USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Once upon a time, this was a really ripe and fleshy wine, with the fruit to stand up to the alcohol. Alas, this is a desiccating wine, with dried remnants of fruit and quite a bit of alcoholic heft. There are definitely some nice earthy elements here (perhaps the faded fruit has exposed them?), but this has seen better days.
This initially had a mild dose of sponti, but air seemed to blow it off. This is a lot less exotic and ripe than I'd expect it to be, especially given the profiles of the HGS-era wines, but there are still some pretty enjoyable elements here. It's not the sort of freak-in-the-sheets kind of wine that I've come to expect. There is definitely the zippy acidity here, and this definitely doesn't feel over the top at all, but I do lust after the lower alcohol with residual sugar versions of these...
It's definitely a pooh-poohed vintage, and the fairly unclean rot on the nose and palate are definitely indicative of why. This is a fairly dark bottle of Spätlese. To be sure, it's not over-the-hill or anything like that; in fact, it's very fresh and showing about as well as I'd expect. Surprisingly sweet; more so than I would've expected. In fact, all the boxes are ticked and this would be a really nice wine, but for the somewhat dirty rot flavours.
A relatively rich and intense Spätlese, with some really nice spice elements, as well as some yellow and golden fruit flavours. Perhaps a slight hint of botrytis as well? It's definitely a broader, richer style, and while there is the expected riesling acidity, I do wish there was just a slight touch more tension here. But there's no denying this is pretty damn delicious all the same.
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
"Relevant". Slightly reduced on the nose, but just the right amount -- the matchstick aroma doesn't get in the way of the plentiful fruit flavours in this wine. It's definitely a full-bodied, ripe chardonnay, but it's got a racy, citrus-inflected acidity that helps balance out all that heft. Really tasty, and for what this costs (I looked it up because I might want to pick up a bit of this myself), it's the real deal.
Easily the best bottle of this wine I've had thus far. There's something incredibly pure and precise here, with a delicious herbal element that blends in with the slate and fruit of the nose. There are minor secondary elements that seem like they are just starting to develop, so the overall impression of this is a fully primary bottle. Definitely more than a little sweet, but with just the right amount of ripe acids so that the sweetness never sticks out. The acidity never screams out either, there's a slight creaminess that keeps that in check, so what you end up with is this brilliantly balanced bottle of riesling.
Initially, quite tight and reduced, but there was a lot of (under-the-table) shaking that seemed to help open up this wine. This is a super bright wine, full of youth still, and that brilliant 2013 acidity is here in spades. There's a really lovely mineral aspect to this wine as well, and it's overall a really fun and enjoyable bottle. Sweet, but the acidity stands out a touch more than I'd like. Of course, at the end of the day, we may not be so lucky to be able to have Keller Spätlese all the time, but this certainly brings us close to the experience.
Had this next to the Frühlingsplätzchen GG, and I thought overall this was the stronger wine. The nose is ripe and tropical, with lots of sweet and ripe fruit, as well as a really alluring spice element too. There's always the deception of all that fruit and not having sweetness on the palate, but this is a hefty wine that, despite the lack of sweetness, still has the richness and fruit density. Owing to the ripeness of the vintage, I think there's a slight bit of alcoholic heat on the finish, but this is such a broad and fleshy wine that it doesn't seem too out of place. In quality, I would put this on the same tier as the upper Keller GGs (Abtserde, Hipping, Pettenthal), which means that these are among the best GGs Germany has to offer.
I had this next to the Halenberg, which I definitely preferred. The nose here is leaner and a bit more elegant, with relatively more herbal and green elements. There's a very nice purity here, but the broadness and ripeness that I expect aren't on full display here. The palate is racy with the acidity, but the richer fruit elements are attenuated. While this seems to carry the same alcoholic heft as the Halenberg, the missing fruit means that this doesn't carry it as well. It's a leaner, more mineral edition of GG, but I also think that this just isn't as complex a wine either.
2009 Cayuse God Only Knows 83 Points
USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Once upon a time, this was a really ripe and fleshy wine, with the fruit to stand up to the alcohol. Alas, this is a desiccating wine, with dried remnants of fruit and quite a bit of alcoholic heft. There are definitely some nice earthy elements here (perhaps the faded fruit has exposed them?), but this has seen better days.
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2016 Müller-Catoir Haardter Bürgergarten Im Breumel Riesling Großes Gewächs 90 Points
Germany, Pfalz
This initially had a mild dose of sponti, but air seemed to blow it off. This is a lot less exotic and ripe than I'd expect it to be, especially given the profiles of the HGS-era wines, but there are still some pretty enjoyable elements here. It's not the sort of freak-in-the-sheets kind of wine that I've come to expect. There is definitely the zippy acidity here, and this definitely doesn't feel over the top at all, but I do lust after the lower alcohol with residual sugar versions of these...
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2000 Mathern Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese 85 Points
Germany, Nahe
It's definitely a pooh-poohed vintage, and the fairly unclean rot on the nose and palate are definitely indicative of why. This is a fairly dark bottle of Spätlese. To be sure, it's not over-the-hill or anything like that; in fact, it's very fresh and showing about as well as I'd expect. Surprisingly sweet; more so than I would've expected. In fact, all the boxes are ticked and this would be a really nice wine, but for the somewhat dirty rot flavours.
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1985 Weingut Bernhard Jakoby Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese 70 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Pine resin on the nose and palate. Awful.
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2007 August Kesseler Rüdesheimer Bischofsberg Riesling Spätlese Goldkapsel 90 Points
Germany, Rheingau
A relatively rich and intense Spätlese, with some really nice spice elements, as well as some yellow and golden fruit flavours. Perhaps a slight hint of botrytis as well? It's definitely a broader, richer style, and while there is the expected riesling acidity, I do wish there was just a slight touch more tension here. But there's no denying this is pretty damn delicious all the same.
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2012 Au Bon Climat Chardonnay Nuits-Blanches au Bouge 93 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
"Relevant". Slightly reduced on the nose, but just the right amount -- the matchstick aroma doesn't get in the way of the plentiful fruit flavours in this wine. It's definitely a full-bodied, ripe chardonnay, but it's got a racy, citrus-inflected acidity that helps balance out all that heft. Really tasty, and for what this costs (I looked it up because I might want to pick up a bit of this myself), it's the real deal.
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2002 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 95 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Easily the best bottle of this wine I've had thus far. There's something incredibly pure and precise here, with a delicious herbal element that blends in with the slate and fruit of the nose. There are minor secondary elements that seem like they are just starting to develop, so the overall impression of this is a fully primary bottle. Definitely more than a little sweet, but with just the right amount of ripe acids so that the sweetness never sticks out. The acidity never screams out either, there's a slight creaminess that keeps that in check, so what you end up with is this brilliantly balanced bottle of riesling.
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2013 Georg Albrecht Schneider Niersteiner Hipping Riesling Spätlese 90 Points
Germany, Rheinhessen
Initially, quite tight and reduced, but there was a lot of (under-the-table) shaking that seemed to help open up this wine. This is a super bright wine, full of youth still, and that brilliant 2013 acidity is here in spades. There's a really lovely mineral aspect to this wine as well, and it's overall a really fun and enjoyable bottle. Sweet, but the acidity stands out a touch more than I'd like. Of course, at the end of the day, we may not be so lucky to be able to have Keller Spätlese all the time, but this certainly brings us close to the experience.
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2009 Emrich-Schönleber Halenberg Riesling Großes Gewächs 93 Points
Germany, Nahe
Had this next to the Frühlingsplätzchen GG, and I thought overall this was the stronger wine. The nose is ripe and tropical, with lots of sweet and ripe fruit, as well as a really alluring spice element too. There's always the deception of all that fruit and not having sweetness on the palate, but this is a hefty wine that, despite the lack of sweetness, still has the richness and fruit density. Owing to the ripeness of the vintage, I think there's a slight bit of alcoholic heat on the finish, but this is such a broad and fleshy wine that it doesn't seem too out of place. In quality, I would put this on the same tier as the upper Keller GGs (Abtserde, Hipping, Pettenthal), which means that these are among the best GGs Germany has to offer.
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2009 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Großes Gewächs 90 Points
Germany, Nahe
I had this next to the Halenberg, which I definitely preferred. The nose here is leaner and a bit more elegant, with relatively more herbal and green elements. There's a very nice purity here, but the broadness and ripeness that I expect aren't on full display here. The palate is racy with the acidity, but the richer fruit elements are attenuated. While this seems to carry the same alcoholic heft as the Halenberg, the missing fruit means that this doesn't carry it as well. It's a leaner, more mineral edition of GG, but I also think that this just isn't as complex a wine either.
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