Rieslingfeier - Seminar with David Schildknecht, Andreas Adam, Thomas Haag, Florian Lauer and Dorothee Zilliken
Bar Boulud, New York, NY.
Tasted Saturday, February 16, 2013 by Seth Rosenberg with 578 views
Introduction
At 11:30 in the morning, about 40 Riesling diehards gathered for a Rieslingeier seminar downstairs in the banquet room at Bar Boulud. David Schildknecht planned and led the event, and we were honored to have Andreas Adam, Thomas Haag, Florian Lauer and Dorothee Zilliken there to present and discuss their wines. The theme was wines that often fell 'between the cracks' in both the U.S. and German markets: off dry-wines with 10-50 g/l residual sugar. The German market focuses heavily on Grosses Gewachs wines that are almost completely dry, while the U.S. market focuses more on the traditional Pradikat. David said he loves these 'in between' wines and wanted to share some of his favorites. Many were not available on the U.S. market at all. The wines would start more dry, and we would work our way towards the sweeter end of the range.
Flight 1 (5 Notes)
Flight 2 (3 Notes)
Closing
I have to say, the event was an eye-opener for me. I had tended to ignore this style completely, thinking that I didn't like the halbtrocken level at all. However, I loved a number of these wine, as my notes/scores attest to - I found them crisp and clear, focused and singing, airy and near-crystalline. Just what I love in Riesling and German wines. Now, these are clearly the 'pick of the litter' - but I certainly won't be ignoring them any longer. Thanks David!
2011 Schloss Lieser Riesling Kabinett trocken 93 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
11% alcohol, 8 g/l RS, ~7 g/l acid. Light yellow. Crisp nose of minerals, crushed stones, stone dust, some sweetness: peach and lime. White flowers. Very lively nose - bright and exciting. Maybe a touch of tropical? - banana? Very light and racy on the palate: more of that chalky-dusty minerality. Very bright - high acid: etched and electric. Flavors of steel, chalk, lime & tart lemon. Quite beautiful. Just a touch of heaviness at end - forced concentration. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 16.5/20.
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2011 Zilliken (Forstmeister Geltz) Saarburger Rausch Riesling Großes Gewächs 88 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
12% alcohol. 7.9 g/l RS, 6.9 g/l acid. Medium/light yellow. Subtle nose - reticent. Minerals and steel - dusty. On the palate: lime and lots of acid - lemon. Lots of minerals as well. Not showing the breadth of flavors like the Schloss Lieser (the previous wine in the flight). Very focused and elegant however. Showing lots of stone fruit pit bitterness in the finish. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 14/20.
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2011 Zilliken (Forstmeister Geltz) Saarburger Rausch Riesling “Diabas” 93 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
11-11.5% alcohol, 17 g/l RS, 6.9 g/l acid. From grapes grown in outcroppings of volcanic stone. Light yellow. More floral, less mineral than the GG on the nose (but still VERY minerally). Crushed stone, peach pit. Great on the palate, not huge at all but light and perfectly balanced. Loads of crisp lemon/lime, sweet peach, stones and minerals. Magical on entry and mid-palate - just electric. Gets more burly on the end-middle and finish. Quite bitter with stone fruit pit again (in a good way). I like this. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 2/2 = 16.5/20.
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2011 Peter Lauer Neuenbersch Riesling Faß 17 91 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
12.3% alcohol, 14-15 g/l RS, 6.7 g/l acid, a touch of botrytis. From the foot of the hill, with finer soil and SW exposure. Light-medium yellow. Peach, honey, beeswax, bitter peach pit, minerals on the nose. Enters intense: sweet and bitter with peach, peach pit, minerals. Quite complex. Darker in flavor spectrum than the previous wines with some golden aspects. Interesting meld of minerality and botrytis. Again with the bitter peach pit on the finish. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 15.5/20.
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2011 Peter Lauer Kern Riesling Faß 9 95 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
9.9% alcohol, 42 g/l RS, 8.5 g/l acid. From a longitudinal slice of the vineyard. Medium-light yellow. Deeper and more baroque nose (than the others so far): juicy, lime, slate, more peach and peach pit. Much sweeter on the palate - really delicious: lime, spicy, minerals. Just great. Nice burn. Superb balance between sugar and acid - sweet, yet light on its feet and exciting all the way through. One of the highlights for sure. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17.5/20.
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