One of the great things about running a bookshop where I do is that we have a great wine importer's offices in the same building so I sometimes get to try sample bottles. Yesterday was a fun afternoon when the importer came to my shop and brought with him four bottles for me to try!
Becker Landgraf Gau-Odernheimer Ölberg Riesling Spätlese 2009 was a very nice Spätlese, 10% abv and a perhaps a bit drier than I would expect for this level, but with wonderful mineral aromas; quite powerful and rich, but with nice balance of sweetness and acid - though the scent did have some passionfruit aromas, this didn't seem much like a hot-year wine.
Becker Landgraf Gau-Odernheimer Ölberg Riesling Auslese 2009 was much sweeter, more voluptuous, more warm year in style than the Spätlese; seems to have quite a bit of botrytis but not so much that it would hide the variety's character. A bit on the primary and sugary side just now, but I can very well see myself enjoying this in the future (and it really does seem to need lots of age!).
Domaine Les Loges de la Folie Montlouis-sur-Loire Le Chemin des Loges Moelleux 2009 was a nice Chenin sweetie, but their Sec from here was more to my taste. Nice aromas of quince and quinine mixed with pure and bright citric fruit. Rich but focused and with perfectly adequate acidity to counter the sweetness: not heavy at all but refreshing. Nice stuff!
Ch. Rousset-Peyragueu Cuvée Orthopraxie 2001 is a "natural" Sauternes, and quite a funky one at that. It smells volatile and much more petrolly than any Riesling I have encountered. But it is also very rich, very heavy, and though it does have plentiful acidity it is just a bit too heavy to really be enjoyable except as a sweet drop at the end of a meal (unlike the previous three which were so bright and refreshing that I felt like eating something with them). But in small amounts this is fun!