1990 Weingut Fritz Allendorf Winkeler Jesuitengarten Riesling Auslese

Community Tasting Notes (3) Avg Score: 93.3 points

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  12/7/2020 - NoahCap wrote:

  Tastes like what it is- a well-made, well-stored, fully matured German riesling. It's quite advanced and I disagree with the CellarTracker drink window of 2040; I don't think this will last until then. However, I hesitate to say it is "past peak" or "at peak". I'll start with the formal notes and then explain what I mean.
  
  The appearance of the wine is beyond honey; it looks like mature bourbon. Viscous slow moving tears. There are fragrances of peaches, ripe mandarins and Meyer lemon, assorted florals, and a honeyed richness. The palate is sweet, still lively acidity (though definitely softening), flavors confirm the nose with an unusual addition of pleasant spiciness- cinnamon, anise, maybe...cumin? It is well integrated and has the unmistakable but otherwise indefinable character of old riesling. Second day was about the same as the first.
  
  I want to explain why I hesitate to classify where this bottle is on its aging trajectory relative to "peak". First, a digression- most age-worthy wines are somewhat enjoyable young, improve in enjoyability and complexity as they mature, and then decline. For instance, young Bordeaux good, mature Bordeaux great, too-old Bordeaux not good. There are lots of delicious expressions along the way for most of these wines, but typically there is a sort of apex, even if a particular bottle stays there for many years. But, I do not find that to be the case with Riesling. To me, young, middle aged, and old Riesling taste characteristically different from one another, but it seems to be a lateral evolution rather than an increase followed by a decline. I'm trying to put words here to a fully visceral experience so I am hoping that at least a few reading this will get a hint of what I'm trying to say. Each phase has some indefinable characteristic, that you just have to experience to describe. For me, this bottle is in the old phase, no doubt about it. It is delicious, but has that "old Riesling" vibe, that I just can't quite put my finger on. It's undeniably there, which is why I don't think it will last another 20 years. My prediction is that by then the "Old Riesling" vibe will turn into a "dead Riesling" vibe.

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  10/12/2019 - Jnlevenson Likes this wine: 94 Points

  Outstanding

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  6/14/2019 - Djfermentation Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Took this final bottle to Dundee Bistro. We shared a bit with the staff and another winemaker who happened to be dining there as well. Everyone was delighted and impressed with the wines progression.

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