January 19, 2024 - I'd very largely ignored the 2013 vintage in Germany due to the reports of a cool and wet autumn and high acidity. That I have tasted only one Mosel 2013 in all this time pretty much sums up my attitude. However, I did buy a small parcel of Vollenweider and this is the first one that saw the corkscrew.
A slight golden tinge to the medium yellow colour. Herbal, floral nose suggests purity. A deceptively soft entry in view of the vintage conditions, but at the middle it gets very racy with white and yellowish fruit of proper kabinett weight and restrained sweetness, which raciness continues to the acidic finish. The vintage seems to have impacted the length, too. But I see a comparison with the kabinett style of Weiser-Künstler, which is unsurprising, given their friendship and both having headquarters in the same village. Between very good and very good plus.
December 21, 2016 - At this point in time, definitely a notch better than the 2013 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Kabinett.
Eye: clean straw glass, low viscosity.
Nose: medium intensity, fruit of green apple to ripe quince, lime, herbal notes of grass and nettles, a little gun powder.
Palate: clearly off dry, an arrival of ripe pineapple, tangerine turning into lemon in the great length with good acidity and moderate minerality. More body in the mouth than visible in the glass. Well balanced and very moreish: I tasted this across 4 days, but had I followed my impulses it would have been gone on day 2 if it would have ever gotten that far.
Too good for food. IMO a solist: 92-93.
May 23, 2016 - beautiful balance of luscious fruits and acidity.
March 12, 2016 - #01-14, 8.5% abv. Slight nose of pineapple gummi bears, as well as some fresh Thai herbs. Lively acidity that is just absolutely enchanting. Moderately sweet with some tart white fruit on the palate. This is quite electric and fun to drink, especially with some spicy food.
September 3, 2015 - #01-14, 8.5% abv. This bottle showed a lot more austere than the last. That said, this is still a magnificently opulent bottle of Spaetlese [sic]. A whole boatload of tart fruit on the nose, with just a slight whiff of mineral/sulphur/sponti/whatever it is. There's something really elegant about the fresh Thai aromatics on the nose as well, though I paired this with a vindaloo instead of a green curry. The palate is just as racy, and while this is clearly sweet, the screaming acidity of 2013 holds this in check. My mouth waters every time I think about this wine...
July 25, 2015 - TGIF (Domaine Wine Storage - Chicago, IL): Tasted so much more sweet than it did in January. Don't know how/why that was, but this seemed to have less balance and more roundness than I remembered. That said, this is still very good. Nice pineapple, tangerine, and mango tones with some nice airy florals. In a perfect world, I would have loved this to have a hair more acidity.
July 24, 2015 - #01-14, 8.5% abv. This definitely comes across as a bit of a fuller-bodied Kabinett. There's a slight bit of that Willi Schaefer pineapple gummy bear on the nose, as well as some sweeter floral elements. This is definite Spaetlese-level sweetness on the palate, but the insane acidity of 2013 comes through and makes this into an insanely racy wine. In fact, despite the sweetness here, you could almost make a case for saying this is underripe, it's so green. What zip and verve. An electrifying riesling.
June 11, 2015 - Le Bernardin Lunch (New York): Pineapple, slate and musk with some apple and pear. The palate feels fairly dry for modern Kabinett. Good elegance and length.
May 16, 2015 - Excellent Kabinett. Laser focused with tons of minerals and acidity. Love the style and clarity.
April 7, 2015 - Excellent kabinett. Perfect balance and a laser-like focus. Mix of typical Mosel fruits along with some more tropical notes. Long and complete. Should age beautifully.