April 23, 2023 - PNP. Cork a little crumbly but intact. Color is gold. Nose promises mature Riesling which the palate delivers. Served just below cellar temp which allows acidity to balance what little RS persists. This was fantastic and still will hold. Amazing how great Riesling will hang for 25+
December 1, 2021 - (Mostly) Spätlese dinner at Proxi (Chicago, IL): #19-99, 10% abv. The Müller-Catoir wines tonight were all unmistakably Müller-Catoir. This was a heavy, hard-hitting Spätlese with a generous mix of herbal tones and a very full-throttle dose of ripe, tropical fruit. There are some more exotic, almost scheurebe-like tropical tones on the palate, and the sweetness is balanced incredibly well with the slightly oily texture. A fascinating wine, but very much overshadowed by the 2001 version.
August 18, 2021 - Sailing along a mature plateau with no end in sight. Still showing some of the tropical fruit of its youth, but also a more mature orange/nectarine and brown sugar glaze that adds a layer of lusciousness to the experience. A hint of black tea betrays the age on the wine, but also adds to the overall complexity. Time has brought the sweetness down to the Feinherb level, and it’s balanced by the still vibrant acidity. At the finish there’s a hit of creaminess, like a spiced creamsicle, and the flavors echo down an endless tunnel. It’s going to be a shame when this is all gone.
July 10, 2021 - Incredibly young and filled with life. Feels like it's just emerging out of its long slumber to pounce. Grapefruit pith, peach, papaya, white flowers. Full body without feeling heavy. It's got a hell of a pep in its step. Slightly salty finish that lingers and leaves you wanting more. The bottle didn't last long.
July 1, 2021 - #19-99, 10% abv. 9827. Advanced and/or slightly heat-damaged. A shame, as the fantastic material is still plenty evident.
February 28, 2020 - Perfection. I've had some amazing bottles of this in the past, but this one was on another level. The tropical fruit felt fresher and more youthful than in previous bottles, with an almost Scheurebe-like exuberance and intensity. There's amazing acidity here that cuts through the richness and makes it feel remarkably light and elegant for such a rich, thick wine, and the overall experience is hard to put into words. Can't imagine Riesling being any better.
January 8, 2020 - Nose of peach, dried apricot, spice and horseradish. Mature and drying out. Sweet-dry on palate with more dried apricot and peach, orange peel - solid acid backbone, horseradsh, botrytis - nice perfume. Drink up. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 5.5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 17/20.
May 31, 2019 - Golden in color with luscious tropical fruit, though unfortunately losing some of its edge and crispness relative to how it showed a few years ago - turning into a wine you'd probably rather have with the cheese than with the apps.
February 9, 2019 - I think I’m finally starting to really understand the Pfalz. The wines have a much more burnished fruit character, certainly more exotic than Mosel which has a more mineral/salt water characteristic to its fruit flavors. What this perhaps lacks in transparency, more than makes up for with just sheer fleshy intensity. The color on this was deep golden, the flavors were like mango and pineapple with a touch of sugar brûléed on top. But there is a cooling minty touch, a little hyssop perhaps? I think this is in a perfect spot right now. Splendid.
December 25, 2018 - Still holding, good acidity and freshness, beginning to lose some fruit. Time to drink.