2003 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese

Community Tasting Notes (12) Avg Score: 88.8 points

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  9/23/2023 - Ingmars wrote:

  Nearly 18 months later, this is a fresh-looking medium yellow. Quince, pungent peach and vaguely nutty notes immediately greet the nose. Waxy characters appear within a few minutes and minor terpenes join them another minute or so later. After 20 minutes, the nutty notes have pretty much taken the shape of hazelnut, like I found in the producer's estate 2004 Qualitätswein #1 in July this year. In the mouth there is apple at the edges with ripe peach as one nears the slightly creamy and riper flavours at the centre. Lovely, multi-layered Spätlese, which is drinking suberbly at twenty years of age. A much better bottle than my previous CT note and between very good plus and fine. No fade over 4.5 hours.

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  4/10/2022 - Ingmars wrote:

  A bright, medium-intensity yellow and looking good for its 18 years. The nose is not full peach, rather a slice of it and a slice of nectarine, a drop or two of diesel fuel and some dripping wax. On day three, from a half, the nose was flatter and not evocative. Fresh mouth, with spritzing lasting for about ten minutes. Silky, with good restraint, considering the vintage. On the 3rd day, it was clear that this was not as luxuriant as Schaefer's 2005 Spätlese from the same vineyard noted in late March, with greater delineation and restraint. Overall, not captivating enough to be better than very good on this occasion.

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  12/4/2020 - Ingmars wrote:

  This was had over three days, on opening, from the remainder in the bottle on the 2nd day and from a half on the final day. On all three days the coulour was a bright yellow, which certainly gave encouragement. The nose, overall, was peachy, with a lean to tropical fruit. However, on the 2nd day, with just a glass or so remaining in the bottle, it showed lime and terpene characters to the extent that I could have swapped hemispheres and called it an Australian riesling from the warmer south-east. But on day 3, from a half, there was no hint of that possibility, so I think that, despite the colour, this will not react positively if kept exposed to air for a day. The mouth was silky and thick with delicious, creamy, peachy fruit and papaya acidity, much more impressive than the nose suggests. Provided this fine wine is given care and attention, it should more than please over the next decade.

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  7/4/2018 - 87tellub Likes this wine: 88 Points

  Pale light gold. Nose has honeyed apricot. Something lightly green and herbal hiding behind it. Creamy mouthcoating palate. Ripe soft pineapple, peach, nectarine. Medium length finish. Worked fine with BBQ ribs with a sweet-ish sauce.
  
  Pretty mellow, bordering on flabby. Agree with the tone of the other notes. Drink up.

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  6/9/2018 - Skylark 53 Likes this wine: 89 Points

  Top fill bottle, yellow honey color, sweet, far developed riesling, apricots, peaches, honey fruits and a hint of petroleum on the palate. All in all a very pleasant and surprisingly good bottle on the terasse in this heatwave of early summer here in Oslo...

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