WTN: Grünhaus Trocken and Jadot Ursules

2007 Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese Trocken
Limey, fresh, salty, and as steely as a long linear rod of steel. This is an uncompromising beam of a wine that is hard at its core. There are tangy, verdant, and chalky elements around the edges that add some interest and prevent it from being downright ‘boring’. But it never rises to the heights of ‘interesting’.

2001 Louis Jadot Beaune Clos des Ursules
1998 Louis Jadot Beaune Clos des Ursules
Both of these showed a similar profile with the mushroomey flower petals of aging Burgundy. The 2001 showed more leathery meaty notes and a broader less composed structure while the 1998 had more underlying grip and a more harmonious soft maturing feel. Both were fine but had perhaps seen better days, with the 98 winning on harmony. But I thought Clos des Ursules was one of Jadot’s prime wines and capable of aging longer than this. Not in 1998 or 2001?

2001 Louis Jadot Beaune Clos des Ursules
1998 Louis Jadot Beaune Clos des Ursules
Both of these showed a similar profile with the mushroomey flower petals of aging Burgundy. The 2001 showed more leathery meaty notes and a broader less composed structure while the 1998 had more underlying grip and a more harmonious soft maturing feel. Both were fine but had perhaps seen better days, with the 98 winning on harmony. But I thought Clos des Ursules was one of Jadot’s prime wines and capable of aging longer than this. Not in 1998 or 2001?

That's surprising, I've always pegged the Ursules as a late bloomer and my 2002s are not ready. I would have thought that the 2001 might be beginning to wake up and the 98 would be OK, and neither anywhere near decadent. Maybe Jacques can chime in, I think he has a fair amount of Ursules experience.

2007 Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese Trocken
Limey, fresh, salty, and as steely as a long linear rod of steel. This is an uncompromising beam of a wine that is hard at its core. There are tangy, verdant, and chalky elements around the edges that add some interest and prevent it from being downright ‘boring’. But it never rises to the heights of ‘interesting’.

Interesting. I have bought a few of Maximin Grünhaus trockens from 2007 and 2008 but not, I think, this precise one. I liked them when I tasted them in their first year at the estate and also a 2008 which I opened soon after at home (WTN somewhere in the archive) but I concede that the Grünhaus style is a bit lacking in fat (gras) for ideal dry Riesling. I'm wondering whether your 2007 is not in a closed phase; many of their wines with RS do close down for extended periods. In any case I may open another 2008 before the New Year but I will then leave my 2007s and remaining 2008s a few more years before opening.

2001 Louis Jadot Beaune Clos des Ursules
1998 Louis Jadot Beaune Clos des Ursules
Both of these showed a similar profile with the mushroomey flower petals of aging Burgundy. The 2001 showed more leathery meaty notes and a broader less composed structure while the 1998 had more underlying grip and a more harmonious soft maturing feel. Both were fine but had perhaps seen better days, with the 98 winning on harmony. But I thought Clos des Ursules was one of Jadot’s prime wines and capable of aging longer than this. Not in 1998 or 2001?

Do you know how these bottles have been cellared? If too warm, it could have accelerated the ageing process.

I often find 5-8 year old red Burgs at tastings having slight boiled cabbage notes indicative of incipient oxidation which I don't find in my own bottles; this may be due to bottles open too long in the tasting context; alternatively the merchant knows that they are going off and is in a hurry to unload them .

[David M. Bueker]

Interesting notes. I opened a 2001 Ursules in January that was just entering prime drinking with years of life to go. Was yours a recent purchase perhaps?

I'm wondering whether your 2007 is not in a closed phase; many of their wines with RS do close down for extended periods. In any case I may open another 2008 before the New Year but I will then leave my 2007s and remaining 2008s a few more years before opening.

I don't think I would describe this as 'closed' because it wasn't really difficult to drink and it was all in balance for what it was. But it just didn't seem very exciting. So on second thought maybe that does qualify as 'closed' and maybe something else will develop with time.

When I bought this (from the estate), I also bought some 06 and 07 Abtsberg Superior Trocken wines and recent tastes of those were more of the textbook definition of 'closed' with awkward combinations of body/acid/sugar. This was showing better than those, and for my tastes would have been a lovely large dinner party wine even now. But just not much to get excited about upon close inspection. Nonetheless, maybe something else will develop with time.

For the Ursules, yes, I was also thinking that storage might be an issue so am glad to hear other people's experiences. I did buy them recently from a store that I haven't actually visited in person, so this was evidence that I might not want to buy lots more. I did however also buy some other 1998 and 2000 red Burgundies from the same store that showed very well with no signs of damage. But, we all know these issues are not uniformly spread. Point taken!