2018 Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett

Community Tasting Notes (3) Avg Score: 88.7 points

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  4/2/2023 - Madera16 Likes this wine:

  Delicious, rich, sweet, but very well balanced. Maintains some nerve along with ripe apricot and orange.

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  1/29/2022 - Stevelayden wrote: 88 Points

  AP 13 19. I have to admit I’ve never quite clicked with Merkelbach’s wines. I’ve had a dozen or so bottles from various vintages and classifications and something about them always seems slightly oxidized. This bottle keeps to that model and seems a little darker than I’d expect for the age. Granted the 2018s are entering their shut down phase around now, but this just lacks the freshness that I’d expect for a wine of this age. There’s also a hint of botrytis, which makes this Kabinett seem slightly disjointed.
  
  I don’t know. Some people adore Merkelbach’s wines, but they never quite work for me. I really do want to love them, because I’m hugely nostalgic and the old ways really appeal to me. As I understand it, the brothers have sold their holding to Selbach so this was likely the last bottle from them that I’ll explore. For those who appreciate their wines and distinct style, enjoy the legacy they’ve left behind.

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  2/6/2021 - zpearson wrote: 88 Points

  Decanted for about an hour then put back in the bottle for a while. Very pale in color. This was initially unhappy about being opened - there was a lot of sponti funk that was obscuring the Wurzgarten terroir, but after a glass and some time, here we go - pineapples, some lime zest, but soft and lacking cut. At 90 Oechsle and 50 g/l RS that's not surprising. It's an Auslese declassified into Kabinett. Don't get me wrong, it's a solid wine, but the mismatch between ripeness and sweetness makes it a little clunky.

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