#14-00, 8.5% abv. From half-bottle. Been a while since I had a bottle of Dönnhoff Auslese. A stunner, this one. Elegant and refined, with that old-school Dönnhoff ethereal quality that Terry Theise raved about. A bit of white cherry, green herbs, and smokiness, but also plenty of riesling cut underneath a rich layer of fresh yellow fruit. Impeccably balanced and drinking so very well now.
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#14-00, 8.5% abv. From half-bottle. A difficult rendition of this perennial favourite. The nose shows a little hint of unclean botrytis as well as a smidgen of volatility. The palate lacks the precision and cleanness that the best editions of this have; it's a little diffuse and unfocussed. The sweetness seems to stick out prominently here, and then the acidity on the finish, rather than the two working together; in shorter words, this is a bit disjoint. Still it's quite an excellent bottle of riesling, just not up to the same level as the best vintages.
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Very deep golden orange color; an apricot and pineapple nose and palate with distinctly mature notes of slightly rancid meat. Entirely drinkable, having good concentration and excellent acid-driven length. But that rancid note, while not dominating, still drives down the middle lane.
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A very (mostly) German 4th of July (Tank Noodles, Chicago IL): Nose: The nose is extremely well balanced with green apples, quince, sweet peaches, nectarines, and some bits of honey. There is a layering to the tones with excellent definition too.
Taste: Full bodied with medium acidity. The feel is plush and sexy with green apples, sweet peaches, nectarines, and pears and quince. There is a lot of depth to this with a fatness at the same time.
Overall: This was fantastic stuff. I wished there was more than a half bottle to drink from, but that's what makes the fleeting moments more fun. This was beautiful and a real treat.
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14 years on this is starting to show a little maturity. The color is a rich gold. The ripe peach and apple aromas have been joined by honey, smoke, spice and a fall, leafy richness. Never a wine to show an acid streak, it is held together with an almost secret structure, that only reveals itself on the mineral tinged finish. This is inviting wine-inviting the next sip and inviting the next glass.
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2/14/2024 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
#14-00, 8.5% abv. From half-bottle. Been a while since I had a bottle of Dönnhoff Auslese. A stunner, this one. Elegant and refined, with that old-school Dönnhoff ethereal quality that Terry Theise raved about. A bit of white cherry, green herbs, and smokiness, but also plenty of riesling cut underneath a rich layer of fresh yellow fruit. Impeccably balanced and drinking so very well now.
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1/19/2022 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
#14-00, 8.5% abv. From half-bottle. A difficult rendition of this perennial favourite. The nose shows a little hint of unclean botrytis as well as a smidgen of volatility. The palate lacks the precision and cleanness that the best editions of this have; it's a little diffuse and unfocussed. The sweetness seems to stick out prominently here, and then the acidity on the finish, rather than the two working together; in shorter words, this is a bit disjoint. Still it's quite an excellent bottle of riesling, just not up to the same level as the best vintages.
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4/19/2019 - jmoore431 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Very deep golden orange color; an apricot and pineapple nose and palate with distinctly mature notes of slightly rancid meat. Entirely drinkable, having good concentration and excellent acid-driven length. But that rancid note, while not dominating, still drives down the middle lane.
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7/4/2014 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
A very (mostly) German 4th of July (Tank Noodles, Chicago IL): Nose: The nose is extremely well balanced with green apples, quince, sweet peaches, nectarines, and some bits of honey. There is a layering to the tones with excellent definition too.
Taste: Full bodied with medium acidity. The feel is plush and sexy with green apples, sweet peaches, nectarines, and pears and quince. There is a lot of depth to this with a fatness at the same time.
Overall: This was fantastic stuff. I wished there was more than a half bottle to drink from, but that's what makes the fleeting moments more fun. This was beautiful and a real treat.
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9/21/2013 - Rieslingfan Likes this wine: 92 Points
14 years on this is starting to show a little maturity. The color is a rich gold. The ripe peach and apple aromas have been joined by honey, smoke, spice and a fall, leafy richness. Never a wine to show an acid streak, it is held together with an almost secret structure, that only reveals itself on the mineral tinged finish. This is inviting wine-inviting the next sip and inviting the next glass.
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