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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2008 and 2019 (based on 13 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.8 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 37 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by acyso on 6/19/2023 & rated 93 points: #23-03, 8% abv. Very old-school, light, and not-too-sweet style of riesling. Delicate and minerally, but without anything pulled too far in one direction or another. They really don't make 'em like they used to, especially for all of $18. (1040 views) | | | Tasted by acyso on 5/30/2021: "Nature is healing" (Chicago, IL): #23-03, 8% abv. From a bottle opened more than a week ago. I was pretty shocked at that -- this was fresh and vibrant, with a lovely green herb tone and some real chewy mineral heft. (1548 views) | | | Tasted by wayfarer on 5/26/2020 & rated 90 points: Drank over three nights. Deep yellow in glass. Held up and even improved a bit over successive nights as fruit flavors deepened. Ripe sweet apple, yellow stone fruit, aged lemon. Sweet with RS plus ample acid combine for a lovely palate, moderate length and good body, round as the fruit dissolves in your mouth. Only negative is the fruit flattens out cutting short the finish a bit. I'd have liked a comp a few years ago, but at 18 years this was fun and enjoyable. (702 views) | | | Tasted by chcook on 1/8/2019: last bottle. pnp. cork perfect. color light straw. nose mostly secondary but there is a core of citrus edged pineapple. swishing shows persistent acidity that is soft and suave and the fruit core is going strong. RS is there but nominal. finish lengthy and clean. this is darn good tonight, but has lots left i think. if i had more would be comfortable drinking over the next 2-5 yrs (1057 views) | | | Tasted by chcook on 9/14/2016: Yahwol bitches (2238 views) | | | Tasted by chcook on 7/29/2016: Great again. Very little RS and still w bright acidity. Nose mostly TDN and acids mostly creamy. Will last awhile I am guessing given acidity. Interesting that I first tasted this at cellar temp and with chill this has more RS. (1994 views) | | | Tasted by vinophobic on 5/15/2016: Consistent with prior note. (2056 views) | | | Tasted by chcook on 2/26/2016: Another one bites the dust. This is great for its delicacy. I don't think I can let mine get any older. Not enough willpower. Kickin tonight. (1939 views) | | | Tasted by vinophobic on 12/25/2015 & rated 91 points: Starting to approach the ideal balance of fruit, viscosity, acid, sugar, and minerality. Still slightly heavier rs than I prefer. I'm going to give my other bottles another couple years of aging to hopefully round out a bit more. (2095 views) | | | Tasted by cglex on 11/26/2015 & rated 91 points: Very fine spatlese. Elegant, almost french in style. Soft and not bold on the palate. However, limited boquet and not very complex. (1067 views) | | | Tasted by chcook on 10/22/2015: AP#22 03 - Another great bottle. Creamy acids are dominating the RS keeping this delicate and light on the grapefruit end of the spectrum. Probably plenty of time left in this but I like it now. (1202 views) | | | Tasted by rlove on 8/16/2015 & rated 89 points: Pale yellow. Rich nose of apple, honeysuckle, and petrol. Apple and spice in the mouth. As this puts on the years, it is turning a bit fat and sweet and could use a touch more acidity to balance the residual sugar. Long, round finish. Drink now through 2018, although I suspect this will last much longer. (1337 views) | | | Tasted by rlove on 8/6/2015 flawed bottle: TCA. (1208 views) | | | Tasted by Seth Rosenberg on 7/19/2015 & rated 91 points: Open since yesterday. It didn't show too well then, since the 04 Prum WS Spat smacked it and made it run home to Momma. Better tonight. Spicy nose with cumin, brown spices, minerals, some soft lime, honey, red apple. Palate is gentle. Enters light with lime, minerals. Verging on crisp. There seems to be some sneaky acid humming underneath - not electric or anything, but it is there - not quite integrated. More lime, some honeysuckle and spices come out towards the end into a small but well cut lime and mineral finish. This is, as Salil said, an elegant rendition of Spatlese. Nose - 4.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5/20. (1843 views) | | | Tasted by chcook on 7/17/2015: this is in a great place tonight....I really like this for its delicacy and balance (971 views) | | | Tasted by rlove on 7/13/2015 & rated 90 points: Nose of ripe apple, honeysuckle, and petrol. Spice and apple in the mouth, with bright acidity and balanced residual sugar. Zesty, lush finish. Drink now through 2018. (1176 views) | | | Tasted by indiscriminate palate on 6/7/2015 & rated 89 points: LBTG blind - very very brief notes (Amali, NYC): Mineral, lime pith; light. Good. #2 in flight, #4 of first six. (1706 views) | | | Tasted by salil on 6/7/2015 & rated 90 points: Leo's Blind Tasting Group - June '15 edition (Amali, NYC): Another excellent showing. Delicate and understated, with bright citrus and red apple flavours tinged with mineral and floral notes, and faint hints of smoky development. Bright acids balance the moderate sweetness perfectly, and this is drinking very nicely now though with plenty of time ahead. (2289 views) | | | Tasted by kaush on 4/18/2015 & rated 91 points: Others here described it very well and precisely before me. Beautiful Mosel nose. Light gold color. Very well balanced. Well-integrated acidity with some sweetness that becomes more pronounced with food - but that wasn't at all off-putting. Flavors of pear, pineapple, tart tropical fruits. It all came together nicely. Was a good accompaniment to Chicken biryani. W (1095 views) | | | Tasted by salil on 4/10/2015 & rated 88 points: Showed nicely, with plenty of bright Mosel fruit and florality tinged with the start of more savoury developing notes, but didn't have the depth or finesse of my other bottles. (1776 views) | | | Tasted by indiscriminate palate on 4/10/2015: Reserved nose, and fairly reserved palate as well, showing orchard and tropical fruit, but in a seemingly muted/"watery" way. I suspect that this was not a representative bottle. 83. (1162 views) | | | Tasted by chcook on 4/6/2015: #22-03. PNP. Cork perfect. Color straw. Nose shows mostly pineapple w TDN. Swishing shows cheek coating acid that is taking on that creamy character I love in old Riesling. Sipping highlights the fruit, and the remaining RS is integrating nicely. Med length tartish finish. This is drinking wonderfully.
Somehow I didn't finish the bottle and left it in the fridge for 2 wks. Finish thinning out a tad but still superclean and focused. Very nice and likely to continue in a positive direction I think (1062 views) | | | Tasted by acyso on 4/3/2015 & rated 93 points: #23-03, 8% abv. Please forgive me for words I spoke out of ignorance, thinking that Merkelbach just wasn't a producer for me. How wrong I was. This is an absolutely fabulous bottle of $18 wine, that easily drinks at a 2-3x price level. Moderate peach and pineapple on the nose. Very restrained, this is an outstanding bottle of (almost dry) Spaetlese. Racy acidity and minerality keeps things so fresh and light. A pile of juicy and tart pineapple on the palate, this was a perfect foil to some Thai food. (1549 views) | | | Tasted by cct on 3/16/2015 & rated 91 points: My first experience with this maker. Lovely understated expression of terroir. Less is more here. A mix of slate, acid, RS, and fruit none of which stands out or grabs your attention. It just exists in a lovely balance. A beautifully pure, balanced wine that gets your attention with a whisper. I will be seeking out more of these wines. Lovely and drinking beautifully now. (1407 views) | | | Tasted by rlove on 3/12/2015 & rated 90 points: Green apple, honeysuckle, and petrol on the nose. Rich and thick in the mouth with a zesty finish. With nice acidity it has aged well and still has a few more years to go. (1182 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Alfred Merkelbach Producer website
U.S. Importer (Addt'l Info)
•Vineyard area: 1.9 hectares
•Annual production: 1,500 cases
•Top sites: Ürziger Würzgarten, Erdener Treppchen, Kinheimer Rosenberg
•Soil types: Slate
•Grape varieties: 100% Riesling Riesling Varietal character (Appellation America) | A short history of Riesling (Uncork) | Riesling (wikipedia)Spätlese Wikipedia article on Spätlese.Erdener Treppchen on weinlagen.infoGermany Wines of Germany | The Association of German Prädikat Wine Estates (VDP) | How to read a German wine label | Geographical Information Down to Single Vineyards
#2014 Vintage Notes:
2014 Vintage Report by Terry Theise
2014 Vintage Report by Wine Spectator
"My gut still tells me the Saar (and to some extent) the Ruwer are better overall in 2014 than the more storied areas of the Mosel proper, but those that spent the requisite time living in their middle-Mosel vineyards made some of the most electric and "feathery" Riesling in a long time (maybe the finest in 20 years - yes, it's true!)" - Jon Rimmerman (Of course only a very short historical memory would call the Saar and Ruwer less 'storied' than the middle Mosel - jht)Mosel Saar RuwerStarting in 2007 the German wine authorities have changed labeling laws to rename all of the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer wines to just "Mosel." This puts this and other database driven sites in a difficult spot, as millions of old wine label reflect the former labeling. As described here, CellarTracker has elected to remain with the old labeling for a number of years to avoid confusion. At some point we will switch over to just "Mosel" but not for a few years at least.
Mosel WeinKulturland (Moselwein e.V.)
Detailed geographical information at weinlagen.info
#2018 Vintage Notes:
"Acid levels are relatively low throughout Riesling-growing Europe (acidification will once again be permitted in Germany – no surprise, as that’s been the case in eight of the last 10 vintages); but because malic acid was baked off or degraded by relentlessly balmy weather means, what acid remains is overwhelmingly of the efficacious tartaric sort. Extract levels are low, as one would anticipate from a growing season during which relatively little moisture was coursing through the vine’s roots and shoots. [...] Everyone is astonished how there could have been so much juice despite the drought." - David Schildknecht
"2018 is a homogenous vintage with a very high general level, below which it seldom falls [...] It leads with blossom. It is perhaps 80% delicious and 20% fascinating." - Terry Theise
#2017 Vintage Notes:
"not so friendly towards light wines" - Milkmansteve
#2016 Vintage Notes: "Overall, 2016 is a charmer of a vintage with much immediate ripe and fruity appeal, not unlike 2011 (in fresher) or 2007 (in lighter). However, 2016 is far from being homogeneous, in fact it is composed of a mosaic of vintages, a result of the freakish growing conditions. Hidden inside the vintage, there are true gems with the balance of 1997, one of the best vintages ever, 2002 or even 2008. The bulk of the harvest was brought in with refreshingly moderate sugar levels. Overall, the Saar and Ruwer produced slightly fresher wines than the Middle Mosel but there are great differences between Estates. The good harvest conditions allowed for some Auslese, little BA and even TBA wines, but some remarkably pure and fruity Eiswein.
In general, 2016 offers the opportunity to acquire Riesling with great immediate ripe appeal: The vintage is a true charmer. At the top, 2016 is one of the most exciting and elegantly balanced vintage since the 1990s and well-worth stocking up for cellaring! In particular, we urge our readers to literally plunge onto the finest Kabinett and Spätlese: These are some of the most exciting and classic we have ever tasted. 2016 looks also set to become a major vintage for dry Riesling, provided the aromatics are not overripe. Lovers of dessert wines will find much to love in 2016 as the Auslese are pure and the Eiswein are gorgeously fruity. They should however also keep an eye open for the remaining stunning noble-sweet wines from 2015 which are still available here and there." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 36, July 2017
#2014 Vintage Notes:
"The heterogeneity of the 2014 vintage carries over onto the aging process. The top wines start to close down, as one would expect from these wines which are a remake of those from the 1990s. The wines affected by gin, saffron and mushroom flavors are still comparatively open and offer a not unattractive Scheurebe styled fruit opulence. We would opt to drink up these lesser wines except for the odd bottle and bury the little treasures of the vintage deep into the cellar." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 30, March 2016
#2013 Vintage Notes:
"The fruity-styled 2013 wines have firmed up significantly since last year and start to show signs of closing down, making the underlying acidity seemingly sharp and out of balance. The better dry wines have come out of their early armor of smoke and tannin but the acidity may prove quite challenging. Quite frankly, except for some smaller bottlings, this is a vintage to lay down and wait." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015
#2012 Vintage Notes:
"The 2012 wines have put on some flesh and go through a 'fattier' phase which is not unlike what the 2007 went through at the same period. However, the zestier acidity cuts through this 'weight' and makes the wines thoroughly enjoyable at this early stage. In particular the fruity Kabinett and Spatlese as well as the off-dry and dry wines offer much pleasure. We expect these wines to close down over the coming year or two. Enjoy while it lasts!" - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015
#2011 Vintage Notes:
"A bit to our surprise, the 2011 wines have shut down and go through a quite difficult and muted phase now. Their low acidity combined with their maturity makes them feel rich, opulent and often bulky, and thus not really enjoyable. We expect that these will need at least a decade to integrate their sweetness and gain in harmony. The only exception is the dry wines, whose low acidity makes for great food companionship." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015
#2010 Vintage Notes:
"After a mellower period in 2012, many 2010 wines have firmed up and developed a stronger smoky side. However, most continue to shine through their fruit opulence, structure and deliciously zesty but ripe acidity. This suits in particular the off-dry bottlings, which have more charm than the legally dry wines. Will these wines close down? Actually, the softening acidity makes us wonder now but it also provides further evidence that these wines will turn out harmonious after all." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015
#2009 Vintage Notes:
"Most 2009 wines have closed down, which accentuates their round and soft side forward. Many can still be quite enjoyable but the times of primary fruit with its attractive aromatic expression and a generous acidic kick are now over. Except for the dry wines, we would definitely recommend keeping your hands off any bottle in your cellar and possibly buying more wines from this vintage on the market as these are true gems in the making." - Mosel Fines Wines, No. 27, March 2015 |
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