Deep straw yellow verging on gold, still with green blinks at the rim. Intense nose with ripe citrus fruit - mandarins, orange, lemon - with hints of honey and a tone almost reminiscent of botrytis/rancio (a sherry like tone). Tones of petroleum lurks under the surface. Full bodied attack, like a sweet wine, a feel that follows all the way through the taste curve. Still, there is a searing acidity cleaning the mouth and leading into a long finish dominated by ripe citrus and petroleum. Verging on being heavy, but is saved by fine acidity. Almost tannic. Serious wine. Drink now, but no hurry.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
10 years after Riesling tasting - 2011 (Restaurant Waldhorn, Kirchheim, Germany): Glass: Sophienwald Universal Bottle double decanted about 7h before the tasting. Bought at release, perfectly stored. Another wonderful surprise for me. Never had this wine before, but I had never imagined, that it is so precise and energetic. Clear, pale golden color. Very precise nose, fine yellow fruit and lots of crushed stones. On the palate extremely youthful, mineral and energetic. Fine yellow fruit, some petrol, very good extract. Medium acidity. Very good length. Potential for at least 5+ years. 93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Golden color. Intense nose of red apples and sweet peach, combined with equally intense tones of chalk, crushed stone and petroleum. Full bodied attack, almost sweet. Then the acidity kicks in, lifting the taste to another level . Long aftertaste. Wine made in a style for cellaring, almost 10 years old and still no hurry to drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose of petrol, slate, apple, stone fruit. Tingly acidity and very good length. A good match for Asian food but not as complex as I would have liked for the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Petroleum, smoke, lemon, yellow apples, pears, minerality, iodine, spices and herbs. Good acidity and complexity. Very nice, and went very well with sushi and teriyaki salmon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep straw colour with a golden hue. Evolved aromas of petroleum and ripe, yellow fruits (yellow plums, peach). Full bodied with a silky, oily mouthfeel balanced by just the right amount of acidity, Never feels heavy or cloying although the alcohol is quite high (14 %) and the residual sugar is considerable (I guess). Given the "large" middle palate, the finsish and aftertaste is a bit dissapointing, ending quite quickly. A nice wine, excellent with sushi, but lacks the complexity one should expect from such a wine. At its peak now, but will keep for several years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
My first experience with a Riesling from this region, the nose presented a very interesting petroleum odor which I have learned is typical out of better examples of this varietal. Green apple, light peach and some minerality mingle with the crisp acidity to make this a great first foray into Alsace Riesling, many thanks to Tim for affording me the opportunity to experience this.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
With just 60 minutes of slow-ox, this was ready to go; it remained in fine shape over the following 2 hours. Seriously pure, with really fresh, ample acids; the kind of structure that will no doubt see this well into the next decade if you should choose to hold it that long. It's been some months since I had one of Laurence's wines, and now that the memory/taste is so fresh in my mind, it'll be hard to keep my hands off the rest of my stash (read: I'm weak, and will buy more, probably today). This just drips with class and nobility, love it. highly recommended
Served non-blind.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Very light yellow. All lime at first with some underripe pineapple appearing. Light to medium weight, nicely layered feel. Dry, focused, and citrusy with zesty acidity and long soil-inflected finish. Excellent and no crime to open now or hold a little longer. Interesting to compare to the 2011 Knoll Smaragd we had last night-delicate and less dense, just as a German Riesling would seem after an Alsatian one!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Perfect pairing with the scallops. Showing a bit of fat on the palate, but still vibrant with good cut. Lots of orchard fruit and minerals, bright acidity, and just a lot going on. Hard to stop sniffing and sipping!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From the mid-slope of the Schlossberg. Definitely the most age-worthy of the Weinbach cuvees. An excellent wine that needs a little bit of time. A vintage that is a touch on the richer side, but still delicate and balanced.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Light yellow with green reflexes. Elegant and balanced in the nose, old-school Alsace Riesling with ripe yellow apple, white peach and a certain spiciness. Well structured in the mouth, much more structured than the basic GC Schlossberg, fine acidity, elegant and silky. Very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
PnP served non-blind, followed over 90 minutes. Light-medium straw color. Faint petrol, fresh cut apple, persimmon, light spice. Very fresh, bright acids precisely counter-weigh the panoply of fruit on the palate. Young, but approachable. This should be something in the coming years. More dry than sweet. Excellent food wine. The last glass was the best. Drink thru 2019, 14,0% abv.
I prolly could (read: should) have aerated this to decanter for 30 minutes for an even better showing.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
1/22/2022 - dagij Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep straw yellow verging on gold, still with green blinks at the rim. Intense nose with ripe citrus fruit - mandarins, orange, lemon - with hints of honey and a tone almost reminiscent of botrytis/rancio (a sherry like tone). Tones of petroleum lurks under the surface. Full bodied attack, like a sweet wine, a feel that follows all the way through the taste curve. Still, there is a searing acidity cleaning the mouth and leading into a long finish dominated by ripe citrus and petroleum. Verging on being heavy, but is saved by fine acidity. Almost tannic. Serious wine. Drink now, but no hurry.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2021 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 93 Points
10 years after Riesling tasting - 2011 (Restaurant Waldhorn, Kirchheim, Germany): Glass: Sophienwald Universal
Bottle double decanted about 7h before the tasting. Bought at release, perfectly stored.
Another wonderful surprise for me. Never had this wine before, but I had never imagined, that it is so precise and energetic.
Clear, pale golden color. Very precise nose, fine yellow fruit and lots of crushed stones. On the palate extremely youthful, mineral and energetic. Fine yellow fruit, some petrol, very good extract. Medium acidity. Very good length. Potential for at least 5+ years. 93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/16/2021 - dagij wrote: 88 Points
Golden color. Intense nose of red apples and sweet peach, combined with equally intense tones of chalk, crushed stone and petroleum. Full bodied attack, almost sweet. Then the acidity kicks in, lifting the taste to another level . Long aftertaste. Wine made in a style for cellaring, almost 10 years old and still no hurry to drink up.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2021 - streethawk Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose of petrol, slate, apple, stone fruit. Tingly acidity and very good length. A good match for Asian food but not as complex as I would have liked for the price.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/19/2020 - DaleW wrote:
Big, good acids, pit fruit and petrol, good length.,B+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2019 - LWI wrote: 93 Points
Blind. Rich smell of Riesling, complex, very long, good grip, some alcohol, a big boy.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2017 - laucap Likes this wine: 91 Points
Petroleum, smoke, lemon, yellow apples, pears, minerality, iodine, spices and herbs. Good acidity and complexity. Very nice, and went very well with sushi and teriyaki salmon.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/22/2017 - dagij Likes this wine: 88 Points
Deep straw colour with a golden hue. Evolved aromas of petroleum and ripe, yellow fruits (yellow plums, peach). Full bodied with a silky, oily mouthfeel balanced by just the right amount of acidity, Never feels heavy or cloying although the alcohol is quite high (14 %) and the residual sugar is considerable (I guess). Given the "large" middle palate, the finsish and aftertaste is a bit dissapointing, ending quite quickly. A nice wine, excellent with sushi, but lacks the complexity one should expect from such a wine. At its peak now, but will keep for several years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/25/2015 - quaffnov Likes this wine: 92 Points
My first experience with a Riesling from this region, the nose presented a very interesting petroleum odor which I have learned is typical out of better examples of this varietal. Green apple, light peach and some minerality mingle with the crisp acidity to make this a great first foray into Alsace Riesling, many thanks to Tim for affording me the opportunity to experience this.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/24/2015 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
With just 60 minutes of slow-ox, this was ready to go; it remained in fine shape over the following 2 hours. Seriously pure, with really fresh, ample acids; the kind of structure that will no doubt see this well into the next decade if you should choose to hold it that long. It's been some months since I had one of Laurence's wines, and now that the memory/taste is so fresh in my mind, it'll be hard to keep my hands off the rest of my stash (read: I'm weak, and will buy more, probably today). This just drips with class and nobility, love it. highly recommended
Served non-blind.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/29/2014 - drwine2001 wrote:
Very light yellow. All lime at first with some underripe pineapple appearing. Light to medium weight, nicely layered feel. Dry, focused, and citrusy with zesty acidity and long soil-inflected finish. Excellent and no crime to open now or hold a little longer. Interesting to compare to the 2011 Knoll Smaragd we had last night-delicate and less dense, just as a German Riesling would seem after an Alsatian one!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/14/2014 - xwine wrote:
Perfect pairing with the scallops. Showing a bit of fat on the palate, but still vibrant with good cut. Lots of orchard fruit and minerals, bright acidity, and just a lot going on. Hard to stop sniffing and sipping!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/27/2014 - Vintomas wrote: 91 Points
The Alsace Wine Day 2014 (Operaterrassen, Stockholm): Nose with ripe yellow apple, peach, and some honey. Dry on the palate, powerful concentration, quite a lot of mineral, and good acidity. 91 p
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2013 - Cappie wrote:
From the mid-slope of the Schlossberg. Definitely the most age-worthy of the Weinbach cuvees. An excellent wine that needs a little bit of time. A vintage that is a touch on the richer side, but still delicate and balanced.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/9/2013 - octopussy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Light yellow with green reflexes. Elegant and balanced in the nose, old-school Alsace Riesling with ripe yellow apple, white peach and a certain spiciness. Well structured in the mouth, much more structured than the basic GC Schlossberg, fine acidity, elegant and silky. Very good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/1/2013 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
PnP served non-blind, followed over 90 minutes. Light-medium straw color. Faint petrol, fresh cut apple, persimmon, light spice. Very fresh, bright acids precisely counter-weigh the panoply of fruit on the palate. Young, but approachable. This should be something in the coming years. More dry than sweet. Excellent food wine. The last glass was the best. Drink thru 2019, 14,0% abv.
I prolly could (read: should) have aerated this to decanter for 30 minutes for an even better showing.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/19/2013 - drwine2001 wrote:
Some Bottles from a Week in France; 4/14/2013-4/21/2013 (Paris, Northern Burgundy, Alsace): Light color, medium weight. Deep citrus and peach, excellent balance.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2013 - Jack Cranley wrote: 90 Points
Chalky mineral and steely.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment