Wonderful wine, full of classic Mosel apple and lime fruit combined with slate and floral elements on a very light, polished frame with bright acids and good length. Incredible value at about $22.
2008 A.J. Adam Dhroner Hofberger Riesling Spätlese (Mosel)
I've raved about this wine and lauded it to the heavens more than enough on here, but I'll just add that this is one of my favourite Spätlese from the vintage (up there with Schafer-Frohlich's Bockenauer Felseneck and JJ Christoffel's Treppchen) and continues to amaze with its package of incredibly vivid rocky/slatey minerality, flowers and ripe Mosel fruit with fantastic clarity and rapier-like precision. Seriously, wow.
1999 Carl Schmitt-Wagner Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg Riesling Auslese (Mosel)
Much more developed than the '01 Schmitt-Wagner Auslese I opened last weekend; this has a fantastic smoky/petrolly aromatic profile leading into a really complex palate combining bright melony and citrus fruit with savoury earthy, sassafrass and baked apple flavours. It's a little soft on its own with a creamy texture and only moderate acidity, but at the table with some rich, slightly spicy food it's ideal. I really wish more producers made Auslese like this - not botrytised or late-harvesty dessert wine, but just perfect for the dinner table. (Note to David B: This wine's built for biryani as well.
)2002 Mount Langi Ghiran Rare Mast Reserve Block (Victoria)
Opened with very high expectations. One of the few Aussie wines that a good Loire-and-Burg-head friend (who generally only drinks lighter old world wines) in Chicago has really loved, and Mount Langi rarely puts a foot wrong for my palate. I'd heard lots about this wine (a one-off special parcel bottling at Langi in what was considered an exceptional vintage there), my only bottle and it's corked. Think of the scene in that Simpsons episode where Homer swears loud enough for birds to start flying from the church roof.
1998 Henri Perrot-Minot Morey St. Denis 1er Cru La Riotte Vieilles Vignes
Corked again! Thank you, f-ing Portuguese menace!
Have a couple more, just hope those aren't TCAed to hell. My screwcapped 08 Christoffels can't get here soon enough... 