A pair of '09 Scharzhofberger Kabinetts to start
2009 Von Hövel Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett
This comes across a little tight and closed; restrained pear and lime fruit accented with herbal notes with a steely minerality beneath. There's really bright acidity underneath giving this a sense of real focus and precision, but there's not much depth here and it comes across a little simple (probably not helped by being opened alongside the Müller), though quite pleasant and refreshing.
2009 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett
Stunning Kabinett. Gentle floral and herbal aromas lead into a palate full of incredibly pure, vibrant citrus, green apple and guava fruit that seems to be infused with a really vivid crystalline minerality. There's a sense of real clarity and purity to the flavours with electric acidity giving it tremendous focus, amazing presence and persistence with barely any sense of weight. Fantastic!
Followed by bigger dry wines
2008 Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz Birkweiler Kastanienbusch Riesling Großes Gewächs
Not quite the wild ride that my last experience with this wine was, but still very impressive. Starts out with cool herbal, chalky and stony flavours dominating restrained citrus and grapefruit flavours, but with some time the fruit gets richer and deeper while intriguing ferric and floral notes emerge beneath. There's an intense, expansive minerality here that seems to pervade every aspect of the wine - this feels like fruit sculpted from stone at points, and conveys tremendous power and intensity with barely any sense of weight (only 12.5% alcohol, and it feels remarkably light).
2007 Reichsrat Von Buhl Forster Kirchenstück Riesling Großes Gewächs
Nice to have this side by side with the Rebholz - this comes across much riper, immediately showing its additional alcohol (13.5%) with deeper-complexioned quince, nectarine and peachy fruit accented by spices and the beginnings of developing smoky and fusel notes. There's a lot more richness and power here, a slightly viscous texture with a faint glyceral sweetness that's a total contrast to the stony austerity of the Rebholz. It's a little awkward on the back end initially, showing some almond skin bitterness and alcoholic warmth, but it rounds out and comes into better balance with air and time. Impressive, though lacking some charm.
And to finish...
2008 Schloss Lieser Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel (AP 12-09)
Spectacular stuff. This is what I wish a lot more Auslese was like; full of incredibly pure Mosel fruit ranging from apples and limes to riper peachy and melony flavours over a bed of slate with faint honeyed and honeyed accents and some of that spontaneous yeast funk Lieser usually shows young. There's a remarkable clarity and freshness to the flavours with that '08 acidity keeping everything very vibrant and balancing the sweetness perfectly and tremendous length. Fantastic wine that I imagine will only get better with time.
