Every bottle of Merkelbach is a glimpse into time gone by. It’s also a clear view of Würzgarten, all strawberry and spice, punctuated by ripe pineapple and a dollop of honey. Classic in form and structure, it’s an Auslese rather than some supercharged BA-wannabe. There is plenty of richness, and it is balanced by moderate acidity levels and solid minerality. I keep opening these, but should really lay down the rest for 15-20 years.
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What an amazing wine from Merkelbach! There’s an extra gear to the flavors, such that they expand in the mid-palate. Usually with Merkelbach there’s a classicism to the pradikat, such that their Auslese resembles the version from the 1970s or 1980s. Not so this wine, which has the depth and richness of a more modern (think 2001 era) wine. Bright, fresh, focused and intensely flavored, this is a Merkelbach wine for the ages.
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Like acyso mentioned, I didn't see a "Lang Pichter" designation on the label, although it was an AP #8. Beautiful aromatics of ripe orchard fruits and a hint of something green and refreshing... maybe mint or spearmint. Very rich and sweet, but the acids are up to the task of balancing this wine out. Gorgeous length and depth here.
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A Rieslingfeier of our Own; 2/13/2017-2/18/2017 (Traben-Trarbach, Germany): This is Fuder 8, and I don't recall the Lang Pichter site explicitly marked on the label. Anyway, while the Urglück was big, this wine is even bigger, almost basically showing the Urglück amped up by 50%. This shows very much along the same lines, with the green herbal notes coupled with honeyed pineapple. It's mouthwatering just to think about this.
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Another stunning bottle along the lines of my last. There's remarkable sense of purity and freshness to the array of ripe fruit flavours here, floral, mineral, and herbal accents adding complexity, and impeccable balance with a sense of lightness on the palate that makes it a very easy Auslese to pair with a meal. I'll leave my other bottles alone for some time, but glad I went long on the '15 Merkelbachs.
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Flat out wow. Very glad I bought a fair bit of 2015 Merkelbach, if this is any indication of how they performed in the vintage. Stunning aromatics - the classic Wurzgarten strawberry and spice notes amidst ripe floral, peach, citrus, and other orchard fruit flavours, with a vivid slate/stone mineral character beneath. It has the sweetness of classic Auslese and there's powerful acidity beneath keeping it incredibly light on its feet and impeccably balanced. Fantastic.
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8/1/2020 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Every bottle of Merkelbach is a glimpse into time gone by. It’s also a clear view of Würzgarten, all strawberry and spice, punctuated by ripe pineapple and a dollop of honey. Classic in form and structure, it’s an Auslese rather than some supercharged BA-wannabe. There is plenty of richness, and it is balanced by moderate acidity levels and solid minerality. I keep opening these, but should really lay down the rest for 15-20 years.
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1/20/2018 - Rieslingfan wrote:
What an amazing wine from Merkelbach! There’s an extra gear to the flavors, such that they expand in the mid-palate. Usually with Merkelbach there’s a classicism to the pradikat, such that their Auslese resembles the version from the 1970s or 1980s. Not so this wine, which has the depth and richness of a more modern (think 2001 era) wine. Bright, fresh, focused and intensely flavored, this is a Merkelbach wine for the ages.
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2/28/2017 - mdefreitas wrote: 93 Points
Like acyso mentioned, I didn't see a "Lang Pichter" designation on the label, although it was an AP #8. Beautiful aromatics of ripe orchard fruits and a hint of something green and refreshing... maybe mint or spearmint. Very rich and sweet, but the acids are up to the task of balancing this wine out. Gorgeous length and depth here.
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2/17/2017 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
A Rieslingfeier of our Own; 2/13/2017-2/18/2017 (Traben-Trarbach, Germany): This is Fuder 8, and I don't recall the Lang Pichter site explicitly marked on the label. Anyway, while the Urglück was big, this wine is even bigger, almost basically showing the Urglück amped up by 50%. This shows very much along the same lines, with the green herbal notes coupled with honeyed pineapple. It's mouthwatering just to think about this.
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1/18/2017 - salil wrote: 93 Points
Another stunning bottle along the lines of my last. There's remarkable sense of purity and freshness to the array of ripe fruit flavours here, floral, mineral, and herbal accents adding complexity, and impeccable balance with a sense of lightness on the palate that makes it a very easy Auslese to pair with a meal. I'll leave my other bottles alone for some time, but glad I went long on the '15 Merkelbachs.
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12/11/2016 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Flat out wow. Very glad I bought a fair bit of 2015 Merkelbach, if this is any indication of how they performed in the vintage. Stunning aromatics - the classic Wurzgarten strawberry and spice notes amidst ripe floral, peach, citrus, and other orchard fruit flavours, with a vivid slate/stone mineral character beneath. It has the sweetness of classic Auslese and there's powerful acidity beneath keeping it incredibly light on its feet and impeccably balanced. Fantastic.
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