33 Rieslings, from sparkling to TBA

Trondheim Norway
Tasted Friday, June 10, 2011 by ktrh with 978 views

Introduction

A very nice, and much anticipated, tasting of Riesling at our home with eight pleasant, knowledgeable and thirsty tasters. A few of the wines have been re-tasted in the days following the tasting and hence the tasting note updated for a few of the wines.

Flight 1 - Sparkling (1 Note)

Flight 2 - Dry (4 Notes)

  • 2004 Georg Breuer Rüdesheimer Berg Schloßberg Riesling 91 Points

    Germany, Rheingau

    Very closed nose; all I'm able to pick up is some mineral typical Rüdesheimer scents. In the mouth very large body, excellent mineraly, a ton of acidity but at the same time an excellent elegance. A touch of bitterness in the finish. It grows and develops further in the glass and over the next five days. This was consumed at least 3-5 years too young, so hold on to your bottles.

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  • 2004 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Trocken Erstes Gewächs 93 Points

    Germany, Rheingau

    More open on the nose than the Berg Schlossberg. Pure and intense aromatics of lemon, apples and the typical riesling minerality; not tropical but very true Rheingau Erstes Gewächs. On the palate it has a sweeter initial hit than the Berg Schlossberg. Enormous intensity, full bodied and sensational acidity. It just grows and grows as it opens up, all the way backed up by an amazing intensity without going over the top. Good length. 93-94points for now, will improve further.
    The third best wine of the night

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  • 2001 Weingut Knoll Riesling Smaragd Ried Loibenberg 83 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

    The nose has some dirty and off notes, quite developed? In the mouth it is a bit coarse and while there is some acidity in the finish it lacks acidity in the start- and mid palate compared to the other wines. Harsh finish. Similar notes the next day.
    Surprisingly developed, could this have been a bad bottle?

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  • 2001 Dr. Bürklin-Wolf Forster Pechstein Riesling 88 Points

    Germany, Pfalz

    Nose of stone fruit like apricot and peach. Lots of ripe fruit. In the mouth the fruit follows, the maturity is just about right for me. It overtly acidic. Nice balance and a good finish, where the acidity finally kicks in.

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Flight 3 - Kabinett (4 Notes)

Flight 4 - Spätlese (4 Notes)

The spätlese flight turned out to be a bit disappointing. This is usually my favorite style but they did not show well today.

Flight 5 - Blind dry (4 Notes)

  • 1997 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile 83 Points

    France, Alsace

    (tasted blind)
    This specific bottle had gone too far, very developed and metallic. Bone dry with some mineral notes, however it felt very tired.

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  • 2007 John Howard Cellars of Distinction Riesling Megalomaniac Narcissist 87 Points

    Canada, Ontario, Niagara Peninsula, Niagara Peninsula VQA

    (served blind)
    Fresh and floral nose of white stone fruit and flowers. Light as a Mosel kabinett but without the schist. Excellent value! 87++

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  • 2002 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Clos Windsbuhl 90 Points

    France, Alsace

    (tasted blind, but as it was mine I easily guessed which one this was)

    Late harvest with slight botrytis on the nose in addition to very tropical fruit. Complex secondary aromas as well. In the mouth very fresh but with noticable sweetness. This was indice 3 on the Zind-Humbrecht scale, which indicates 'off dry'.
    I was a bit sceptical of what an off dry 13,5% alc Riesling would be like, but I found the alcohol was quite integrated with the overload of fruit, although a slightly warm finish gave it away. Otherwise very long and concentrated.

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  • 2001 Weingut Josef Jamek Riesling Smaragd Klaus 80 Points

    Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau

    (tasted blind, although since this was my bottle I picked it out) By far the most developed and worst of my four bottles, this one was more or less gone with quite developed nose and very bitter astringent mouth-feel.

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Flight 6 - Auslese (4 Notes)

An incredible flight of excellent wines, however the Scharzhofberger was a bit anonymous compared to the other three. The Rausch and Juffer-Sonnenuhr were both excellent wines that it would be very fun to taste again in five years or even twenty, as they both have enormous potential

Flight 7 - Auslese 2 (4 Notes)

Quite disappointing compared to the young auslese flight. This one contained one flawed bottle, two that were over the top and only one good bottle.

Flight 8 - Mature beerenauslese (4 Notes)

  • 1976 Weingut Ernst Clusserath Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Beerenauslese 90 Points

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    I seemed to have lost my notes for this, but took some notes the following day. It continued to develop the next day with a light touch and a very elegant wine, still very fresh. 90++
    A slight orange toffee in the finish that is a bit strange.

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  • 1976 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Beerenauslese 87 Points

    Germany, Rheingau

    A huge disappointment considering the younger dry Gräfenberg we just had. Still some freshness and life left in the bottle, but it is rather insignificant and does not show it pedigree well. It is still a very good wine, and I would not have any problem quaffing down many bottles of this one - but not at the current price

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  • 1959 Karthäuserhof Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Beerenauslese 97 Points

    Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

    I did not manage to make any notes of this wine as it just blew me away. I just sat there admiring the beautiful color and smelling it, while a huge grin developed :) The table went completely quiet for a few minutes.

    It was as close to perfection as I have ever come in a wine. Maturity, still so much freshness after 52 years, and it had such a complex nose and taste. A sentimental wine
    96-97 p

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  • 1976 Richter-Boltendahl Eltviller Sonnenberg Riesling Beerenauslese 94 Points

    Germany, Rheingau

    (served blind)
    An amazing Beerenauslese, the freshest of the four in this flight. It had good intensity, concentration and was in flawless balance. Very long finish. Apart from the color and some of the mature notes in the nose nothing would give away this wine as being 35 years.
    94-95p

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Flight 9 - Young sweet (4 Notes)

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