Some 07 Germans and odds & sods

Schafer-Frohlich Bockenauer Kabinett 2007 8.5% A continuation of my ongoing love affair with 07 German riesling, this is another superb kabinett. Great off dry structure built around a crisp finish and perfectly balanced acid. Flavours of white peach with a mineral overlay and a hint of honey somewhere. I look forward to see what happens with this over the next decade or so.

Emrich-Schonleber Lenz Feinherb 2007 11,5% another really enjoyable riesling. I am really enjoying sharing these off dry rieslings with friends who are more used to the bone dry Australian style. I brought this dinner recently and watched as my dinner companions went the usual oh-it's-sweet-wait-there-is more-than-meets-the-eye reaction. Again a touch of sweetness with hint of lemons around a wonder crisp finish. The extra bit of alcohol gives the wine just that tad more weight

Forstmeister-Geltz Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Kabinett 2007 8% I think this is the first disappointing 07 German riesling I have had all year which is confusing because some of the accompanying tasting notes my friend provided spoke of "sizzling acidity, laser-like focus and a dancing, reserved and minerally finish". By contrast I found a complete lack of acid in the structure to offset the sweetness resulting in a flabby style wine.From time to time some of the posters here have discussed rieslings closing down after the initial flourish and bloom and hence I am curious to know whether it is possible this may have occured with this wine. It was also under cork. With Australian dry riesling it is more a case of them slowly raising over time to become something wonderful. Riesling that close down are a new concept to me. Riesling gurus, any guidance?

Cape Mentelle Chardonnay 2007 A lovely crisp lemon and stone fruit chardonnay from Western Australia. Great restained use of oak result in a well balanced elegant wine. It has depth without losing its brightness and balance and a much better wine than some of the 04 I still have tucked away in the cellar. If only I could find someone who would swap my 04 for their 07

Schubert B Block Pinot Noir 2004 From Martinborough, this particular wine has been one of my favourite kiwi pinots in recent years, right up there side by side with Felton Road and Martinborough Wines. It has the most wonderful floral violet bouquet, with eyes closed I would guess I was drinking something from the cote d'or. Gorgeous peacock tail on palate, super silky and soft tannins with morel mushrooms and raspberry flavours built around an elegant but retrained savoury use of fruit.

[David M. Bueker]

First of all glad to see you opening a feinherb Riesling. I really like the style

As for the Zilliken I do not know what to say other than I will open one some time soon (I have a few) & see if my notes compare with your experience. A flabby Zilliken is rare indeed in my experience.

David

I am really enjoying the feinherb style of riesling. I have tried a couple of different ones this year that have been brought into Aus. It seems from what I can pick up that they are an early drinking style of wine rather than a cellaring option. Is that your read?

As for the Zilliken I have chatted to a couple of other riesling nuts and suspect it may just have been a dud bottle. The importer who is a friend was really surprised by my take on the wine and it certainly doesn't accord with the various tasting notes I have seen on it. Here's hoping given I have the balance of the half dozen to go.

Mark

[David M. Bueker]

Mark,

I think that cellaring versus drinking up a feinherb bottling is really dependent on the producer and wine in question. I doubt any bottle from a producer like Schonleber would have any problem going to the cellar for 4-5 years. In a similar vein, I have been cellaring kabinett halbtrockens from Schaefer-Frohlich and Selbach-Oster with great success.

Mark, your Zilliken must have been flawed. I have only had this bottle at release, but the risque that the wine I tasted then might have turned out flabby is all but non existant. For a 2007 Kab, it had perfect acidity!

Greetings from Sweden / Fredrik L

David/Fredrik et al

It does appear the wine was somehow flawed. As it has a cork closure, these things are not unknown. I am however curious about one recent comment on these boards. Somebody referred to riesling "going to sleep". Generally I only think about wines such as cab sav having a dormant period. What do you regard at the wine's characteristics during this sleep period? Is it simply the decline of the primary fruit flavours before the secondary flavours kick in. I am curious because Australian riesling develops in a much different manner. They are much more like the blooming of beautiful flower from a solitary bud over a long period. During the early period, the flavours are absolutely minimal with everything tightly coiled and merely hinting at what will come. From my limited experience with German rieslings over the last couple of years, they start out with this wonderful cornucopia of flavours.

[David M. Bueker]

Is it simply the decline of the primary fruit flavours before the secondary flavours kick in.

For the most part I would say yes. German Riesling seems to need 7-10 years to develop any meaningful bottle-aged charcateristics. The primary fruit phase generally only lasts for 2-3 years (at most) from release. So you have a 4-8 year period where things are a little closed.

David

Thank you for the assistance.

Mark