Open Mike: 2005 German Rieslings

There is quite a comprehensive tasting of `05s in the new Wines and Spirits magazine, Dec edition. Plus an article on the Nahe region.

http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com

[David M. Bueker]

I keep tryin' 'em

2005 Karthauserhof Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Spatlese Trocken
THis may be the bets dry wine I have ever tried from the M-S-R. Now I should say that it is not in any way severe, but has a gorgeous layer of fruit, and impeccable balance. I'm tempted to guess that it is not anywehre near 0 g/l of sugar. I would bet more like 7-9 g/l which is tasteable and adds balance. Yum!!

[David M. Bueker]

Once again, carrying this thread on my back (oof...), but with something a touch different:

2005 Strub Niersteiner Grüner Veltliner Kabinett Feinherb (Rheinhessen)
What you say, Grüner Veltliner in Germany? Surely you jest!

Uh...nope.

Walter Strub planted Grüner Veltliner a few years ago. I was able to taste his first crop back in 2003, but it was not yet ready for prime time. Now with the 2005 it is. This is easy drinking Grüner Veltliner, with characteristic green flavors, along with an appley sweetness (feinherb is sort of between halbtrocken and "normally" sweet) that makes it a potentially handy table wine for dishes with just a subtle sweetness to them. Not the longest flavors in the world, but bracing in a German way (higher acid than Austrian versions), and gosh darned drinkable. This will be more of a summer white, but I had to crack one (and crack it is, as the wine is in screwcap) to check it out.

Yum! THis could be the house white in 2007, with the ESJ Shadow as the house red. That would be a killer 1-2 punch.

Once again, carrying this thread on my back (oof...), but with something a touch different:

2005 Strub Niersteiner Grüner Veltliner Kabinett Feinherb (Rheinhessen)
What you say, Grüner Veltliner in Germany? Surely you jest!

A "TOUCH" different? Hey let's just start loading up full bodied Cal.Chard. tasting notes in this thread since the subject just changed, thanks Dave!

Wouldn't be too much sacrilege would it?

[David M. Bueker]

Well maybe Valckenberg Chardonnay Eiswein, but that's as far as I will go.

[David M. Bueker]

And so the lonely soldier of German Riesling trudges on through the waves of delicious wine that everyone else is missing...

2005 Strub Niersteiner Paterberg Riesling Spatlese*** (Rheinhessen)
Strub makes this wine when he has material good enough for a fine auslese but no botrytis. So for the third time in the last 8 vintages we get a full-fledged *** (there was a ** in 2002), and this one measures up to the prior two, perhaps going beyond the 1998 and maybe, just maybe besting the 2001.

Oceans of peach, cherry and pineapple fruit crash onto the palate like a tsunami. The acidity is a bit low, but enough to keep things together. This is clearly a fruit bomb, but has some underlying structure, so that in 5-7 years the wine will be even more enjoyable. Right now it's just darned impressive for $17.

Sealed in screwcap.

David:

Last week, I dutifully marched off to my local German wine source in search of an '05 to help the cause. I came home with nothing for two reasons: sticker shock, and unemployment on my part. There's some hope on the horizon for the latter, so if this thread contiues long enough, I plan contribute.

Now a question: What does Feinherb mean?

Thanks for your great notes!

Dave Mo

Now a question: What does Feinherb mean?

Some producers use Feinherb instead of Halbtocken to denote a little sweetness. Literally it is 'fine bitter'.

Prost!
Bill

Ok everyone, pop over to the wine doctor who is tasting some `05s!!!!!!

http://www.thewinedoctor.com

[David M. Bueker]

Bill is mostly correct, though there are no legal restrictions on feinherb, whereas halbtrocken must have between 10 and 18 g/l of residual sugar. Feinherb wines tend to be even slightly sweeter.

[David M. Bueker]

Continuing on with

2005 Wegeler Bernkasteler Doctor Rieslig Spatlese
From perhaps the single most legendary German vineyard, this is one of the few times I have had a Doctor wine and been pleased with the result. Yellow and red fruit, minerals and a touch of spice on the nose and palate. There's tons of material here, but the acid balance is good. This will be a 20-30 year wine, but if you choose to drink it now you will have a lot of fun.

2005 Koehler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Spätlese Halbtrocken

This is a truly wonderful wine. The fruit is almost Alsatian (and blurred, not crisp) nectarine, mango, papaya and it comes with power like an 18 wheeler barreling down on you. But, at the last moment, it turns the corner and strikes like a pit-viper with plenty of acidity. There is a strong Sancerre'y' mineral character, but with much more intensity of fruit. It's too young, but has mature flavors and texture that betray its age. Sometimes Halbtrocken can be rather generous. This one runs you over and drags you with it. I can't wait to buy more. 12,0 Alc. $32


Prost!
Bill

[David M. Bueker]

I'm glad you were able to taste a Koehler-Ruprecht wine. I really like them, but they are hard for me to find unless I pony up for a full case.

Sounds yummy. Did you have it with food? I find halbtrockens are some of the most food friendly wines around.

Did you have it with food? I find halbtrockens are some of the most food friendly wines around.

No David, it was my first Koehler-Ruprecht (can I now say 'KR'? ). Now that I know what I'm getting into, I can't stop thinking about what a missed opportunity it was. Next time to be sure. Wow, It really was fantastic!


Prost!
Bill

[David M. Bueker]

Well I'm back again, and this time with the...

2005 Schmitt-Wagner Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg Riesling Kabinett (Mosel)
Back in June 2006 I tasted this wine at a pre-arrival tasting. I wrote one word: crunchy! Now that may have seemed like a description lacking in content, but to me it was both specific and highly descriptive of the wine in question. By crunchy I meant that the wine was packed with extract and flavor intensity, and for a wine meant to be from the kabinett pradikat it was great value for the (likely) money. In speaking with my favorite local retailer I mentioned the wine. He had tasted it a day after me at another event and found the wine lacking in flavor and intensity, "even for a kabinett." We had a friendly discussion about this, and he eventually requested that the importer send him another bottle to taste. Well lo and behold the wine became a wine of the month selection for the shop, and was available at the price of $14.99. I picked up 7 for the cellar, thus giving me one to open early and 6 to age/consume based on the progress the wine had made over the ensuing months from my original tasting in June.

So last night I finally revisited the wine, and it had indeed changed. Initially I found it rather soft and muddled, which surprised me, as "crunchy" had also meant (for me) that the wine had some serious bite and life to it. So I set the glass aside for 30 minutes or so. Coming back to the wine there was a marked difference, with the fruit flavors standing front and center, but also a complete turnaround in texture. There was still that upfront softness of 2005, but in the mid-palate the wine brightened and nearly exploded with flavor. The acids are certainly lower than such benchmarks as the 2001s from this producer, but the balance is there, and supported by a long, fruity finish with a kick of lime citricity that wakes up the mouth and mind for the next sip (or glass!). Laura took a sip and said with a smile, "mmm...big!" true, this is no mere kabinett, but a strong and classic spatlese style wine to my palate, and I will treat it as such in the cellar. I may consume another bottle or two over the coming months, but the rest will be allowed to age gracefully to at least 10 years of age. This is an absolutely fabulous bargain in German Riesling, and I will re-taste the rest of the bottle with some Asian food this evening. I have no doubt that the match will work, but science must be served. The 2005 Schmitt-Wagner Riesling Kabinett is indeed still crunchy.

Cheers!

Excellent note David. A great illustration of the fact that WHEN you taste a wine is as important as WHICH wine you taste.


Prost!
Bill

[David M. Bueker]

This is both a bump and a new note in the thread:

Opened last week at a wine dinner:

Minimal leesy overlay on the nose. This is not a classically "stinky" young Grunhaus. Apple blossom, peach and river stones on the nose, and the palate is lush but very finely detailed. The peachiness is more restrained, accompanied by lime zest, apples and distinct minerality. There's also good acid balance here, more so than in many 2005s I have tried.

What's shocking about this wine is its approachability. Young Grunhaus tends to be so overlain with that leesy funk that it is impossible to taste until age 10-15 (or perhaps after 12 hours of decanting). This wine is not that way. It's right there now, though it has plenty of material and fine balance for aging. The new winemaker is already doing good things, though long time Grunhaus fans may be uneasy at the approachability of the wine.

This is both a bump and a new note in the thread:

Opened last week at a wine dinner:

Minimal leesy overlay on the nose. This is not a classically "stinky" young Grunhaus. Apple blossom, peach and river stones on the nose, and the palate is lush but very finely detailed. The peachiness is more restrained, accompanied by lime zest, apples and distinct minerality. There's also good acid balance here, more so than in many 2005s I have tried.

What's shocking about this wine is its approachability. Young Grunhaus tends to be so overlain with that leesy funk that it is impossible to taste until age 10-15 (or perhaps after 12 hours of decanting). This wine is not that way. It's right there now, though it has plenty of material and fine balance for aging. The new winemaker is already doing good things, though long time Grunhaus fans may be uneasy at the approachability of the wine.

Thanks for the note, I remember the retailers at Dee Vine telling me this was one of the killer offerings in the 05 Grunhauser lineup, but unfortunately I left town before they arrived and I haven't seen any in my travels.

I was also intrigued to taste what was described as a more forward style that did not sacrifice the integrity of the site. Sounds like you agree, and we'll just have to wait on the aging question.

[David M. Bueker]

I certainly think it has the material to age. Without that leesy overtone/sulphurous protection it may not age quite as long, but then while ability to age and develop for 10-20 years is certainly a virtue, a wine that needs 25 years to come around is a royal pain in the ass.