Dinner at Chengdu Impression (Chicago, IL): One of the sleeper wines tonight -- this is unmistakably rustic riesling in this modern day and age. Chewy with its extract and concentration, this handles the vintage in a really dignified way, controlling the acids and sugars. Massively sized for a Merkelbach wine, but relatively demure in the context of peers. I'm a huge fan of this, with an extra soft spot for having tasted it with the Brothers Merkelbach back in 2016.
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Simply outstanding. While the nose didn't offer much, the palate was just sizzling. On the drier side for an Auslese, but this made it a great accompaniment for food. Electric acids and superb length. One of the best German Rieslings I've had in a while.
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HDH auction at Spiaggia; 5/17/2018-5/19/2018 (Chicago, IL): #09-16, 9.5% abv. Absolutely brilliant riesling, and really, one of the best "large" production wines of the vintage. Lovely sweetness, but herbal and balanced. Spicy, elegant, and rounded. Incredible linearity and precision here. What I love about this wine is the modern sweetness, but the classical sensibility. But the biggest surprise is how this actually hasn't shut down at all.
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A trip to the spice garden of Urzig presents red curry, fresh pineapple and black tea in a clean, juicy, light hearted palate cleanser that is a true delight.
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Yummy sweet pineapple/tropical fruit laced with a bit of salinity. Thicker than you might expect from a Merkelbach auslese, not quite as heavy as you might expect from some others, but definitely an auslese profile with its intense primary sweetness. Unfortunately it leaves me fishing for anything here beyond the up-front primary fruit, and coming up empty. It's more fruit juice than wine.
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8/16/2023 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Chengdu Impression (Chicago, IL): One of the sleeper wines tonight -- this is unmistakably rustic riesling in this modern day and age. Chewy with its extract and concentration, this handles the vintage in a really dignified way, controlling the acids and sugars. Massively sized for a Merkelbach wine, but relatively demure in the context of peers. I'm a huge fan of this, with an extra soft spot for having tasted it with the Brothers Merkelbach back in 2016.
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12/12/2018 - mdefreitas wrote: 94 Points
Simply outstanding. While the nose didn't offer much, the palate was just sizzling. On the drier side for an Auslese, but this made it a great accompaniment for food. Electric acids and superb length. One of the best German Rieslings I've had in a while.
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5/17/2018 - acyso wrote: 95 Points
HDH auction at Spiaggia; 5/17/2018-5/19/2018 (Chicago, IL): #09-16, 9.5% abv. Absolutely brilliant riesling, and really, one of the best "large" production wines of the vintage. Lovely sweetness, but herbal and balanced. Spicy, elegant, and rounded. Incredible linearity and precision here. What I love about this wine is the modern sweetness, but the classical sensibility. But the biggest surprise is how this actually hasn't shut down at all.
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8/24/2017 - bthatton Likes this wine: 93 Points
A trip to the spice garden of Urzig presents red curry, fresh pineapple and black tea in a clean, juicy, light hearted palate cleanser that is a true delight.
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3/28/2017 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 86 Points
Yummy sweet pineapple/tropical fruit laced with a bit of salinity. Thicker than you might expect from a Merkelbach auslese, not quite as heavy as you might expect from some others, but definitely an auslese profile with its intense primary sweetness. Unfortunately it leaves me fishing for anything here beyond the up-front primary fruit, and coming up empty. It's more fruit juice than wine.
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