Riesling Study #1

• 2002 J.B. Becker Wallufer Walkenberg Riesling Spätlese Alte Reben 93 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Tight and smells young with peach, tropical hints, lots of steely minerals, iodine and shells. Crisp, minerally, and savory - peach, salty. Delicious saline finish. Tons of acid. Not a big fan of German Trocken but this is good, and the first Becker I've liked. Nose - 4.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 16.5/20.

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• 2018 Hofgut Falkenstein Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese feinherb #11 91 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Peach and confectionery sugar, pea, mint, cumin. Palate good but not super - spicy, good but not racy. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5/20

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• 1999 Prager Chardonnay Weissenkirchen

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  Interesting in aroma and texture, but weird. Jayson says "canned corn" and he's totally right. This has a little more thickness than the usual varietals and is almost a bit oily, but it feels like putting a square peg in a round hole. Not my thing.

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• 2008 Weingut Keller Kirchspiel Riesling Großes Gewächs

  Germany, Rheinhessen

  Crunchy and vegetal with a strong smell of celery. Quite savory and a bit hot. Yet another keller dry that doesn't impress me.

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• 2013 Franz Hirtzberger Weissburgunder Smaragd Steinporz 92 Points

  Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

  Great crunch on the nose and palate. A bit burly. Very crunchy and brothy, big, filling. savory and salty. palate is big and grippy, Great stuff. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 16/20

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• 2011 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Light and elegant nose but a bit dilute and it is missing a step. Just a hint of the signature musky melon, some perfume. Same on the palate - more acid than flavor, light on the finish with lemon and a bit of the melon musk. This is OK but I expect more from Egon. Nose - 4.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15/20.

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• 1990 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese 96 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Mature on the nose with some petrol and funk, cinnamon, apple - baked and red. Seems a bit simple but good. The palate is profound - light, lithe, apple, spices - perfect balance and vanilla creme. This is seamless, elegant, complex and deep. Perfect for me. Wow. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 6/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 18/20.

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• 1998 Müller-Catoir Haardter Mandelring Scheurebe Spätlese 98 Points

  Germany, Pfalz

  My bottle. Fat nose with bacon, guava, creamy, lychee, spicy. Soft but firm, very sweet and delicious on the palate. Spicy, exotic, deep, persimmon, mandarin, apricot. Long spicy finish. Killer showing - everyone loved it. Thanks to Salil for clueing me in on this wine! Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 6/6, Finish - 6/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5-2/2 = 19-19.5/20.

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• 2001 Müller-Catoir Haardter Mandelring Scheurebe Spätlese 96 Points

  Germany, Pfalz

  Put head-to-head my my 98. Big and exotic on the nose. Thick, super-tropical. Bigger but not as fine as the 98. Still this is really delicious. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 18/20.

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• 2010 Weingut Keller Westhofener Morstein Scheurebe Spätlese 95 Points

  Germany, Rheinhessen

  Super bright on the nose with passion fruit, grapefruit and other citrus. Spicy. Super gripping on the palate with passion fruit and spice. Not the most complex but exciting and perfumed and juicy beyond belief. Really in my wheelhouse. This is 17.5/20 for me.

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• 2002 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune

  France, Alsace

  Just a quick taste. This is really austere with barely any fruit with powered stones and chalk and steely minerals. I don't feel like this has budged and not sure how long it would take to come around.

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• 2008 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune

  France, Alsace

  Razor sharp, minerally, salty. Cuts like a knife. Incredibly salty and drenched in minerals.

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• 1995 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Smokey nose with peach, lemon, spices. Juicy and smokey on the palate - sweet and delicious. Textbook Prum WS Spat in every way. Still has decades to go.

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• 1988 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Drying out a bit with cinnamon and apple. This opened up great in the glass with great spice. So complex and seamless. (I got a better note the next day.)

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• 2005 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese Auction 98 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Super bright and sweet on the nose with musky melon and passion fruit and sugar. This has that incredibly bright acid but also has depth and some riper aspects well integrated. The palate is just great with musky melon, super rock candy, tangerine. Phenomenal. Nose - 6/6, Palate - 6/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5-2/2 = 19-19.5/20.

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• 2001 Müller-Catoir Haardter Bürgergarten Riesling Spätlese #2133

  Germany, Pfalz

  High toned and exotic. This got lost in the shuffle for me. But it felt a little more blockish than the Scheurebe spatlese.

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I decided to bring 3 1997's to check in on the dark horse vintage.

• 1997 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Nose is spicy, peachy, mint with some gummy bear. Very complex with so many fruits. The palate shows nice sweetness and serious acid melded together - great balance with tons of flavor like the nose. Excellent.

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• 1997 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese **

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Spicy and persimmon. A bit dry. Spicy and cinnamon with some dry apple. I drank this over the next few days and it was really excellent on day 2 with tons of flavor, classic mature Riesling, with crisp acid. Some sips were not as grippy and over the days after that it got softer. This has wonderful perfume and spice. Overall this was really good.

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• 1997 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese #10 Flawed

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Others got to this bottle first and it was clear that this one was damaged in some way - prematurely mature and somewhat dead. Oh well.

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• 1990 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 94 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Mandarin and persimmon. Spicy and deep - great acid/sugar balance. Orange juice and spice. Very good. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5-5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17-17.5/20.

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• 1990 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  The nose on this was more closed than the 97 Abtsberg. The palate showed higher acid than the 97 but less flavor.

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• 2014 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Very tart with lemon and the musky melon. The palate is similar and quite tart and a little lean. This was similar to the 2011 but with beter focus. Still just good, not great.

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• 2002 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  This was young and sweet with lots of juicy fruits, honey - still with that Prum spritz. needs years.

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• 1989 Trimbach Riesling Clos Ste. Hune Vendanges Tardives "Hors Choix"

  France, Alsace

  I got to this very late but I don't think it was a pristine bottle - there were some amazing fruit and spice flavors and depth but also some burnt sugar - thick but a bit sour and dry.

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• 2004 Joh. Jos. Prüm Bernkasteler Johannisbrünnchen Riesling Eiswein Lange Goldkapsel

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  Soaring nose - intense and bright and potent. Passion fruit and citrus, super light and gorgeous with amazing precision. Just delicious. So sweet and with such acid- perfect fruit and grapefruit and sugar. Killer concentration with long finish.

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• 1994 Müller-Catoir Mußbacher Eselshaut Rieslaner Trockenbeerenauslese

  Germany, Pfalz

  Serious palate fatigue here but I had a quick sip and it showed all the great characteristics of a HGS monster - huge acid and huge sugar totally balanced - molasses and kumquat and quince and dried apricot and all that. Amazing.

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