Dinner with old auction wines in Kloster Eberbach

Dinner tasting on the evening before the annual "spring auction" – Frühjahrsversteigerung – in the historic Eberbach Abbey in Rheingau. Tasting moderated by Markus del Monego, dinner by Patrik Kimpel. One flight with Spätburgunder, the rest was Riesling.

• 2009 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Steinberger Riesling Kabinett trocken 85 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Very fruity nose, ripe, with some peach. Dry on the palate, good acidity, fruity, medium bodied, some bitterness. 85-86 p. Good ripeness and rather good concentration for a Kabinett, but perhaps not brilliant for a top vineyard in a top vintage.

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• 1959 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Rauenthaler Wieshell Riesling Spätlese Cabinet 89 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Golden yellow colour. Noticeable firne” notes (see explanation below) in the nose, quite herbal, mint, some dried fruit. On the palate fresh acidity, medium bodied, again herbs, mint, yellow fruit, but the developed aromas dominated. 89-90 p with some temperature, was served way too cold.
  This wine had a very fresh acidity for a wine from a hot year, and had a good concentration for a Spätlese. Perhaps a little in style similar to what could be expected from a Mosel Auslese of that age?

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• 1971 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Rauenthaler Baiken Riesling Auslese 90 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Deep golden yellow colour. In the nose dried apricots, zest, fruity aromas with some hints of botrytis. Semi-sweet on the palate, more than medium bodied, dried apricots, rather good acidity, (dried) zest. Above the “basic level” for Auslese from this period when it comes to sweetness and body. 90-91 p.

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• 1971 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Rauenthaler Gehrn Riesling Auslese 88 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Golden yellow colour. Nose with "Firne" (old Riesling aromas), herbs, some smoke, malt, and has aromas of “less ripe fruit” relative to the other two 1971 Auslesen of the flight. On the palate off-dry/semi-sweet, citrus, developed aromas, yellow apple, good acidity. In sweetness and weight it correspond to what you can expect from an Auslese of this period, the developed aromas are similar to those I often find in dry Riesling. 88-89 p.

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• 1971 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Hochheimer Kirchenstück Riesling Auslese 89 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Deep golden yellow colour. Nose with "Firne" (old Riesling aromas), some dried apricots, slightly smokey and nutty. On the palate semi-sweet, dried apricots, rather good acidity, some bitterness (that wasn’t present in the Baiken wine tasted next to it) and a slightly burnt note. 89-90 p.

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• 1971 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Heppenheimer Steinkopf Riesling Spätlese 88 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Deep golden yellow colour. In the nose toasted hazelnuts, dried berries including red berries, "Firne" (old Riesling aromas) and smoke. On the palate off-dry, fruity, dried berries, "Firne", good acidity. 88-89 p.

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• 1971 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Heppenheimer Centgericht Riesling Spätlese 87 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Golden yellow colour. Perfumed nose with an impression of scented hand lotion, yellow apple, peach. Comes across as clearly youngest of the six wines of the first two flights. On the palate off-dry (slightly drier than the other two 1971 Spätlesen of the flight, more like feinherb wines), citrus, yellow and green apple, very fresh acidity, some mature aromas. Comes across as very young, I would have guessed 10-15 years rather than 40. 87-88 p.

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• 1971 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Rauenthaler Baiken Riesling Spätlese 88 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Rather deep golden yellow colour. Nose with dried fruit, "Firne" (old Riesling aromas), smoke, yellow apple. Off-dry on the palate, citrus, good acidity, some bitterness, yellow fruit. Improved in the glass, worked very well together with the food, and finally ended up at 88-89 p.

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• 2007 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Steinberger Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel Auction 91 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Deep golden yellow colour, actually darkest of the wines in this flight although the other two were much older. In the nose massive amounts of dried apricot, botrytis, flowery, typical Riesling perfume. On the palate sweet like a Beerenauslese, very concentrated and deep notes of dried apricots, good (but not high) acidity. Young but approachable, clearly a Beerenauslese style. 91-92 p.

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• 1964 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Steinberger Riesling Auslese 89 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Golden yellow colour. Fruity nose with dried fruit, apricot and yellow apple, developed notes with a hint of "Firne" (old Riesling aromas), slightly smokey. Semi-sweet on the palate, more than medium bodied, yellow apple, dried berries, medium acidity. 89-90 p.
  
  Comes across as the oldest of the three wines of this flight, i.e., seems older than the 1951, but in the nose it comes across as younger than the three 1971 Auslese of an earlier flight.

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• 1951 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Steinberger Riesling Auslese 88 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Golden yellow colour. In the nose smoke, yellow apple, "Firne" (old Riesling aromas), some nut. Its nose reminds me of an old dry Riesling. Off-dry/semi-sweet on the palate, medium bodied, very fresh acidity, apricot compote and apple compote. Very fresh impression. 88-89 p.
  
  Lightest in style of this flight’s wines, and came across as younger than the 1964.

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• 2003 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Spätburgunder Auslese Trocken Goldkapsel "Mauerwein" 90 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Deep red colour, slightly lighter at the edge. Nose with mint, herbs, dark cherries, spice, some smoke, some oak barrel notes, and some balsamic notes. Full bodied, slightly alcoholic on the palate, dark berries, tar, quite a lot of mint and herbs, rather powerful tannins. 90-91 p.
  
  It is far from obvious that I had identified this as a Pinot Noir if it had been served blind to me. It is more likely that I had guessed that it was a Côte-Rôtie. The wine was said to be “in-between young and mature”.

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• 2004 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Spätburgunder Auslese Trocken Goldkapsel "Mauerwein" 88 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Deep red colour, lighter at the edge. In the nose figs, some volatile acidity?, cherries, some mint, a hint of oak barrel. On the palate figs, dark berries, some alcohol, spice, undergrowth, some bitterness, quite a bit of tannin. Difficult to score. 88-89 p?
  
  This wine showed some unexpected notes, and not particularly typical for Pinot Noir, unless we’re talking about bottle variation. This particular vintage I’ve tried before, and I liked it as young, but now I didn’t recognize it at all and I score it lower than at that time. It would probably gain from more development.

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• 2008 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Spätburgunder Auslese Trocken Goldkapsel "Mauerwein" 87 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Light red colour, the lightest of this flight. Nose with cherries, animal notes, herbs, undergrowth, slightly sweetish impression of dried berries – a rather typical Pinot Noir nose. Slightly sweetish on the palate, cherries, spice, undergrowth, again typical Pinot Noir. OK acidity, some oak, a but of alcohol. Not too much of a “great wine”. 87-88 p.
  
  Honestly, this wine didn’t impress so much that I found it justified as a special auction wine; all other vintages of this Mauerwein that I have tasted have been more powerful than the 2008, and impressed more when young.

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• 1971 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Rauenthaler Gehrn Riesling Beerenauslese 90 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Deep golden yellow colour, fine tartrate deposits in my glass (I think I got the last drops of one bottle). Nose with "Firne" (old Riesling aromas), dried apricots, botrytis, some smoke. Sweet on the palate (typical sweetness for a BA), dried apricots, some zest, good concentration, medium acidity, a hint of bitterness. 90-91 p.

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• 1971 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Beerenauslese 91 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Golden yellow colour. Nose with mineral, winter apples, dried fruit, developed notes, some tropical fruit, slightly perfumed, a hint of nuts, elegant. Sweet on the palate (typical sweetness for a BA), fruity with zest, peach, some dried apricots, good acidity, mineral notes. 91-92 p.
  
  Next to two other quite good 1971 Beerenauslesen, this wine really show the typical elegance of wines from Rüdesheimer Berg sites.

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• 1971 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Beerenauslese 90 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  Golden yellow colour. Nose with dried apricots, other dried fruit, botrytis, "Firne" (old Riesling aromas) and development, smoke. Full bodied, palate with dried apricots, winter apples, some smoke, spice, botrytis, medium acidity. 90-91 p.

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