(KARTHAUSERHOF Spatlese) 1981 Karthauserhof Dear Friends, As one of my pet projects, I make it my mission to secure the finest older stashes of Riesling in Germany and it has become one of our signatures at Garagiste. Today we present a very special treat, the 1981 Karthauserhof Eitelsbacher Spatlese Riesling - a wine that has defied the logic of aging and one that can only be in this crystalline condition due to its provenance in the deep bowels of their cellar. Extracted for your perusal only a few weeks ago, this makes the term “winery direct” quite appropriate. When Christophe Tyrell (the owner on Karthauserhof) decided to release the library of 1981 it was not an easy decision. There were memories of 1981, when he was a much younger man and each vintage is like a calling card, prompting him to reconcile with the past - certainly an occurrence that all of us have experienced with a keepsake or even a special vintage of wine. I remember discussing the 1981 with him one evening while he was grilling small lamb chops brought in from Luxembourg (where some of the finest meats in Europe are sold) on the porch of his immense castle-like fortress looking up to the Eitelsbacher vineyard. Tyrell has many memories of this place in Germany’s Ruwer, a still somewhat backwater extension of the more famous and well-funded Mosel and each older vintage gives him reason to look back. He has grown with this house and with this land but he sees a different Germany today than when this 1981 was bottled. As we sat to eat a gluttonous feast, we looked up to see Polish immigrants working in the vineyard until the very last hours of light and backbreaking will were exhausted (around 10:30pm). When the 1981 was bottled, it was hand picked and crushed by locals of the Ruwer that knew the Eitelsbacher like the back of their hand, but the locals have become too expensive to hire. Germany has become too expensive. And so it was, with the last ray of light, the workers came down the hillside, not to a gourmet feast but to their waiting spouses and children happy to have them return from such a hard day’s toil. Christophe called to the workers, offering a show of moral support and it was obvious that he was in deep thought about this occurrence and then about his life in 1981 and how it was so different. This immaculately stored parcel of 1981 Riesling needs no introduction. It is a vintage they are quite famous for in local lore (despite their neighbor’s performance in 1981). Instead of giving you my flowery prose, I will leave the descriptors up to you but the freshness and storage are not only a testament to the importance of sourcing wine as directly as possible but also to the drinking curve of Ruwer Riesling that has been suspended in what seems like a cryogenic state. At over 25 years of age, this is a Spatlese that is not only extremely rare but it is a snapshot into the history of a place and a man for about the same price as current release Spatlese from Donnhoff. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for rarity, freshness and a glimpse into the window of a peak drinking experience ONE SHIPMENT ONLY directly from the cellars at Karthauserhof: 1981 Karthauserhof Eitelsbacher Riesling Spatlese (approx 730ml) Thank you, Jon Rimmerman Garagiste Seattle, WA Germ9810
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By Jancis Robinson, MW
(Karthäuserhof, Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Riesling Spätlese Mosel White) Subscribe to see review text.10/23/2018, (See more on JancisRobinson.com...)