A nose that is dominated by tart apples. Fresh and bright with just a hint of yeastiness. Served blind, I would certainly not have gone to champagne, but I'm sufficiently unfamiliar with this style of wine that I probably would have guessed something like a cremant. A little disjoint on the palate.
From magnum. Overall the sense I got from this was others at the table liked it more than I did. Its nose is very sweet and biscuity, with pretty much the same on the palate. There is a sweetness that feels out of place (as if the dosage was too high) and then not much else on the palate despite that. I revisited this wine at the end and while the flavour seemed to have deepened a little bit, it was mostly still that sweet biscuity note that dominated. Additionally I couldn't find much fruit on this overall. Somewhat disappointing.
#27-12, 13.5% abv. The nose has a distinct sweet note from the fruit, which is quite pleasant, as well as a slightly invasive herbal green note, that becomes more pervasive on the palate. Nice minerality and acidity but lacking the concentration, depth, and weight that I like on my GGs. I'll add, Dönnhoff is one of my largest holdings (if not the largest) but I own none of their GGs.
#23-11, 13% abv. I liked this more than the 2011 Dönnhoff served alongside. First off, there is a hit of Haribo pineapple gummi bears on the nose here, which I generally tend to attribute to sponti (I get it a lot in Willi Schaefer's wines too). The fruit here is a little sweeter and riper, and I suspect there might have even been a hint of botrytis in this. Spicy and delicious, but still lacking the broad texture that I prefer in my GGs.
A slightly high-toned nose again with just a bit of Sharpie marker, though it dissipates with time/swirling. Riper and darker in complexion than the electric 2010, this has a serious fruity opulence, as well as a pretty strong kick of botrytis spice. Quite fat; this embodies a bit of why I generally dislike this cuvée versus CSH and the grand crus.
I've quite liked this wine in the past, and today's bottle is no exception. To be sure, it is still very CFE in style, with its generally broader fruit profile, as well as tropical hints, but this is one of the few CFEs I've had that displays a prominent backbone of acidity that really cuts through all the fat. There doesn't seem to be heavy botrytis influence here, which is another reason I gravitate towards this vintage.
#11-17, 12.5% abv. Tasted next to the Frühlingsplätzchen, I thought this was the better of the pair. Despite having had this in the past, having this wine with other more mature examples made it obvious how brutally young this was. The nose still has notes of sponti (the white Haribo gummi bear thing) and white fruit/pineapple. Fresh and bright, but swinging its weight around quite clearly already. This has more fruit and weight, especially in contrast to the leaner, more herbal and taut Frühlingsplätzchen.
#10-17, 12% abv. Tasted next to the Halenberg, which I preferred to this. This is the racier of the two, showing a little more of a herbal quality, as well as a touch of green on the fruit on the palate. The acidity is more exposed too because the fruit doesn't have has much girth here. Nonetheless a very compelling bottle of GG that obviously needs much more time to come into its own. I would not be upset owning this over the Halenberg, even if I did prefer the Halenberg more.
In a flight with the 2012, I thought that this showed more age and integration (as expected), but also that the two wines really weren't that far apart. The nose starts off with just a little bit of volatility in the form of Sharpie marker, but again that dissipates quickly. Quite ripe and full on the palate, with a bit of an ethereal character that you tend to find in the Dönnhoff Prädikat wines (only here it's in a dry wine). Not as crystalline as the 2012, which I slightly preferred.
Probably my favourite dry wine tonight. This is very much in the vein of the 2005 which we drank alongside, but because of this bottle's relative youth, it seemed to have more electricity and verve to it. The fruit is a little more white and crystalline; the minerality a little more precise and transparent. It has the same richness and ripeness of the 2005, but because of the more prominent acidity and relatively clean fruit, I preferred this vintage, at least for drinking now. It will be interesting to see how these wines age with another decade.
This was the vintage I was able to taste when I visited Germany so many years ago, and this bottle today hasn't changed my impression of it one bit. It's still a predominantly white-fruited vintage with crazy acidity that makes for some really exciting spätlese. This is clean as a whistle, and the acidity is so refreshing it works as a sorbet course by itself. At this point in the meal, this bottle was revitalizing.
#26-01, 6.5% abv. Honestly, this drinks more like a TBA (and pours more like syrup) than an Eiswein. The nose is incredibly intense, with some dried fruit and orange peel notes to it, but also a potent bit of spice. More of a fig and date kind of thing than fresh fruit, this far more botrytis-influenced than any other Eisweins I've had. A little goes a very long way -- this is very, very sweet, but the requisite counterbalancing riesling acidity is there. There is a persistent, but slightly perverse thought that this would make a great mixer (Eisweinschorle, anyone?) or ice cream topping...
2015 Dönnhoff Sekt Pinot Brut 85 Points
Germany, Nahe
A nose that is dominated by tart apples. Fresh and bright with just a hint of yeastiness. Served blind, I would certainly not have gone to champagne, but I'm sufficiently unfamiliar with this style of wine that I probably would have guessed something like a cremant. A little disjoint on the palate.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2006 Roses de Jeanne / Cédric Bouchard Champagne Blanc de Noirs Les Ursules 88 Points
France, Champagne
From magnum. Overall the sense I got from this was others at the table liked it more than I did. Its nose is very sweet and biscuity, with pretty much the same on the palate. There is a sweetness that feels out of place (as if the dosage was too high) and then not much else on the palate despite that. I revisited this wine at the end and while the flavour seemed to have deepened a little bit, it was mostly still that sweet biscuity note that dominated. Additionally I couldn't find much fruit on this overall. Somewhat disappointing.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2011 Dönnhoff Hermannshöhle Riesling Großes Gewächs 88 Points
Germany, Nahe
#27-12, 13.5% abv. The nose has a distinct sweet note from the fruit, which is quite pleasant, as well as a slightly invasive herbal green note, that becomes more pervasive on the palate. Nice minerality and acidity but lacking the concentration, depth, and weight that I like on my GGs. I'll add, Dönnhoff is one of my largest holdings (if not the largest) but I own none of their GGs.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2010 Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Großes Gewächs 90 Points
Germany, Nahe
#23-11, 13% abv. I liked this more than the 2011 Dönnhoff served alongside. First off, there is a hit of Haribo pineapple gummi bears on the nose here, which I generally tend to attribute to sponti (I get it a lot in Willi Schaefer's wines too). The fruit here is a little sweeter and riper, and I suspect there might have even been a hint of botrytis in this. Spicy and delicious, but still lacking the broad texture that I prefer in my GGs.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
1999 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile Flawed
France, Alsace
Most at the table just thought this was off, weird, or stripped, but I was getting a bit of TCA on the nose and palate. Though it was only me.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2006 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile 88 Points
France, Alsace
A slightly high-toned nose again with just a bit of Sharpie marker, though it dissipates with time/swirling. Riper and darker in complexion than the electric 2010, this has a serious fruity opulence, as well as a pretty strong kick of botrytis spice. Quite fat; this embodies a bit of why I generally dislike this cuvée versus CSH and the grand crus.
Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2010 Trimbach Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile 93 Points
France, Alsace
I've quite liked this wine in the past, and today's bottle is no exception. To be sure, it is still very CFE in style, with its generally broader fruit profile, as well as tropical hints, but this is one of the few CFEs I've had that displays a prominent backbone of acidity that really cuts through all the fat. There doesn't seem to be heavy botrytis influence here, which is another reason I gravitate towards this vintage.
Post a Comment / 4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Emrich-Schönleber Halenberg Riesling Großes Gewächs 93 Points
Germany, Nahe
#11-17, 12.5% abv. Tasted next to the Frühlingsplätzchen, I thought this was the better of the pair. Despite having had this in the past, having this wine with other more mature examples made it obvious how brutally young this was. The nose still has notes of sponti (the white Haribo gummi bear thing) and white fruit/pineapple. Fresh and bright, but swinging its weight around quite clearly already. This has more fruit and weight, especially in contrast to the leaner, more herbal and taut Frühlingsplätzchen.
Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue
2016 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Großes Gewächs 93 Points
Germany, Nahe
#10-17, 12% abv. Tasted next to the Halenberg, which I preferred to this. This is the racier of the two, showing a little more of a herbal quality, as well as a touch of green on the fruit on the palate. The acidity is more exposed too because the fruit doesn't have has much girth here. Nonetheless a very compelling bottle of GG that obviously needs much more time to come into its own. I would not be upset owning this over the Halenberg, even if I did prefer the Halenberg more.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2005 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Großes Gewächs 93 Points
Germany, Nahe
In a flight with the 2012, I thought that this showed more age and integration (as expected), but also that the two wines really weren't that far apart. The nose starts off with just a little bit of volatility in the form of Sharpie marker, but again that dissipates quickly. Quite ripe and full on the palate, with a bit of an ethereal character that you tend to find in the Dönnhoff Prädikat wines (only here it's in a dry wine). Not as crystalline as the 2012, which I slightly preferred.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2012 Emrich-Schönleber Halenberg Riesling Großes Gewächs 93 Points
Germany, Nahe
Probably my favourite dry wine tonight. This is very much in the vein of the 2005 which we drank alongside, but because of this bottle's relative youth, it seemed to have more electricity and verve to it. The fruit is a little more white and crystalline; the minerality a little more precise and transparent. It has the same richness and ripeness of the 2005, but because of the more prominent acidity and relatively clean fruit, I preferred this vintage, at least for drinking now. It will be interesting to see how these wines age with another decade.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2015 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Spätlese 93 Points
Germany, Nahe
This was the vintage I was able to taste when I visited Germany so many years ago, and this bottle today hasn't changed my impression of it one bit. It's still a predominantly white-fruited vintage with crazy acidity that makes for some really exciting spätlese. This is clean as a whistle, and the acidity is so refreshing it works as a sorbet course by itself. At this point in the meal, this bottle was revitalizing.
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue
2000 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Eiswein Goldkapsel Auction *** 95 Points
Germany, Nahe
#26-01, 6.5% abv. Honestly, this drinks more like a TBA (and pours more like syrup) than an Eiswein. The nose is incredibly intense, with some dried fruit and orange peel notes to it, but also a potent bit of spice. More of a fig and date kind of thing than fresh fruit, this far more botrytis-influenced than any other Eisweins I've had. A little goes a very long way -- this is very, very sweet, but the requisite counterbalancing riesling acidity is there. There is a persistent, but slightly perverse thought that this would make a great mixer (Eisweinschorle, anyone?) or ice cream topping...
Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue