An amazing, hypnotic aroma right away with so many layers of mature white truffles, roasted nuts, marzipan, brioche and other savoury, doughy and earthy elements around a core of pure citrus and pear fruit. The complexity and depth here are hard to put into words and there's a remarkable sense of finesse and harmony to the flavours, with an incredibly graceful and polished palate presence. Monumental.
This makes a pretty good argument why I should be a lot more patient with my young Singerriedels. Amazing complexity; there's a spectrum of fruit ranging from tarter pear/citrus flavours to riper tropical notes, and it's accented by vivid stony mineral elements and developed smoky, burnished and slightly waxy notes. It's not as flamboyant or intense as what I've come to expect from Hirtzberger, but rather showing a sense of restraint on the palate and tremendous focus and precision with amazing length.
There's a remarkably vivid stony mineral character that dominates here with a core of pure citrus and peachy fruit beneath and mature smoky/burnished accents. It's very precise, pure and focused with a bright acid spine, but just suffering slightly in comparison with the more complex/layered Singerriedel that was poured alongside.
Opened this with a little trepidation as to whether it may hold its own on a table laden with big name Bordeaux like Figeac, Haut-Brion and Gruaud Larose. Stupid me, I shouldn't have worried, as this was a wow from the first sip and had most of the table hooked right away. Spectacular aromatics, a fragrance I could have kept enjoying most of the night if this didn't also taste so great. Such a vivid earthy mineral character, forestal greenness, leather, tobacco and pure dark fruited flavours all coming together harmoniously, and an amazingly elegant, seamless palate presence.
Still incredibly primary and youthful, showing no real development yet but it's quite wonderful to drink nonetheless with a core of very pure red and dark fruited flavours seasoned with cedar, tobacco and more flamboyant smoky and floral elements. The palate presence is quite remarkable, powerful with a plush, velvety texture, and just fantastic balance. Impeccably balanced, very long and the structure and depth here suggests this will be truly amazing with a lot more time, though it's a treat to drink now.
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Definitely the most impressive Bordeaux I've come across from any of the 'modernist' right bank producers. It's certainly quite ripe, but very well balanced with a core of rich dark fruited flavours accented by cedar, tobacco and more exotic green herbal and peppery notes (Faryan mentions there's a lot of Cab Franc in this.) Like the Trotanoy it still comes across very youthful with the tannic spine making its presence felt on the back end, but it's certainly very enjoyable to drink now.
Very similar to the bottle I had back in January, showing that classic smoke and gravel Haut-Brion fragrance, and amazing polish, finesse and a sense of seamlessness on the palate with the layers of fruit, smokiness, earth, cedar and tobacco all coming together harmoniously. Fantastic wine that seems to be at its peak now.
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Definitely a lot more friendly and accessible than certain other ultra-tannic '75s have been showing recently, with that classic Figeac high toned fragrance of green herbal and forestal elements and floral notes around savoury earthiness, leather and mature red and dark fruit. It's not a powerhouse by any means; medium weight with a bright acid spine keeping it very lively and fresh with just a little grainy tannin still noticeable on the back end, but drinking superbly right now.
Great stuff; perfectly mature and drinking so well right now - it's very fragrant with no shortage of leathery/earthy Cordier funk, and on the palate it's equal parts fruit and developed savoury tobacco and cedary flavours, with the tannins fully integrated, bright acids keeping it very fresh, and a very polished, silken texture.
Beautiful aromatics with ripe peachy and tropical fruit, honey, developed smokiness and that Scharzhofberger herbal/minty character all coming together into a wonderful fragrance, but on the palate it feels rather flat and dull, not showing any of the cut and acidity I'd look for from Muller. A huge let down.
Perhaps my expectations for this were too high, but this doesn't have the same electric acid spine and the vivid slatiness I recall from earlier bottles. It's still lovely to drink with layers of ripe peaches, apples and tropical fruits accented by sweeter honeyed elements, but the sweetness is more prominent than I recall and I'm hoping this was just a slightly off/underperforming bottle.
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Fantastic aromatics; high-toned herbal, tobacco, floral and spicy elements framing a core of incredibly pure dark fruited flavours with more savoury earthy notes developing with a little air. This is drinking so well right now, very polished and seamless with the tannins very well integrated and bright acidity keeping it very lively and fresh.
1981 Krug Champagne Clos du Mesnil 98 Points
France, Champagne
An amazing, hypnotic aroma right away with so many layers of mature white truffles, roasted nuts, marzipan, brioche and other savoury, doughy and earthy elements around a core of pure citrus and pear fruit. The complexity and depth here are hard to put into words and there's a remarkable sense of finesse and harmony to the flavours, with an incredibly graceful and polished palate presence. Monumental.
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1990 Franz Hirtzberger Riesling Smaragd Singerriedel 96 Points
Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
This makes a pretty good argument why I should be a lot more patient with my young Singerriedels. Amazing complexity; there's a spectrum of fruit ranging from tarter pear/citrus flavours to riper tropical notes, and it's accented by vivid stony mineral elements and developed smoky, burnished and slightly waxy notes. It's not as flamboyant or intense as what I've come to expect from Hirtzberger, but rather showing a sense of restraint on the palate and tremendous focus and precision with amazing length.
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1990 Prager Riesling Auslese Klaus 93 Points
Austria, Niederösterreich, Wachau
There's a remarkably vivid stony mineral character that dominates here with a core of pure citrus and peachy fruit beneath and mature smoky/burnished accents. It's very precise, pure and focused with a bright acid spine, but just suffering slightly in comparison with the more complex/layered Singerriedel that was poured alongside.
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1996 Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon Les Grézeaux 97 Points
France, Loire Valley, Touraine, Chinon
Opened this with a little trepidation as to whether it may hold its own on a table laden with big name Bordeaux like Figeac, Haut-Brion and Gruaud Larose. Stupid me, I shouldn't have worried, as this was a wow from the first sip and had most of the table hooked right away. Spectacular aromatics, a fragrance I could have kept enjoying most of the night if this didn't also taste so great. Such a vivid earthy mineral character, forestal greenness, leather, tobacco and pure dark fruited flavours all coming together harmoniously, and an amazingly elegant, seamless palate presence.
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1998 Château Trotanoy 92 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
Still incredibly primary and youthful, showing no real development yet but it's quite wonderful to drink nonetheless with a core of very pure red and dark fruited flavours seasoned with cedar, tobacco and more flamboyant smoky and floral elements. The palate presence is quite remarkable, powerful with a plush, velvety texture, and just fantastic balance. Impeccably balanced, very long and the structure and depth here suggests this will be truly amazing with a lot more time, though it's a treat to drink now.
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1998 Château Valandraud 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Definitely the most impressive Bordeaux I've come across from any of the 'modernist' right bank producers. It's certainly quite ripe, but very well balanced with a core of rich dark fruited flavours accented by cedar, tobacco and more exotic green herbal and peppery notes (Faryan mentions there's a lot of Cab Franc in this.) Like the Trotanoy it still comes across very youthful with the tannic spine making its presence felt on the back end, but it's certainly very enjoyable to drink now.
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1978 Château Haut-Brion 95 Points
France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
Very similar to the bottle I had back in January, showing that classic smoke and gravel Haut-Brion fragrance, and amazing polish, finesse and a sense of seamlessness on the palate with the layers of fruit, smokiness, earth, cedar and tobacco all coming together harmoniously. Fantastic wine that seems to be at its peak now.
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1975 Château Figeac 91 Points
France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Definitely a lot more friendly and accessible than certain other ultra-tannic '75s have been showing recently, with that classic Figeac high toned fragrance of green herbal and forestal elements and floral notes around savoury earthiness, leather and mature red and dark fruit. It's not a powerhouse by any means; medium weight with a bright acid spine keeping it very lively and fresh with just a little grainy tannin still noticeable on the back end, but drinking superbly right now.
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1981 Château Gruaud Larose 93 Points
France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Julien
Great stuff; perfectly mature and drinking so well right now - it's very fragrant with no shortage of leathery/earthy Cordier funk, and on the palate it's equal parts fruit and developed savoury tobacco and cedary flavours, with the tannins fully integrated, bright acids keeping it very fresh, and a very polished, silken texture.
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1983 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Auslese Auction 87 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Beautiful aromatics with ripe peachy and tropical fruit, honey, developed smokiness and that Scharzhofberger herbal/minty character all coming together into a wonderful fragrance, but on the palate it feels rather flat and dull, not showing any of the cut and acidity I'd look for from Muller. A huge let down.
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2001 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese ** 91 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Perhaps my expectations for this were too high, but this doesn't have the same electric acid spine and the vivid slatiness I recall from earlier bottles. It's still lovely to drink with layers of ripe peaches, apples and tropical fruits accented by sweeter honeyed elements, but the sweetness is more prominent than I recall and I'm hoping this was just a slightly off/underperforming bottle.
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2001 Clos Rougeard (Foucault) Saumur-Champigny 93 Points
France, Loire Valley, Anjou-Saumur, Saumur-Champigny
Fantastic aromatics; high-toned herbal, tobacco, floral and spicy elements framing a core of incredibly pure dark fruited flavours with more savoury earthy notes developing with a little air. This is drinking so well right now, very polished and seamless with the tannins very well integrated and bright acidity keeping it very lively and fresh.
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