook Likes this wine:
PNP. Cork intact. Color reddish Amber with gold edges. Looks very old. Nose shows pruny character up front that evolves to grilled pineapple with air. Now expecting some old tired oxidized thing, but swishing shows that this is very much alive and energetic with amazing citrus energy propelling the lengthy dense finish. Sipping allows the fruit and density to shine more and the acid is a beautiful counterpoint.
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7/17/2013 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 95 Points
My bottle. From 375ml. Yet another bottle of one of my favorite wines. Medium brown-red. Wonderful nose of mandarin, apricot, tangerine, quince and a touch of molasses and figs. Developing a black tea and herbal aspect. Very concentrated with sweetness and flavors, but you can smell the acid tang already. Big, as usual, on the palate - huge sweetness and extract still buffered by immense acids - HGS balance. Zak calls it 'Typhoon balance' - I like that. Similar flavor profile to the nose - lots of deep and sharp citrus along with rich sweetness. Massive and gorgeous. Maybe losing a step on the finish - I think the wine is a bit past peak: it is losing some concentration and vivacity - and will slowly decline from its heights, but it will take a while. 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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5/15/2013 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 96 Points
Reloaded on this at the big HDH German sale a while back. This has been open a day or two. Medium-dark brown-red-orange. Kumquat, tangerine, chili peppers, herbs, and flowers. Quite piquant, lively and sweet. Enters sweet and deep and spicy with kumquat, tangerine, honey, chili pepper and spice. The acid builds and builds. Razor sharp at the end with the citrus flavors in a long long finish. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 6/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 18/20.
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6/22/2012 - lizeneca wrote: 94 Points
Color of a golden sunset. Leather, honey, hammering cold metal teeth ringing acidity, herbs, old books, dried apricot. Crazy acidity and liveliness for a 17 year old wine.
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1/25/2011 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 92 Points
An evening with friends (Sojourn Restaurant): The color was a rich gold with amber hints and a beautiful sheen. The nose was heady, with tropical fruits, orange peel and a hint of old library book, which ground the ripe fruit in reality. The palate showed flavors of more tropical fruits, but wrapped in baking puff pastry with teaming acidity that kept the sweetness in check. The finish was long with a sour patch tinge.
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1/25/2011 - dougsmith wrote: 91 Points
(Mostly) Italians at Sojourn (New York City): Medium salmon color. Loads of rosewater on the nose, elements of raisin, spice and apricot. Very full on the palate and mouthcoating but the acidity made it semi sweet, long finish.
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12/16/2010 - Seth Rosenberg wrote: 98 Points
Last of my 375s purchased near release from Calvert Woodley. Color: Dark brown-red, almost Mahogany. Very Muller Catoir Rieslaner nose - botrytis, spice, very sharp citrus/tangerine, kumquat, chilli pepper. Palate: Immense - tangerine marmalade. Huge acidity and sweetness, mostly balanced. Honey, spices and spicy. Acids build towards a long finish showing both the honey and the citrus acid. A touch cloying at the end middle, but this is a minor defect. I've watched this wine's glacial evolution for the last 14 years or so. The balance is not as good as it was 5 years ago, but it is still superb. Schildknecht says that Schwarz aborted an Eiswein attempt and dumped it into the Auslese - leading to a frightening acidity level. After drinking this for years, I have no doubt this is true. A monster - huge. Nose:6/6, Palate:5/6, Finish:6/6, Je ne sais quoi:2/2 = 19/20 = 98/100
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6/8/2008 - Mlermontov wrote: 91 Points
Trip to Boston; 6/4/2008-6/9/2008: dark gold color, ripe apricots, good cleansing acidity, delicious but not very complex. more tropical fruit then apple. excellent varietally correct dessert wine, but not stunning.
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2/2/2003 - JeffGMorris wrote:
Sadly my pour was from the end of the bottle and had a cloudiness to it, maybe from tartrate crystals? Light and pillowy with citrus and nut notes. Would have liked to have tried this earlier in the bottle.
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