riesling

From two recent dinners

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1995 Christoffel-berres Erdener Pralat Spatlese Riesling 8%
Mosel, germany

A glowing deep yellow with some amber, indicating age (early 2000s). Cumquat, honey, petroleum, camphor, smoke, high residual sugar, low alcohol. German for sure, Spatlese at least, perhaps Auslese? Palate is luxurious, and beautifully balanced. Revealed as older than my guess. It’s a magic site, and the label is charming.

Drink to 2030, 94 points

2021 Ch Suduiraut 14%
Sauterne, France

Vanilla, vitality, rich and pure botrytis. Apricot, citrus, quince, with some very attractive green notes in the mix. Palate is opulent, viscous – all quality here and sublime length. But young – 2017? Unveiled, it turns out even younger, already approachable without guilt, but a long life beckons. Very little was made due to a combination of frost and mildew – but this is brilliantly assembled. 100% semillon, 138 g/l rs.

Drink to 2045, 94 points

2004 Stanton and Killeen fortified 18.5%
Rutherglen, Victoria, 8 gold medals and 4 silvers
30% shiraz, 21% touriga, 19% Durif, 10 tinta cao, 10%tinta roriz, 10%tinta barocca

It seems I reviewed this wine in 2018. Tonight, the cork has done its duty;  the wine is densely coloured with just some trivial ruby bricking on the meniscus; it’s thriving with dark cherry, raspberry, blueberry and sweet spices; it’s soft, civilized, and balanced with a mix of sweet and savoury; talcy tannins, fine spirit and fruitcake spices now with plum and blackberry joining in – combining very satisfactorily. And there’s no rush.

Drink to 2034; 93 points

Just one from Clare

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2016 Tim Adams Botrytis Riesling 11%
Clare Valley, South Australia (half bottle, screwcap)

I have a soft spot for Tim Adams, where the (dry) Rieslings, the Aberfeldy Shiraz (and other wines) were once household staples. Very well made, keenly priced and with a surprisingly broad range of museum wines at cellar door, what more could you want?

Light gold in colour, there is trademark botrytis “dustiness” plus varietal Riesling apple and pear, with bonus spice notes. The palate shows classic citrus (esp. mandarine) with a dollop of ripe peach and apricot. It’s clean crisp, lingering and completely delicious, with added concentrated textural interest.

Waiting, or holding hoping for botrytis is a fraught exercise (strong nerves and deep pockets are helpful). Reduced yields, fermentation and storage issues – then you merely need to sell it! I don’t understand why even the best examples struggle; maybe people think “what’s the catch” – it’s too expensive – or not expensive enough.  Or “what foods will it match”? But I have no trouble with fresh fruits or the simplest cakes for this style. It’s 87 g/l residual sugar – all absorbed by the acidity meaning it smells and tasted fresh. I’m sure younger vintages are available, and who wouldn’t enjoy this?

No hurry under screwcap, but it looks ready – drink to 2030 and 92 points.

A Clare valley bargain

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2022 Paulett Alison Botrytis Riesling 8.5%
Clare Valley (South Australia), 500 ml screwcap.

And a beauty. I paid a mere $25 for the bottle and am thrilled.
Cane cut- pale straw colour; pear, citrus, lime, ginger, purity, texture, and unlike most Oz sweeties, there is enough acidity to keep me happy, 150+ g/l residual sugar was my guess (web research says 161 g/l), and a complete bargain. Frisky, concentrated with some welcoming tropical fruit (guava, pineapple rind) and damn fine. A few proper trophies to its credit too. A great welcome back to Oz after five weeks in Europe (one week in Piedmont was my wine highlight).

Drink to 2032, 94 points

Two with same vintage and many differences

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2010 Felton road Riesling Block 1, 9%
Central Otago, New Zealand

Screwcap. Light gold colour, red apple, sweet spices, marzipan, honey and citrus; the palate adds some exotic tropical notes, and has the drive and acidity to support the 64 g/l residual sugar. I suspect it’s drying out a bit with development, so drink up – and what an enthralling match for a tea cake or fruit platter. (Notes are similar to those I made in 2020)

Drink nowish, and 91 points

2010 Ch Suduiraut 14%
Sauternes

Clear bright light gold colour, viscous and rich but the acidity can’t hide the richness bursting through; white peach, honey, almond meal and vanilla bean; palate is syrupy with just enough acid to keep the orange marmalade singing. Marvellous, rewarding drinking. (90% Semillon, 10% sav blanc, 145 g/l rs)

Drink to 2032 (but its ready for me) and 94 points

One from there, one from here

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2012 molitor et auslese

2012 Markus Molitor Erdener Treppchen Auslese Gold capsule ** AP 37 7.5%
Mosel, purchased from the estate in 2015 and retrieved from storage in Germany this year.

(The ** indicates something extra in the category), Light gold colour, honey, quince, raisin, herbs red apple with a lick of spices. This is ready to drink, but will hold on a plateau for another ten years. The plate is creamy, fresh and balanced with lemon verbena, honey, and stonefruit. Very similar to my note from Germany a few months ago!)

Drink to 2034, 91 points.

1998 morris vp

1998 Morris VP 18.8%
Rutherglen, 77% Shiraz, 23% Touriga, trophies and gold medals from credible wine shows over a period of several years.

BTW, I reviewed this in early 2016 and this bottle is slightly more attractive! Meagre cork, but it’s performed. Still a vibrant deep crimson/black colour, it thrills with wild scents of lavender, blueberry, red liquorice, dried herbs, and mellow spirit. The palate is all about fruit definition and texture – there’s violet, plum, redcurrant, spices and best of all, vitality and flavour persistence. It’s a terrific package with at least another decade well within its stride. Hard to resist, and I have several more bottles!

Drink to 2035, 94 points

Catch-up on recent drinks

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2007 knebel spatlese

2007 Knebel winninger Rottgen Riesling Spatlese 11%
Mosel; 47 g/l residual sugar; gold colour honey.

Wax, apple and the surprising blackcurrant. Palate is still lively with sweetness ameliorated by acidy; palate is all about mixed apple and stonefruit (yellow peach and apricot); chewy, varietal and authentic.

Has seen better days however; drink up 90 points

2015 sauternes pair

2015 Ch Doisy-vedrines 13%
Sauternes 80% semillon, 15% sav blanc, 5% muscadelle

Light bright colour, light-weight aromatics of slightly green pineapple, vanilla bean icing sugar and preserved lemon. Palate shows almond meal, citrus nectarine. Ligher style than the next wine, but balanced and authentic. Ready for business, and will be consumed with great pleasure.

Drink to 2030, 92 points

2015 Ch Suduiraut 14%
Sauternes; 94% semillon, 6% sav blanc; 18 months in oak (50% new, 50% one year old) 138 g/l residual.

Served masked- I last tasted this wine around a year ago, and my notes are thankfully similar. Sauternes with a deeper colour than the wine above; crème brulee, quality oak, ginger spices, botrytis dustiness, light floor-polish VA present but under control; great density and integration. Cumquat and vanilla, liveliness, texture and persistence. Very decadent and pleasurable. Around ten years old?

Drink to 2037, 95 points

2007 croft vp

2007 Crofts Vintage Port 20%
Portugal

Served masked – Deep red colour with camphor, cherry and blackberry plus floral headsy spirit. Dense, with dark fruits, small berries and cocoa. Portuguese varieties for sure; and the spirit leans me to Portugal, BUT there;s not the drive, complexity or tannin for its suspected age (my guess was early 2000s). So, Australian. When revealed, this was quite a disappointing result for a  respectable VP vintage (and the other bottle I tried was similar).

Drink to 2030, 89 points

NV Morris Old premium “rare” Muscat 17%
Rutherglen.

Served masked. Luminnous dark, and very dense colour. Raisin, orange peel, roses, toffee, bitter chocolate. High-quality neutral spirit, It’s a meal in a half a glass if you are greedy. Concentrated raisins, and dried fruits with spices. It sits on the palate and the flavours dwell for ages. Not just about using old material, as the style needs the masterful touch of freshness too. Around 350 g/l residual sugar, but the acidity absolutely obliterates any cloying.

This wine is world class, and continues to be a bargain (a meagre $120 for a 500ml bottle, that will last for weeks if – unlike me – you have the will power to resist).

Drink now, 96 points

Drinking in Europe 2

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Another batch of wines that we had purchased years ago, and retrieved from a relative in Germany. A further nine bottles made it back to Melbourne!

2012 grunhaus spatlese

2012 Von Schubert Maximin Grunhaus Herrenberg Riesling spätlese AP#22 7.5%
Mosel

Harmless tartrate crystals on cork (and in bottle), Light gold colour; melon, mandarine, gooseberry and earth. Seems relatively dry, but the fruit flavours shine, Drink sooner rather than later! Label is love or hate.

Drink to 2028, 91 points

2013 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Schlossberg spätlese feinherb “Ur” alte reben AP#30 12.5%
Mosel.

Two bottles opened, (the first was decidedly flat) with notes on the second. This is a from a distinguished patch of old vines within the vineyard. Guessed at around 15g/l residual sugar.
Cinnamon honeydew melon, candlewax. It flows gloriously across the palate; racy, silken, with rampant brown spices and detailed texture. Not to everyone’s taste on the night, and I suspect there are better bottles.

Drink to 2034, and 93 points

2009 selbach ws spatlese

2009 Selbach-Oster Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese AP#33 8.5%
Mosel

Light gold colour; tangerine and petroleum, candlewax, white flowers, white peach, stewed apple, and spices – the whole kitbag. Silky texture with red apple and baking spices in the mix, crisp, refreshing. 70 g/l residual sugar? Can it really get any better?

Drink to 2030, and 92 points

2008 molitor ws spatlese

2008 Markus Molitor wehlener Sonneuhr Riesling spätlese AP#18 8%
Mosel and a golden capsule,

Light bright gold colour. Intense honey, guava, apricot, spices and minerals. Lip-smacking palate, with apple pie, nectarine and raciness. This looks in winning form, but my preference is to drink up while its magic rewards the drinker.

Drink to 2032, 93 points.

One local, one German, and another loss

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2002 S&K vp

2002 Stanton and Killeen Vintage Fortified 18.1%
29% Shiraz, 25% touriga, 20% durif, 12% tinta cao, 12% tinta barocca, 2% tinta roriz

Deep black/red colour with some bricking. Mocha, spices, creaminess, excellent spirit integration, and dark blackberry. Palate is packed with liquorice and aniseed, and fruitcake spices. Vintage port style, but It was certainly sweeter than Portuguese models. I suspected touriga inputs alongside Shiraz, and age around 25 years. Stanton and Killeen rate the vintage as very good with an 8/10 rating.

After the wine was unmasked, I was disappointed that marque’s usual depth, complexity, suppleness, savoury bite and drinking pleasure was less than expected. A sound wine, but lacking the expected thrills.

Drink to 2030, 91 points

2007 haart auslese

2007 Reinhold Haart Wintricher Ohligsberg riesling Auslese 7.5%
Mosel, AP#16 and 127 g/l rs.

Gold colour; plentiful spices, red apple, white peach, and passionfruit; palate is fresh and lush, creamy plus some mineral and light smoke with that classy balance between its high sugar (for an auslese) and acidity that avoids cloying and leaves one begging for more. A delight.

Drink to 2030, 94 points (and thankfully still similar to my notes from Jan 2017)

I was saddened to learn of the recent death of Willi Schaefer. I love these Mosel wines – pure and unforced. I had a terrific visit to the dining room in the house in 2007. We were welcomed, despite our sketchy knowledge of the wines and our inability to purchase more than a token bottle or two. An unhurried and extensive tasting, with plentiful knowledge transfer which provided the determination to purchase and cellar their wines. I will drink my stock with pleasure and treasure my memories.

One dinner – four from Europe

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First up, Australian winemaker John Vickery died recently. He was a gentleman, an expert winemaker and had huge influence on winemakers here. Riesling was his forte, with many memorable wines made at Leo Buring,  Richmond Grove and the eponymous Vickery label. He kickstarted my interest in wine, and my early tribute is here.

A recent dinner I attended had a plethora of interesting wines (all served blind), and I will try to describe a few.

1993 christoffel EP

1993 Christoffel-Berres Erdener Pralat Riesling Auslese*** 8.5%
Mosel. Light gold colour- petrol, tropical fruits, blackcurrant. Creamy palate, fresh with terrific balance. Lovely wine from a great site in Mosel. Wines are no longer produced, but there is (or was) a fair stock of wines from 1987-97. This was apparently an auction wine, and the *** indicates greater richness in the style.

Drink to 2033, and 93 points

2011 2013 sauternes

2011 Ch Haut-bergeron 13.5%
Sauternes. Really Interesting to see this after the 2001 tasted recently.

Gold colour, bursting with vanilla, apricot, pineapple rind, Palate is slinky with vanilla bean, marzipan nuttiness and cumquat. Ripe, fresh, dense and dramatic. At least a decade in front of it. Oak plays an important structural role here, but the fruit is winning.

Drink to 2035, and 93 points

2013 Ch Raymond-lafon 13.5%
From half bottles – Slightly duller colour, with nettle and herbal elements. More savoury than the previous wine, palate showing guava, pineapple and passionfruit. Several winemakers present suggested some ignoble rot (aspergillus/penicillium) but in the amount involved won’t affect really enjoyment except for the truly ultra-fastidious.

Drink to 2030, 91 points

2000 Fonseca Vintage Port
Portugal

Sketchy notes made under time pressure “deep ruby colour, almond, spirit a bit hot; red and dark fruits, mellow – Portuguese – early 2000s”. A second bottle was not as good, and the third bottle had vanished before I could assess.

A bit disappointing for Fonseca on the night– drink to 2033, and 90 points

Two continents, two styles

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2007 haart gt spatlese

2007 Reinhold Haart Goldtropfchen Riesling Spatlese AP#15 8%
Piesport, Mosel 85 g/l rs.

Bright gold colour, this wine struts out with red apple, nectarine, a melange of mixed tropical fruits and the distinctive regional tell-tale petroleum, smoke and mineral signs.

The rich and viscous palate reflects the fruits above; everything is poised to demand more sampling; it’s a beauty – the apparent sweetness hints that it’s drying out, but in reality it’s just seamlessly and gracefully melded into the acidity. Delicious and so easy to indulge. I have not tried a Haart wine since early 2017, so this is immensely encouraging about quality and cellaring longevity!

Drink to 2030, 93 points

1990 morris vp

1990 Morris Vintage Port 19.2%
Rutherglen, Victoria

73% Shiraz, 37% Bastardo (Google suggests Trousseau, but more likely Touriga).
A recent auction purchase, the cork has done its job- just – so there will be better bottles held by enthusiasts. Deep dense ruby with some bricking but no browning; Lots of mocha, crema, marzipan, dark fruits; the palate is sweet, still with significant tannic grip, amiable high quality spirit, with cleansing acidity, this is very good drinking. But it just doesn’t provide enough real thrills or highlights to take it to the next level. Mind, its 33 years old, and in really good shape for an Oz fortified of that age.

Drink to 2028, 88 points