November 18, 2022 - Yet another frail and crumbling cork - it took 10 minutes to extricate the fragments from the neck and another minute to remove them from the glass first-poured. Little wonder the sommeliers in the best restaurants in Rīga and its outskirts don't want the serving hassle caused by this wine. A shame, though, since the liquid beneath the poor quality cork is in the large bulk of cases worth the hardship.
Anyway, this bottle had a level about 2 cm below the cork, which level seemed appropriate for its age. As did the colour, a golden full yellow. Floral upon opening, but verging to citrus and following with hints of orange. But thereafter there were hints of freshly baked sweet pastry and menthol-rub. On the nose, a bit of age showing in this bottle overall, but with complex nuances.
It's a big riesling in the mouth, but there is a captivating and caressingly sweet and pungent middle which wins one completely. The intense and spicy finish may not be ideal, but the middle is simply magnetic. Fine, yet again, but the point has been reached where this wine needs to be followed more closely.
June 4, 2022 - Fabulous again. Will go on
December 10, 2021 - Stored in a northern European cellar shortly after release. Though the cork broke in two midway through the extraction process and left particles in the wine, that was a small price to pay, since it had done its job. A fullish yellow colour and a nose that was full of floral and blossom scents belied the fact that this is now 24 years old. A hint of wax at one point. Lovely, fully-flavoured, yet gentle and aristocratic mouth with sweet, yet slightly pungent stonefruit flavours. No decay for the duration of the sitting. Easily fine and, based on this showing, there is no reason to think this vintage of CFE won't give the same level of pleasure at thirty years of age.
November 21, 2021 - Good fill despite a slightly dry and crumbly cork. the wine is still a limpid light yellow. Muted before an hour in the decanter and glass. Then very fresh and focused aromas of lemon, wet stone and white flower with a touch of petrol. Bone dry on the palate with lovely lift and length. Very harmonious and very much in its prime. This was a wonderful pairing with the Swabian onion tart. My last bottle today, and all have been sublime. Great vintage for this cuvée.
April 29, 2021 - Old leak and ullaged to 3cm below cork, which came out with difficulty, though intact. Darkish amber colour was a visual foretaste of what would follow. Both the nose and palate featured old and decaying oranges, and while the wine had oxidized sufficiently for this to be the dissatisfying dominant trait on both the 1st and 2nd days, I could still taste the same ample yellow-fruit sweetness which much better bottles of this wine have provided in the past. While I have had a sufficiently good number of ullaged bottles of riesling generally not to worry about low levels, this was clearly not the case with this poor old bottle and I'd approach any future low-level CFE 1997 with circumspection.
November 17, 2020 - Nice wine, wedding year present from a friend. Orange / browning and fully mature aromas and flavor, not so much Riesling as old Kalin Semillon with a twist of orange. Very cool.
August 22, 2020 - Mature golden color with pear, oyster shell, florals, and brine on the nose. This has a cool juxtaposition of the breadth and waxiness coupled with great cut and focus that Trimbach's CFE and CSH seem to achieve better than nearly everyone else. Bone dry and chiseled on the palate, with more oyster shell, waxy lanolin notes, citrus pith, pear, and subtle florals. I also really like Adrian's pineapple descriptor, almost like dried pineapple. There is this fascinating a seemingly counterintuitive honeyed feel to it in spite of its being completely dry. It's mouthwateringly fresh and drinks like mineral water. A serious and singular expression of riesling that is fully mature and at this point certainly more about soil and acid than fruit, but drinking very well. Contemplative and outstanding. Not for everyone, but certainly for me
January 10, 2020 - Potable but clearly over the hill.
November 15, 2019 - This wine still has life! Not sure how much longer to go, if you are holding, I would drink soon. Clearly Alsace, clearly a high quality Riesling.
September 27, 2019 - Riesling! (Yokohama, Japan): Served blind. Wet stone, slight peach, apple, honey, citrus, very slight toast. Juicy, slightly sharp, acidity, chalky minerality, citrus and apple, slight honey, breadth, rich, balanced. very good. I called Mosel 89