A Rieslingfeier of our Own

We were hosted initially by Helmut, who was a wealth of knowledge and patiently explained all the estate's holdings to us. I did find it very interesting he focused a lot, lot more on Hermannshöhle than the Brücke (which in my mind are the two top sites of his stable). We were a little pressed for time as our appointment was later in the day (you'll notice we jumped from Spätlese straight to the mind-bending TBA), but Gabi found the time to also drive us around the vineyard sites, pointing out the estate's plots in Hermannshöhle and the tower in the Felsenberg, before taking us across the river to a point overlooking most of the estate's holdings.

• 2015 Dönnhoff Riesling Tonschiefer trocken 88 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (2/14/2017)

  #04-16, 12% abv. Under screw cap. Essentially, this is the dry version of the Leistenberg vineyard. The nose on this is peachy and fruity, with just a hint of those more exotic flavours -- Thai herbs and lychee. The palate shows similarly fruity, with mild acidity that is in good balance with the rest of the wine.

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• 2015 Dönnhoff Felsenberg Riesling Großes Gewächs 88 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (2/14/2017)

  #27-16, 13% abv. 100% volcanic soil. The nose shows quite ripe and broad, with a touch of minerality and some white fruit. The palate feels quite ripe as well, though the fruit doesn't seem to show through quite as much, and the acidity gives this much needed lightness. The finish is slightly marred by just a little bit of alcoholic heat -- this wine is a little more diffuse than the NH GG.

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• 2015 Dönnhoff Hermannshöhle Riesling Großes Gewächs 90 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (2/14/2017)

  #29-16, 13% abv. The nose on this is very aromatic, and shows lovely stone fruit and Fuji apple. The palate here is much more focussed, with some of that brilliant green acidity. Although similarly ripe to the Felsentürmchen, this holds its weight a little better and the finish here is clean and refreshing. Still, this is a heavier wine than I prefer for my riesling.

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• 2014 Dönnhoff Kreuznacher Krötenpfuhl Riesling Kabinett 88 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (2/14/2017)

  #02-14, 9% abv. Under screw cap. I was slightly surprised by the second half of the AP number on this, but didn't have a chance to ask Helmut about it. The nose and palate on this showed very reductively, almost in a white Burgundy sort of way. This was a much leaner wine compared to the 2015s, though this showed more towards the yellow spectrum; the fruit was much more restrained here. This just didn't have quite as much stuffing either.

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• 2015 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett 93 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (2/14/2017)

  #02-16, 9.5% abv. Under screw cap. Now you're talking much closer to my language! This was a delicious Kabinett -- one to enjoy for its simplicity and sheer drinkability. White pineapple on the nose and palate, with just the perfect amount of sweetness to keep your mouth watering for more.

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• 2016 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett

  Germany, Nahe

  (2/14/2017)

  Recently bottled; no AP yet. This was very difficult to evaluate as it showed a fair amount of green acidity that was still quite hard on the palate, though Helmut remarked that that was normal and that with a few more months the acidity would smooth out. I picked up some grapefruit and tart citrus as well, but I'm not sure how this note will hold up with more time. In any case, the wine seems good, if a bit hard to approach now.

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• 2015 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese 93 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (2/14/2017)

  Oops, missed the AP information on this one, but it ought to be easy enough to fill in. I thought this was a very intriguing iteration of the NH Spätlese -- this wine did not suffer from any Prädikat creep and was a reasonably classical rendition of the style. There is plenty of Mosel-like green apple acidity here, but balanced with that lovely soft touch that Dönnhoff is famous for. Crisp and clean, there's no funk here at all -- this is about as clean as it gets.

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• 2015 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese 98 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (2/14/2017)

  #25-16, 7% abv, 400 g/L residual sugar, 15 g/L acid. I'm told there were two iterations of the 2015 NH TBA this year, a Donnerstag and Freitag; we tasted the Freitag version from a half bottle that had been open for 10 days. Interestingly enough, in comparison to the monumental 2010, this wine actually showed far more acidic cut than the fruit monster that was 2010. Of course that is not to say at all that there wasn't fruit here -- the crystalline clarity and kaleidoscopic quality of the top-Prädikat Dönnhoff wines was on full display here. There's no way words can do this masterpiece justice, so I won't attempt it. This wine is simply stunning. Helmut seemed to favour this wine over the 2010, but through the lens of my immaturity, I don't quite see it; this wine certainly needs the benefit of a few more years for a just comparison.

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The next morning, we were greeted by Christoph at the winery, and settled down to business pretty quickly, when he pulled out "something that he found in the fridge" -- a 1976 Domprobst Auslese. Ironically, I had been remarking to Bill and Tim the night before how I had never had the chance to taste a very old Willi Schaefer wine. We spent most of the time talking about the winery itself and what goes on during the winter months, as Christoph led us through the entire lineup of 2015 Domprobst Auslesen. We had a little bit of extra time at the end, so we took a little tour of the winemaking facilities as well, ending with a peek at what I call the Schatzkammer and a pair of barrel samples. I can only say that these wines are still at the top of the heap as far as Mosel riesling is concerned.

• 1976 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese #1 98 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  #01-77. Incredibly dense and powerful, showing lots and lots of secondary characteristics, but still incredibly fresh. Lots of fruit still, and plenty of petrol to boot. Quite sweet and honeyed, with a light taste of botrytis. An awesome wine to experience at least once. The balance here is impeccable, and despite having clearly been opened some time ago, this is still in incredible shape.

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• 2015 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  #02-16. White fruit with a little bit of that lovely pineapple gummy candy flavour that I tend to find in the Willi Schaefer wines. The fruit here has a nice white quality as well as plenty of acidity. Floral and light, and very, very crisp. A bit bigger for a Kabinett, but good nonetheless.

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• 2015 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese #5 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  #05-16. This wine is curled up very tight right now, showing a bit of sponti and a dense kernel of minerality that is quite hard to crack at the moment. But there's no denying the pedigree of this wine. This is showing a slight touch of reduction right now, and the finish has a bit of clarified apple juice. Brilliant, later.

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• 2015 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese #11 95 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  #11-16. From half-bottle. Of the three GD Auslese that we had, this was by far the leanest. Crisp white minerality balanced by a light touch of yellow fruit. Clearly sweeter than the #5 Spätlese but holding the sweetness in check very well with acidity. The palate finishes with a light touch of green citrus. I thought this was fantastic, until I tasted the other two...

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• 2015 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese #14 95 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  #14-16. From half-bottle. This is clearly cut from the same cloth as its much more acidic sibling #11. The same core of slatey minerality is here, but this instead shows much more fruit and much sweeter. Very opulent. This doesn't taste riper but is clearly stylistically different. The acidity here isn't as prominent on this, but it's not like this is a low acid wine at all... I did slightly prefer this over the #11 and the Versteigerung today.

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• 2015 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese Auction 95 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  #15-16. From half-bottle. In density, this seemed to be a hypothetical blend of the #11 and #14. Today though, I thought that the #14 was the best of the trio, though I am certainly open to the possibility that I would have felt differently on a different day. The fruit on this is a bit more towards the orchard quality as opposed to white citrus. Honeyed and sweet, and absolutely delicious.

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• 2015 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Beerenauslese #16 98 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  #16-16. From half-bottle. Incredibly viscous and dense, like you reduced the regular Auslese by four and concentrated the sugars and acidity into a third the liquid. Syrupy and thick, but never cloying for even a moment. The spice notes here are brilliant and invigorating. The concentration and power of Yquem for half the alcohol.

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• 2016 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  Barrel sample. Clean and crisp, with tons of bright citric acidity -- think grapefruit and kaffir lime. Bracingly acidic but there's a little discernible sugar here already.

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• 2016 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese #5

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  Still very deeply influenced by yeast aromas both on the nose and the palate. There are now glimpses of what is to be, but the most compelling piece here is that dense slatey core that is already on full display.

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Owing to some last-minute scheduling conflicts, we were unable to meet with Barbara, so we met with one of the winery assistants, whose name I unfortunately forgot to write down. We got good insights on the Zeltingen sites that are the highlight of the estate, and why they're so special. The 2015s we tasted, in the wake of the Wine Advocate coming through, were phenomenally good wines, though I thought the trocken wines were nowhere as good in quality as the nobly-sweet ones.

• 2015 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Riesling Kabinett trocken 85 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  #08-16, 12% abv. Screw cap. There's a slight touch of reduction here, followed by very, very high acidity. Good minerality and crispness followed by a touch of white fruit, but my palate found this wine too hard and unforgiving. Not entirely approachable, even after being open for a few days.

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• 2015 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett halbtrocken 88 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  #36-36, 11.5% abv. Screw cap. 18 g/L of residual sugar. Very potent acidity on this wine, and the sugar gives this much more roundness and approachability than the straight up Zeltinger trocken. There's a little bit of almond on the back end in contrast to the white fruit.

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• 2015 Selbach-Oster Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese feinherb Alte Reben 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  #34-16, 11% abv. There's a little reductive funk on the nose here, but otherwise there's a nice steeliness to this wine. Lovely and relatively light, with a good palate presence. A very focussed and clear wine, very different from the powerhouses that are the Willi Schaefer wines. From 45-50 year old vines.

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• 2015 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  #14-16, 9% abv. Screw cap. Very reductive here with a bit of sponti-like funk on the nose. The palate shows lots of freshness, this is a very balanced and easygoing wine. The fruit here is much more rounded and there's a slight touch of creaminess on the finish.

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• 2015 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  #15-16, 8.5% abv. Crisp on the nose with a touch of sulphur and some sweet citrus peel. The palate shows a relatively high amount of sweetness for a Spätlese. The acidity on this isn't too powerful but the balance is maintained nonetheless.

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• 2015 Selbach-Oster Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  #31-16, 8% abv. This is a very soft and rounded wine, without too much cut from acidity. In fact this wine seems to me to be driven more by its intense minerality. There seems to be a bit of spice on the nose from botrytis, and there's definitely a lovely wildflower honey flavour. A relatively bigger and rounder wine, but not cloying or fat.

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• 2015 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Anrecht 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  #30-16, 8% abv. After the rounder WS Auslese, the bright green acidic streak on this was all the more stark. The fruit veers towards a more tropical character -- though not as ripe and round. This is very fresh at the moment and this wine is just mouth-watering.

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• 2015 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese ** 95 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  #18-16, 8.5% abv. My notes have this down as the Wehlener Sonnenuhr, but given that I also record AP numbers, I'm pretty sure my original note was wrong. Anyway, this is a fantastic wine, basically of BA quality. Very viscous, this is reaching towards that kaleidoscopic quality you find in the best sweet wines. There's lots and lots of sugar here, but there's no worry of this getting cloying.

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Lara, who had just moved home the same day from university, hosted us at the winery, as Thomas was in the cellar finishing off some work before his whirlwind trip to NYC for Rieslingfeier. Fortunately for us, the Wine Advocate guys had just been through recently, so we were able to taste through many of the same bottles that they did. This was an incredible lineup -- I found the wines a little fleshy, but light and with very good acidity. It's clear there's also a real sense of anticipation and excitement as more and more vineyards come online here -- this was an estate nourished back to health and in full-throttle growth now. One of top Mosel producers these days -- I can't wait to see what they do with the Doktor!

• 2015 Schloss Lieser Riesling Trocken SL 88 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  Screw cap. A relatively simple riesling, driven mostly by tart acids and crisp minerality. Despite being dry, there's still a lovely touch of fruit here, and this finishes with a pretty citrus acidity.

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• 2015 Schloss Lieser Riesling Kabinett Trocken SL 88 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  Screw cap. This is clearly very young and needs more time to integrate. It's still showing a little touch of reduction, but otherwise has great crispness and clarity. There's a very nice green apple tint on the finish as well.

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• 2015 Schloss Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Spätlese trocken 88 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  From the Niederberg Helden vineyard exclusively. This has the most depth and body of the three lower-level trocken wines tasted today. There is still good restraint here even though the fruit shows more broadly. There's much more power and density, but this will still need more time to loosen up.

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• 2015 Schloss Lieser Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Großes Gewächs 88 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  I'll be totally honest. I'm not particularly enamoured of the idea of a Wehlener Sonnenuhr GG, but I certainly tried to approach it with an open mind. There's really good, dense acidity on this wine, with lots of extract. Of the three GG wines, I think this was the most accessible right now. There's a nice touch of white fruit here as well, but I think the most interesting thing about this wine is that it shows a very similar sponti character to the rest of the Wehlener Sonnenuhr wines in the Lieser lineup.

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• 2015 Schloss Lieser Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Großes Gewächs 88 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  Of the three GGs that we tasted, this was probably the softest and most gentle one. This is very nicely restrained, with a lovely mineral core and acidity that isn't screaming out. However it does feel coiled up and that a little bit more time will help this round out further.

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• 2015 Schloss Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Großes Gewächs 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  Of the three GGs tasted, I thought this was the most profound and best. There's a very entrancing kumquat and tart orange note on this wine, as well as a light floral touch that gives this much more lift. I won't deny the quality of this wine, but I will make my usual remark that I think these wines are much, much better with some residual sugar and two-thirds the alcohol.

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• 2015 Schloss Lieser Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Kabinett 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  This is perhaps as textbook as it comes for Kabinett. This is light and crisp, with well delineated white fruit and a touch of herbs. There's still a slight bit of spritz on this as well. Despite its simplicity, this is very drinkable and enjoyable.

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• 2015 Schloss Lieser Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  A new vineyard in the stable for Schloss Lieser, this is showing a fair bit of sponti as well as some pineapple gummi bear aromas on the nose. The palate is a bit more floral, but similarly light to the other Kabinetts. This is probably also the softest and most approachable of the three Kabinetts on display today.

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• 2015 Schloss Lieser Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  I very much liked the 2014 version of this wine, and I'm very glad that I feel the same about the 2015. This definitely shows that funky Wehlener Sonnenuhr sponti (and in fact this popped up in every WS wine in the stable, and actually reminds me a bit of young Joh. Jos. Prüm WS as well). Nonetheless, this is a very lovely wine with plenty of white-toned flavours that are driven by some serious minerality. Of the three Kabinetts, this also needs the most time to integrate.

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• 2015 Schloss Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Spätlese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  Very elegant and floral, and a definite step up in sweetness from the Kabinett. Of the three Spätlesen tasted, this was probably the most approachable and open. Despite the full-bodied sweet fruit, this retains a firm acidic core.

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• 2015 Schloss Lieser Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  Of the three Spätlesen that we tasted, this was by far the fruitiest and sweetest, though there was plenty of restraint as well. There's a nice Thai herb flavour as well as floral aromas that differentiate this from its siblings.

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• 2015 Schloss Lieser Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 95 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  My favourite of the three Spätlesen. This shows clear WS sponti, but it's the dense mineral core here that I find most captivating. It's the least open and expressive right now, but you just know that this will unfold with the benefit of time. Very ripe and full-bodied fruit here.

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• 2015 Schloss Lieser Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  Again, that WS sponti shoes up here, ever-present in this vineyard (Lara quipped that this was generally the easiest way to pick out the WS wines when tasting blind.) This is, simply put, full-bodied and sweet, and there's a slight hint of orange and spice on the nose here. Very concentrated, there's a vein of green acidity that drives this from opulent attack to finish.

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• 2015 Schloss Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Auslese 95 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  In comparison to the WS, which was showing a denser core, the Helden Auslese was immediately more expressive, with a flood of ripe and concentrated fruit flavours attacking you from all angles. What made this the better wine for me was the very vibrant acidity -- this felt a bit lighter than the WS. Interestingly enough, I did pick up a little bit of wild yeast on the nose here as well, though it was nowhere as potent as on the WS.

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• 2015 Schloss Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 95 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  An extravagantly rich and opulent wine, with an incredible amount of very ripe and concentrated fruit. No botrytis. This is quite possibly the limit of how rich a wine can get without any botrytis. It's incredibly aromatic and fruity, and the necessary acidity is there to maintain the balance. If I had to imagine a BA wine without botrytis, this would be it. Wow.

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• 2015 Schloss Lieser Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/15/2017)

  I love the NH GK for its wild power, and so the restraint on this is a little bit of a breather from that. While this pushes the limits of ripeness just like it's sibling, this wine is not quite as expressive. Nonetheless, this is still a very impressive wine, both in terms of its sheer stature and concentration, but also from its balance.

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We met with Konstantin bright and early in the morning, and promptly got down to business with a few dry wines, followed by their rendition of Sekt, which is one of the best examples I've ever had. Fortunately for us, there were still a few samples of the 2015s open, so we were able to taste a very broad selection of the wines. I thought the dry wines here were actually some of the better ones on the trip -- it seems that extra skin contact seems to give the bottles a lot more depth.

• 2015 Weiser-Künstler Riesling 88 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  #10-16, 10% abv. I felt that this bottle showed much better than the one I had half a year ago. This has a nose of tart white fruit and fresh herbs, as well as a light touch of sponti. The palate is light and shows a touch of sponti, and despite the simplicity, this is drinking very well.

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• 2015 Weiser-Künstler Trabener Gaispfad Riesling Kabinett trocken 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  #09-16, 10.5% abv. Very crisp and steely, despite having been opened around two weeks ago. There's still a lot of freshness to this wine, though the bottle being open for so long might have helped to round this out. At this point, there's no jarring acidic knife here. Lighter, this saw no skin contact, unlike the heavier dry wines.

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• 2014 Weiser-Künstler Enkircher Zeppwingert Riesling Brut Rieslingsekt 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  #11-16, 6 g/L dosage. This is some of the best Sekt I've ever had. It's creamy and crisp and refreshing all at the same time. Not bitingly acidic, there's a very soft texture to this wine, but coupled with crisp minerality. A touch of sweeter fruit adds lots of excitement.

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• 2015 Weiser-Künstler Enkircher Steffensberg Riesling 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  #06-16, 11% abv. Much, much richer than the Gaispfad Kabinett trocken that we had just before, and that was due to some increased skin-contact. There's more fruit here, and this is a very broad-shouldered wine, with a white-fruited acidity. Very much a well-balanced dry riesling.

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• 2015 Weiser-Künstler Trabener Gaispfad Riesling 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  #08-16, 12% abv. From old vines 65-70 years old, with 24 hours of skin contact, made in two small barrels. The nose on this was very floral and light, but it's the palate where this truly shines. There is a very lovely fullness to this wine, and it doesn't scream Mosel acidity at the top of its lungs into your face. It's hefty and very nicely balanced.

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• 2015 Weiser-Künstler Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling Große Eule 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  Oops, missed the AP on this one. This is the biggest wine in the WK dry wine stable. The nose and palate are both the most concentrated and dense, and there is a lot of coiled up power here. Although I think the bottle had been open for a while, this was still very much coiled up and not yet ready to release its energy.

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• 2015 Weiser-Künstler Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling Kabinett

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  #04-16, 7.5% abv. Konstantin remarked that this was a bit of a problem child in terms of getting the fermentation down, as they use 100% wild yeast and spontaneous ferments. This bottle showed a slightly lactic quality and tons of brown apple flavours, although it certainly had the requisite sweetness for a Kabinett. I'm not comfortable saying that this sample was wholly representative, and I'll leave it at that.

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• 2015 Weiser-Künstler Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling Spätlese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  #05-16, 8% abv. There was still some sponti on the nose of this, but this showed about as classic as Spätlese can get. Its sweetness is in good moderation, and the acidity is in good proportion -- it's not a super-acidic Spätlese. This was a bit softer than the electrifying 2013, but a good example nonetheless.

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• 2015 Weiser-Künstler Enkircher Ellergrub Riesling Auslese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  #02-16, 8% abv. 100% botrytised grapes. Very much showing tons of herbs and sweet white fruit. Crisp and pure without coming off too heavy though there is just a slight taste of the botrytis. This was a very, very clean Auslese, so despite the rot, there are no funky or off-flavours here, just lovely concentration.

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• 2010 Weiser-Künstler Enkircher Steffensberg Riesling Auslese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  #03-11, 7.5% abv. (100 litres made.) There's still a little bit of sponti on this, but otherwise this is a wine that is aging quite well. The screaming acidity of 2010 isn't entirely there, but there's ample acidity to balance out the sweetness. The age has given this a lot of complexity, and this is simply delicious at this young age already.

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We were hosted by Mike, one of the winery assistants, in the lovely tasty room, and although many of the wines were sold out, I am still immensely grateful that we were able to taste them. The view out the window of the room looks straight onto the Juffer vineyard, and is the same view on the label of the wines. I've loved the wines in the past, but the sense for me is that there has been a gradual increase in focus towards making dry wines, and I feel that the Prädikat wines have suffered a little, with everything up until the Auslesen a little bit on the softer side.

• 2015 Fritz Haag Riesling Trocken 88 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  This is a trocken that shows towards the fruitier side. Rounded with impressions of nice yellow fruit on the palate and a nice but not screechy vein of green acidity on the finish.

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• 2015 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Riesling J trocken 88 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  75% Juffer, 25% Sonnenuhr. This showed a bit of reduction on the nose and a tarter, more white-tinted fruit profile. There's a nice salinity to this that gives it a very nice added dimension. This is clearly a step up from the estate trocken, but it is also a bit leaner stylistically.

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• 2015 Fritz Haag Juffer Riesling Großes Gewächs 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  Half fuder, half stainless steel. This is a much broader wine than the trockens, but not quite as big as the Sonnenuhr GG. This is the thinner of the two wines, showing plenty of citrus acidity and a light touch of Thai herbs as well on the finish.

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• 2015 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Großes Gewächs 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  This is the brawny big sibling of the pair of 2015 Fritz Haag GGs. Raised in 70% fuder, and undergoing battonage, this has a very broad and creamy texture which plays quite nicely with the green fruit and acidity here. A very broad and powerful wine that probably needs more time to integrate.

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• 2015 Fritz Haag Riesling QbA feinherb 88 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  Under screw cap. 18 g/L of residual sugar. This is literally the same wine as the estate trocken, but with the fermentation stopped a little earlier to leave a little sugar in. This still shows a little broader, with its yellow and orange fruit. The touch of sweetness here makes this just a little easier on the palate.

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• 2015 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Riesling 88 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  75% Juffer, 25% Sonnenuhr; 100% stainless steel; 17 g/L residual sugar. This is, like the dry version of this wine, a little richer and fuller than the estate feinherb. There is a bit of riper citrus here, and the mineral complexity is a bit greater. While I like this a little bit more than the trocken version, it doesn't impress me the way a Prädikat wine might.

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• 2015 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Riesling 88 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  There is something very chablisienne about this wine, thanks to the tart lemony acidity as well as the dense salinity here. This has a scant 13 g/L residual sugar. Crisp and quite good, but at the end of the day, I prefer a little more fullness and ripeness (and residual sugar).

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• 2015 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Riesling Kabinett

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  30 g/L residual sugar. Quite fat for a Kabinett. This doesn't have quite the same acidic cut as many of the other wines we tasted in the last few days. I'm not sure if this had been open for too long but it was starting to show a little too soft for such a young wine.

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• 2015 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Spätlese 85 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  78 g/L residual sugar. I think this is one of the roundest and least delineated Spätlesen that I tasted this trip. To be honest, this was kind of a disappointment. The fruit here shows quite ripe and there are certainly very nice elements to it, but this is just lacking the electricity I want in a Spätlese.

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• 2015 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  87 g/L residual sugar. This is a step up from the Juffer Spätlese, which I found a little shapeless. Even though this feels riper, with more concentrated fruit flavours, there is a good touch of sour citrus in the backbone that gives this more crispness and shape.

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• 2015 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Auslese 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  100 g/L residual sugar, 9.8 g/L of acid. Oddly enough, this doesn't seem particularly sweeter than the Spätlese from this vineyard. While there are some nice fruity elements, as well as a moderate acidic backbone, I'm not entirely sure this is the best candidate for aging, as the structure still feels quite soft. I preferred the version from the Sonnenuhr.

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• 2015 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  10.2 g/L acid. Here we are. This is the Fritz Haag that I remember from the older bottles. This is a very nicely concentrated Auslese with all the necessary hallmarks -- crisp and taut acidity on top of a whole mass of sweet fruit. This shows minerality much clearer too, and is by far the more compelling of the two regular Auslesen.

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• 2015 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 95 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  130 g/L residual sugar. This was my favourite wine of the Fritz Haag lineup. This is immensely sweet and rich, but there's plenty of acidity here to hold up to it. This shows very explosive and exuberant fruit at the moment, and coupled with that acidity makes this a fantastic drink now -- it is much more accessible than the similarly great, but more reserved Sonnenuhr GKA.

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• 2015 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  136 g/L residual sugar, 13 g/L acidity. In contrast to the Juffer GKA, this is a much more restrained wine. There is pretty much the same quality of fruit and acidity, but the minerality here has coiled this wine up very tightly, so that it is not as expressive on the palate. While I think this wine has better long term potential than its more flamboyant sibling, this just didn't show as well today.

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We met initially with Hanne, who introduced the two vineyard sites to us before Werner took over. We had a blast talking a bit about the wines and winery (and complaining that their wines have always been a bit tricky to find here in Chicago), and with some locals who had popped in for a glass, before Werner went behind the counter to bring out the Halenberg TBA, and talking about the unbelievable amount of work that goes into making something like that. More astounding was that there were still bottles available for sale, and I was lucky enough to be able to bring one home with me!

• 2015 Emrich-Schönleber Frühtau Riesling Trocken 90 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (2/16/2017)

  I quite liked this iteration of dry riesling. There's something exotically tropical on the palate of this, and while it's certainly quite acidic, it's never in your face about it. Gentle and fresh, this is an excellent entry level trocken.

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• 2014 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halgans Riesling Trocken 90 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (2/16/2017)

  5 g/L residual sugar. Although this is a much leaner wine than the 2015 Frühtau we tasted just before, this too never had that screechy acidity that many dry rieslings suffer from. This is a more restrained bottle, with less fruity exuberance and more mineral raciness.

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• 2013 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Spätlese 93 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (2/16/2017)

  In an acid-driven year like 2013, you really have to be careful about acid bombs. This wine is none of that. There's a beautiful elegance to this wine, thanks to a full slate of tropical fruit on the nose and palate. All counterbalanced by that high acidity, this leaves a very mouthwatering Spätlese.

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• 2014 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Spätlese 95 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (2/16/2017)

  This is one of the best 2014 Spätlese I have tasted. It is so gentle but powerful at the same time. You have to look for all the elements of a great Spätlese but they are all there. Enjoyable viscerally and intellectually, this is one of those magical wines that you can enjoy however you like. Delicious now, but I worry slightly that with more age, the more foregrounded elements mught fade a bit.

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• 2014 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Auslese 93 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (2/16/2017)

  Yet another stunning 2014 from Emrich-Schönleber; I'm beginning to think I ought to hunt down the rest of the lineup to taste. These wines have been nothing but fantastic. This Auslese is in a lighter style, with a sort of airiness and lightness that is perhaps characteristic of the vintage. But there's so much complexity here if you're willing to dig for it...

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• 2015 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese 100 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (2/16/2017)

  200 half-bottles produced. This is a much broader and denser wine than the 2015 Dönnhoff Niederhauser Hermannshöhle TBA. I recognize the futility of comparison here, but this doesn't have quite the same acidic drive as Dönnhoff's. In contrast this wine reminds me of the most of the 2010 Dönnhoff TBA (one of the best wines ever made), with its clearly delineated fruit and kaleidoscopic flavours. The spicy nose with rich botrytis is intoxicating. A masterpiece; I am deeply grateful to Werner for sharing this with us.

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• 2012 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Eiswein 98 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (2/16/2017)

  Another intoxicating elixir from the brilliant hands of the Emrich-Schönleber estate. This is not as opulent as the 2015 TBA (not much in the world is), but this is still a concentrated distillation of the essence of riesling. The nose shows some of those lovely spicy Eiswein notes, with a mix of fruit and green herbs. The palate's texture is not viscous, but it is certainly concentrated. Massively sweet and never cloying, this is a masterpiece of winemaking.

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Driving to Wehlen, we were able to identify the winery from across the Sonnenuhr vineyard just by recognizing the building from the label. We met with Amei Prüm for the tasting, and she proceeded to take us on a serious comparative study of the Prüm wines, followed by a few bonus wines at the end. The 2015 GH Kabinett was outstanding (Amei referred to this wine as the perennial "naughty boy"), and although many of the wines I had already tasted before, it was certainly very educational to see them ordered the way they were. As we were talking about the various vineyards, we had gotten to mentioning the Johannisbrünnchen, a site particularly good for Eiswein because it tends to stay cooler, and even more amazingly, we were able to have a taste of it -- and to top it off, being able to follow that with the GH TBA was superlative upon superlative.

• 2015 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett 95 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  #29-16, 8.5% abv. This had a brilliant spicy nose, with loads of white fruit and minerality. This is definitely easier to drink now than the WS version of this wine. Extremely expressive, there's a youthful exuberance to this that is just so exciting. I don't think that this has quite the same electric sizzle as the WS does, but it's incredible drinking right now. I did find the sugar on this a little on the higher side, especially once this was followed by the lineup of 2014 Spätlesen.

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• 2014 Joh. Jos. Prüm Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese 88 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  #14-15, 8% abv. This is actually lighter and less sweet than the 2015 GH Kabinett that preceded. This seemed a little dilute and muted as well, with the fruit flavours not showing particularly well. There's a nice florality to this wine, but I wish it had a little more heft.

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• 2014 Joh. Jos. Prüm Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  #16-15, 7.5% abv. This is far bigger and broader than the BB Spätlese, and the fruit here shows more prominently and exuberantly. There's still a slight touch of sponti on this wine. The ZS site's earth is drier than the BB, which is responsible for the added concentration and fruit in this. Still, this is not a particularly dense wine, but it was on very good display today.

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• 2014 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  #21-15, 7% abv. As we move up the hierarchy, this wine is again slightly bigger than the preceding ZS. This is quite expressive now, and the fruit is even more opulent. However, there is a fantastic mineral core on this that gives it so much interest. There is still a great balancing vein of acidity in this wine that makes it a very good Spätlese.

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• 2014 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  #23-15, 7.5% abv. This was perhaps the densest and most complex of the four Spätlese in the Prüm stable today. Although it seemed a little bit closed, there was clearly a nice roundness to this wine from the sugar. There's still a little bit of sponti and Wehlener funk on this wine, and I suspect with time, this will start to win out over the GH.

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• 2012 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  9% abv. Oops, missed the AP on this one. This is a very, very ripe edition of this wine, and the contrast with the 2014 was extremely stark. There's so much more dense fruit on this wine, and it's almost like you can feel the 2% extra alcohol on this. Of course, this is not a complaint that this wine is hot, but it is a very stark contrast indeed. The fruit here has started to get quite creamy, and I actually thought the acidity on this was a little bit too restrained. Obviously, it's not the best time to be tasting 2012s, but I greatly appreciated the extra peek.

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• 2009 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  #14-10, 8.5% abv. I've made a huge mistake underestimating the quality of the 2009 vintage. This was an outstanding Spätlese, strutting its stuff proudly today. The same mineral core is decorated with light yellow fruit, the perfect amount of sweetness, and a very lovely light acidity that gently drives the wine to the finish.

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• 2009 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  #06-11, 8% abv. Simply put, this is the Spätlese, but bigger. There's an enticing spicy note on the nose that's on top of all the good stuff in the Spätlese. Mostly though, this is an airy and gentle Auslese, without any heaviness despite the added concentration. One of the more elegant Auslesen that I can recall.

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• 2007 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  #34-08, 7.5% abv. Although this has the immense ripeness of the vintage on full display, there is never a moment when this is too sweet, heavy, or cloying. Although lower in acid too, the minerality here almost makes up for that deficiency. The extra spice elements on the nose also add some interest. A very drinkable and lovely Auslese.

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• 2004 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  #20-14. Served blind, I guessed the 2005 GH Auslese. How's that for egg on the face? In hindsight, this made total sense, as there was a very nice vein of green acidity on the back end, but for whatever reason, I got it into my head that this was a riper wine. And without too much of the sponti to lean back on as well, I guessed that this was the GH, thanks to some very nice minerality. Whatever it was, it was delicious.

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• 2003 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  Served blind. With just a little touch of roastedness on the nose, it was trivial to guess this as the 2003 vintage. However, again I got the vineyard wrong (I guessed GH -- I suppose I had been tasting too many young wines at this point and I was fixated on the idea that the WS wines had more funk, even though I know it evolves out with time). In any case, this is a very ripe wine and the gasoline aromas are quite prevalent. Although very ripe, this is still made in a very restrained manner, and there is a lot to anticipate as the outright sugar fades.

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• 2003 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 95 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  #10-07, 7% abv. I'm immensely pleased I bought a few more bottles of this recently. I was not intially a huge fan of this wine, but being able to try it again has me convinced that this is going to be a phenomenal GK. Sure, the fruit is very, very powerful right now and the sugar still a bit dominant, but the slowly developing secondary characteristics are very exciting. The spice and petrol here add so much depth to this wine. And on top of that, this is a 7% abv wine in one of the hottest vintages in memory... There's some magic involved here.

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• 2004 Joh. Jos. Prüm Bernkasteler Johannisbrünnchen Riesling Eiswein Lange Goldkapsel 98 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  #21-16, 6% abv. Served blind. The heightened acidity and insane smoke and spice on the nose had me thinking Eiswein right away. This is surprisingly not too sweet and is instead focussed on herbal and spicy flavours. There is a huge mix of citrus and tart stone fruit as well, and it all gets merged into a very, very powerful wine.

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• 2005 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese Auction 100 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  In contrast to the two Nahe TBAs that were tasted, this is much more orange-tinted style. While the Dönnhoff and Emrich-Schönleber TBAs were primarily focussed on white fruits, this veered towards the orange spectrum (granted, this also has the benefit of 10 more years of age). There's almost something Sauternes-like about this TBA but instead of weighing heavily on you because of the high alcohol content, the heft here is derived from the insane amount of fruit extract and sweetness. It's certainly not cloying but there is such concentration here it is painful to drink quickly.

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This was perhaps a little bit more of a challenging visit, as I had to do quite a bit of translation, but I will say without hesitation that the lineup here in 2015 was as good as it gets. I picked up quite a bit of knowledge here (qualified against my limited ability to understand German) -- that the UW parcels closer to ET were considered better, that the brothers had given up the ET vineyards now because they were too difficult to work, that it was Willi Schaefer who arranged the decades-long connection between Terry and the estate... sitting in their living room was quite a throwback to a past which is before my time. Terry's annual writeup on the brothers has always felt a bit too navel-gazy for me, but after the visit, I can do nothing but agree with him.

• 2015 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett 95 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  #13-16. I had perhaps gotten it into my mind that the Merkelbach wines were much more old school and drier, but this bottle of Kabinett was showing so much exuberance right from the get-go I got carried away by it just the same. Very crisp and light, with so much verve and life. Definitely on the sweeter end of Kabinett, especially for the Merkelbach style, this is an absolute joy to drink.

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• 2015 Alfred Merkelbach Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  #14-16. This is an incredibly crisp and fresh Spätlese, again made in a slightly sweeter style, at least for the Merkelbach estate. There's some lemony acidity to this, and coupled with the slatey minerality on this wine, this makes for a very crisp, mineral-driven wine.

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• 2015 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  Alas, I'm not sure which bottling of UW Spätlese the wine I tasted precisely was, as my German was not quite up to the task of clarifying, and this was in an anonymous bottle. In any case, this is a delicious, classic UW Spätlese. It has that clear spice note, as well as some sweet apple flavours. Very dense, this needs time to uncoil. A light touch of herbaceousness on the finish adds even more interest.

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• 2015 Alfred Merkelbach Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Auslese 93 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  This is almost a step backwards in terms of sweetness versus the ET and UW Spätlesen. At least that was how I perceived it. Of course, the step backwards in sweetness is not a step back in quality. This is a leaner, more classically styled Auslese, sitting on the lower fringes of the Prädikat. A little bit of grapefruit peel is commingled with tons of minerality and acidity to round out the palate.

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• 2015 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese #9 'Urgluck' 95 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  Absolutely brilliant. The spice notes on this wine are clear as day, and the bright minerality and fresh acids make this as compelling a wine as can be. It's concentrated and dense with honeyed tart pineapple and a little bit of kaffir line. Obviously young but a joy to drink. Perhaps this was more accessible to me by virtue of the fact that this did seem sweeter than my experiences with Merkelbach wines...

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• 2015 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese #8 'Lang Pichter' 95 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  This is Fuder 8, and I don't recall the Lang Pichter site explicitly marked on the label. Anyway, while the Urglück was big, this wine is even bigger, almost basically showing the Urglück amped up by 50%. This shows very much along the same lines, with the green herbal notes coupled with honeyed pineapple. It's mouthwatering just to think about this.

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• 1990 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese 98 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/17/2017)

  #10-91. This wine is etched indelibly in my mind -- the result of an incredibly generous gesture from the brothers Merkelbach. The nose on this showed lots of petrol upon opening, but a lot of that blew off after a little bit of time. What emerges is a wine extremely similar to the legendary 1990 Joh. Jos. Christoffel UW Auction Auslese. It is simultaneously rich and powerful but tempered by acidity. There's a touch of botrytis. The fruit is still incredibly fresh but counterbalanced by many secondary characteristics. Certainly the sweetness has been diminished by time, but this is precisely what an aged Auslese of impeccable pedigree should be.

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• 2012 Tenute Rubino Primitivo Visellio Salento IGT 83 Points

  Italy, Puglia, Salento IGT

  (2/13/2017)

  (At Quattro in Frankfurt.) A somewhat foursquare heavy red wine. Very, very sweet, with tons of sweet fruit (I'm almost certain there's a little RS left in this wine) with a touch of spice. The palate is a shapeless, without acidity at all, and the tannins are pretty soft. Despite all this, this wine does seem to hold its 15.5% abv quite well.

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• 1986 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/14/2017)

  (Off the Belle Epoque list at the Hotel Bellevue in Traben-Trarbach.) #06-87. For a wine of this age, the storage has been simply incredible. There are still very clear signs of green in the glass and besides a developed petrol note, the fruit and acidity on this is as fresh as can be. Granted, the wine is not too profound or deep, coming from a tougher vintage like this, but the condition of this wine was stunning -- fresh and crisp, like the day it was bottled.

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• 2003 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 88 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/14/2017)

  (Off the Belle Epoque list at the Hotel Bellevue in Traben-Trarbach.) From half-bottle. A monolithic wine that is a clear product of the vintage. Tons of ripe fruit in a nice mix, but they aren't clearly delineated the way the best rieslings ought to be. There's a lot of sweetness here, but it still seems appropriate for the Prädikat, but there's also just a bit of acidity to freshen things up.

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• 2005 Dönnhoff Schloßböckelheimer Kupfergrube Riesling Spätlese 95 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (2/16/2017)

  (At Hermannshöhle Restaurant Weck.) #12-06, 8.5%. There was initially a bit of petrol on the nose which blew off with air. There was a bit of creamy fruit on the nose, with some peaches and other ripe stone fruit. The palate is in very good condition, which makes sense since this bottle likely only moved 500m its entire life. The palate still shows very crisp acidity, and almost a touch of green acidity. Very fresh and delicious, and a perfect pairing for the classic yet refined food at the restaurant.

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• 2015 Weingut Dr. Crusius Traiser Spätburgunder 88 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (2/16/2017)

  #43-16, 13.5% abv. I don't know if it's my riesling-fatigued palate or not, but this is eminently drinkable pinot noir. A touch of spice and plenty of crunchy red fruit on the nose, followed by just enough tannins to give this the right roughness. Perfect drinking bistro wine. Love it.

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• 2015 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Kabinett Auction 95 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/16/2017)

  #08-16, 7.5% abv. Touch of sponti on the nose, this is not very expressive, at least on the aromas. The palate is incredibly rich and complex, with heaps of sweet white fruit. Beautiful and potent, with lots and lots of concentration. However this never veers towards overripeness; this is as classic Kabinett as it gets.

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• 2015 Weingut Keller Kirchspiel Riesling Großes Gewächs 93 Points

  Germany, Rheinhessen

  (2/17/2017)

  (At Laurenz in Mainz.) #42-16, 13.5% abv. After three days of lovely (that's a German pun) Mosel wines, sometimes you just need something very different, and despite my fears and dislike of dry riesling, when you see a screaming deal on a wine list, you order it. This is an excellent wine, there is no doubt about it. The nose screams lemon oil and minerals, and the boldness here is a clear prelude of the things to come. The palate is incredibly dense and ripe, but perfectly poised thanks to the very potent acidity. We compared this in very favourable terms to a Corton-Charlemagne for its fat fruit, bold acidity, and crisp minerality.

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• 2015 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (2/18/2017)

  #22-16, 7.5% abv. From half-bottle. A little example of how differently wines show when they're in a long lineup versus when you are drinking from a single bottle. Whle this indeed had much of the same (green) acidity that I remarked on in my note from two days ago, I felt that the precision in this bottle wasn't as clearly there. There's definitely a bit of sponti in this wine still, and lots of tart yellow fruit flavours, perhaps bordering on tropical. There is incredible sweetness here as well. Although open for business, I thought that this was just a little bit fat, and I would have loved even more mineral cut.

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