Magnum. Disgorged 6 September 2010. Bright and light colour, vibrant mousse; wonderfully fresh and incredibly primary, has retained a wonderful richness of fruit and spice, only marginally yeasty, has gained subtlety with age but has not lost verve or weight; very good length. Quite amazing, actually!
First day: Complete Rheingau EG, fully mature, medium weight, lacks a bit of energy now. This picture is confirmed after four days in the fridge, when the wine is muted on the nose and is losing grip on the palate. This will certainly not have the longevity of the the 2008 Buhl GG's also retasted today. Drink now - 2015.
First day: A whirlwind of flowers and spice, elegant, mineral and almost light in context. After four days in the fridge, the crisp 2008 acidity is keeping the wine very much alive, it has settled down a bit, shows a slight touch of honey but the remaining fresh fruit of apples and greengages is still vibrant. Should have another decade in it.
First day: Excellent power and depth, still a bit closed, wonderful richness and weight, very pure and stylish. After four days in the fridge, the remaining one-third in the bottle is still completely intact but it does not seem more expressive than initially. Clearly a long-lived wine, but I fear that it will remain aromatically restrained and that it will never really show the opulence of flavours of a great Kirchenstück. I hope I will be proved wrong! Revisit 2015?
A masterpiece. Perfectly at one with itself - "ruht in sich", the Germans would say. A masterfully confident and relaxed wine, intellectual but not forbidding, tightly wound and full of bottled-up mineral energy but seamless and silky, complex and with many hidden depths but deceptively easy to drink, a wonderful amalgam of power and layered subtlety; amazing length, hint of orange peel. Completely avoids the difficulties of the 2006 vintage, this dry expression of the Riesling grape truly counts among the greatest dry white wines of the world. It has been said before but it is true: this is Montrachet class of wine. Will last a long time and thankfully I have 6 bottles left to track its development over (say) the next two decades.
The *** - R - version, indicating a wine from volcanic soils. Wonderfully fresh and elegant, primary and cherry-ish, linear and energetic, volcanic minerality shining through beautifully.
AP 10 95. First day: Weight and elegance, incredible sense of place. After four days in the fridge, the wine only seems to have gained in stature. Deep nose, honey and wax, hint of Alpine herbs; lemon peel and salty minerality, medium-sweet; very good length. This tasting confirms that this is a very fine Auslese capable of lasting another 20+ years.
1998 Georg Breuer Brut Sekt 92 Points
Germany, Rheingau
Magnum. Disgorged 6 September 2010. Bright and light colour, vibrant mousse; wonderfully fresh and incredibly primary, has retained a wonderful richness of fruit and spice, only marginally yeasty, has gained subtlety with age but has not lost verve or weight; very good length. Quite amazing, actually!
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2004 Domaine Weinbach Riesling Schlossberg Cuvée Ste. Catherine 90 Points
France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru
Opulent, rich, relatively low acidity, falls away quickly, drink up.
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2005 Dönnhoff Hermannshöhle Riesling Großes Gewächs 94 Points
Germany, Nahe
Wonderfully classical, stylish Hermannshöhle, a festival of finesse and fragrance.
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2006 Weingut Keller Kirchspiel Riesling Großes Gewächs 91 Points
Germany, Rheinhessen
Marries a certain 2006 opulence to elegance and finesse, slight lack of length.
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2007 Schloss Johannisberg Riesling Silberlack Erstes Gewächs 91 Points
Germany, Rheingau
First day: Complete Rheingau EG, fully mature, medium weight, lacks a bit of energy now. This picture is confirmed after four days in the fridge, when the wine is muted on the nose and is losing grip on the palate. This will certainly not have the longevity of the the 2008 Buhl GG's also retasted today. Drink now - 2015.
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2008 Reichsrat Von Buhl Forster Pechstein Riesling Großes Gewächs 92 Points
Germany, Pfalz
Lovely basalt minerality, relatively dry but with a tropical note to the fruit.
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2008 Reichsrat Von Buhl Forster Jesuitengarten Riesling Großes Gewächs 92 Points
Germany, Pfalz
Elegance and depth, ripe fruit and minerality, a profound wine, power and finesse.
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2008 Reichsrat Von Buhl Forster Ungeheuer Riesling Großes Gewächs 92 Points
Germany, Pfalz
First day: A whirlwind of flowers and spice, elegant, mineral and almost light in context. After four days in the fridge, the crisp 2008 acidity is keeping the wine very much alive, it has settled down a bit, shows a slight touch of honey but the remaining fresh fruit of apples and greengages is still vibrant. Should have another decade in it.
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2008 Reichsrat Von Buhl Forster Kirchenstück Riesling Großes Gewächs 93 Points
Germany, Pfalz
First day: Excellent power and depth, still a bit closed, wonderful richness and weight, very pure and stylish. After four days in the fridge, the remaining one-third in the bottle is still completely intact but it does not seem more expressive than initially. Clearly a long-lived wine, but I fear that it will remain aromatically restrained and that it will never really show the opulence of flavours of a great Kirchenstück. I hope I will be proved wrong! Revisit 2015?
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2006 Weingut Keller Riesling G-Max 97 Points
Germany, Rheinhessen
A masterpiece. Perfectly at one with itself - "ruht in sich", the Germans would say. A masterfully confident and relaxed wine, intellectual but not forbidding, tightly wound and full of bottled-up mineral energy but seamless and silky, complex and with many hidden depths but deceptively easy to drink, a wonderful amalgam of power and layered subtlety; amazing length, hint of orange peel. Completely avoids the difficulties of the 2006 vintage, this dry expression of the Riesling grape truly counts among the greatest dry white wines of the world. It has been said before but it is true: this is Montrachet class of wine. Will last a long time and thankfully I have 6 bottles left to track its development over (say) the next two decades.
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2004 Meyer-Näkel Dernauer Pfarrwingert Spätburgunder Großes Gewächs 93 Points
Germany, Ahr
Incredibly delicious, fragrant, slate and ripe fruit, wonderfully pure and energetic, elegant, bright acidity, excellent length.
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2004 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Assmannshäuser Höllenberg Spätburgunder Spätlese Trocken Goldkapsel 93 Points
Germany, Rheingau
Opens up beautifully to smoked bacon notes, pungent and deep, elegant, powerful and long, a great classic.
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2004 Weingut Reinhold und Cornelia Schneider Spätburgunder 92 Points
Germany, Baden
The *** - R - version, indicating a wine from volcanic soils. Wonderfully fresh and elegant, primary and cherry-ish, linear and energetic, volcanic minerality shining through beautifully.
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2004 Jean-Jacques Confuron Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru 92 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru
Spice, fruit and oak, excellent style and minerality, at peak, lovely depth, faultless, lovely length.
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1975 Weingut von Othegraven Kanzemer Altenberg Riesling Auslese 91 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Drying, mature, Alpine herbs, deep, still shows definition and style. Quite different from the previous bottles.
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1994 Jos. Christoffel Jr. (Christoffel-Prüm) Erdener Prälat Riesling Auslese *** 94 Points
Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
AP 10 95. First day: Weight and elegance, incredible sense of place. After four days in the fridge, the wine only seems to have gained in stature. Deep nose, honey and wax, hint of Alpine herbs; lemon peel and salty minerality, medium-sweet; very good length. This tasting confirms that this is a very fine Auslese capable of lasting another 20+ years.
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