First batch of notes from the Skurnik DI tasting held at Tribeca Grill today. Very informative to get a look into the 2010 German wines now, many thanks to Terry for letting me attend. The quality of the German wines is quite inconsistent, certainly nothing like last year where table to table, the 2009 Rieslings were all showing beautifully. There were a few wines where the acidity was remarkably high and made the wines come across rather shrill or severe. Other wines were rather soft and feeling a bit hollow from deacidification, and there were a number of wines with incredible richness - dense, heavy fruit and botrytis that pushed some Kabinett into Auslese levels of ripeness/sweetness. A lot of the dry wines were not particularly exciting and came across too severe and austere (there are only two producers where I can see myself buying GGs/trockens), and a lot of the Kabinetts poured seemed too heavy and clunky, without any of the finesse or elegance that even riper modern Kabinetts have.
Table 1: Assorted German trockens/feinherb
2010 Geil Silvaner trocken
Very taut, precise and focused with pale pear fruit and straw flavours. Pleasant if a little one-note. Good.
2010 Muller-Catoir Herrenletten Riesling trocken
Rather austere, showing some yellow fruited notes over stony minerality, but dominated by powerful acidity. Eh.
2010 von Othegraven VO Riesling
Quite tart, full of lime/grapefruit flavours with a slightly sour, austere finish. OK.
2010 AJ Adam Dhroner Riesling
Rather dull, ripe yellow fruited flavours and riper floral notes, but not much in terms of depth here.
2010 Eugen Muller Forster Pechstein Riesling Spatlese feinherb
Very, very good - bright apples and citrus fruits, herbal accents and just a touch of residual sugar that rounds it out and keeps it from feeling as austere/severe as the other wines poured.
Table 2: Darting
2010 Durkheimer Spielberg Riesling Kabinett trocken
Slightly underripe grapefruit; sour and austere. Didn't like this at all.
2010 Durkheimer Hochbenn Riesling Kabinett
Moderately sweet with ripe pear and citrus fruits, a floral element and nicely balanced with bright acids. Pleasant, though not particularly exciting.
2010 Durkheimer Spielberg Scheurebe Spatlese
My favourite of the few Scheurebes poured. (Terry mentioned there wasn't a lot of Scheurebe in 2010, and the only others I recollect were from Kruger-Rumpf and Geil - Catoir's trocken version wasn't poured.) Exotic, musky, wildly floral and spicy with plenty of sweetness and good acids, though there's also a touch of botrytis here.
2009 Pinot Noir trocken
Very tannic and rough, showing red berried fruit and a woody overlay.
2009 Pinot Meunier trocken
Not as woody as the Pinot Noir, but rougher and more tannic in the mouth. I asked if they use stems in the fermentation, apparently not.
Table 3: Dr. Deinhard/von Winning
2010 'Dragon' Riesling QbA
Stony, dull and a little severe with a ton of acidity cutting through whatever residual sugar there is.
2010 Kalkofen Riesling Grosses Gewachs
Power and austerity in a glass. There's some pale Riesling fruit, but it's really about its stony, chalky minerality and conveys it without much finesse or elegance, and some finishing heat.
2010 Kirchenstuck Riesling Grosses Gewachs
A little more rounded and finessed than the Kalkofen; layers of ripe fruit, minerality, herbal and spicy elements, but still a little severe on the back end without the residual sugar to balance the high acids. Oh, and the price - gah!
2010 Ruppertsberger Riesling Kabinett halbtrocken
A little rounder and more pleasant than the GGs (yay for a few grams of residual sugar!); bright lime and grapefruit flavours though not overly complex. My favourite wine at the table.
2009 Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad Riesling Kabinett
Ripe pear and grapefruit flavours; heavy and a bit clunky for a Kabinett, feels denser/warmer than the 10% alcohol on the label.
Table 4: Leitz - one of my favourite tables at the tasting
2010 Eins Zwei Dry Riesling
Tart, fresh fruit though a little austere and shrill on the back end. OK.
2010 Rudesheimer Berg Kaisersteinfels Riesling "Terrassen"
Richer and more layered than the Eins Zwei Dry, though again a bit more r/s would be welcome here and it feels a little austere. Good.
2010 Rudesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling "Hinterhaus"
The fireworks start here. Layers of ripe fruit, a vivid stoniness and lots more; power conveyed with a sense of elegance and fantastic balance despite the very high acidity. Excellent.
2010 Rudesheimer Klosterlay Riesling Kabinett
Very bright, pure apple and pear fruit tinged with fresh herbs and mineral notes; refreshing and vibrant. Excellent.
2010 Rudesheimer Magdalenenkreuz Riesling Spatlese
Johannes says there's *lots* of malic acid here and it shows - like biting into a just-ripe apple. Very good+.
2010 Rudesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling Spatlese
Wow! Auslese-like in its sweetness/richness; layers of ripe orchard fruits in fall, minerals and faint vanilla and honeyed touches, lots of acidity cutting through the sweetness and fantastic length. Outstanding.
2010 Geisenheimer Rothenberg Riesling Eiswein
Wow!, again. Powerful tropical fruit drizzled with honey, incredibly intense and sweet yet very pure. Johannes says there's about 13-14 g/l acidity here, and it feels incredibly vibrant and focused, finishing long but with a bit of an acid sting. Outstanding.
Table 5: Spreitzer - another very strong performance. I should buy/drink more from them.
2010 Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen Riesling Erstes Gewachs
My favourite trocken at the tasting. A lot of the others felt either a little heavy/clunky or austere, this is neither - stony, fresh, pure and beautifully balanced with a lightness of touch that's remarkable in the vintage. Outstanding.
2010 Riesling "101"
Elegant, light on its feet with restrained sweetness and a sense of real purity. Very good.
2010 Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Kabinett
Slightly reductive and steely, the fruit's quite reticent and it feels surprisingly dry after the 101.
2010 Winkeler Jesuitengarten Riesling Spatlese
Quite sweet but beautifully balanced; ripe apples and yellow peachy fruit conveyed with a sense of precision and lightness. Excellent.
2010 Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Spatlese "303"
Remarkable; a powerhouse in terms of its ripeness and richness - yet everything is perfectly integrated and there's amazing clarity, freshness and lightness. One of the best wines of the tasting. Outstanding.
Table 6: Assorted German Kabinett
2010 von Othegraven Kanzemer Altenberg Riesling Kabinett
Spatlese-like in its richness and sweetness, luscious herb-tinged pear and apple fruit but comes across surprisingly soft and a bit dull. Disappointing after the last couple of vintages.
2010 Reuscher Haart Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Kabinett
Textbook Mosel Kabinett; bright, refreshing fruit over slate. Very good.
2010 AJ Adam Dhron Hofberg Riesling Kabinett
Really disappointing. Incredibly ripe, a bit soft and heavy and the fruit doesn't seem as clean/pure as its been in previous vintages.
2010 Geil Bechtheimer Rosengarten Riesling Kabinett
Pleasant; refreshing, elegant and nicely balanced.
2010 Gysler Weinheimer Riesling Kabinett
Fresh, pale complexioned fruit with the acids giving it a sense of real clarity and focus. Very good.
2010 Schneider Niederhauser Klamm Riesling Kabinett
Rather sweet and ripe, at the same time a bit soft and dull.
2009 Schlossgut Diel Riesling Kabinett
Very pretty; pale Riesling fruit tinged with slate and floral notes, nicely balanced with restrained sweetness and moderate acidity. Very good/excellent.
2010 Schlossgut Diel Pittermannchen Riesling Kabinett
Fantastic. Brighter, vibrant floral-tinged fruit up front; turns more savoury and salty on the back end with an umami note lingering. Quite rich for a Kabinett, but very pure and beautifully balanced. Outstanding.
2010 Eugen Muller Forster Mariengarten Riesling Kabinett
Floral and ripe fruited, nicely balanced though rather ripe.
2010 Geil Bechtheimer Heiligkreuz Scheurebe Kabinett
Nicely balanced and pleasant enough, though there's very little of that wild herbal Scheurebe character evident.
Table 7: Selbach-Oster - phenomenal once more.
2010 Selbach Riesling "Incline"
Purchased fruit (hence only the 'Selbach' name on the label); rather strange with both ripe creaminess and a tart, slightly underripe character that aren't in harmony.
Onto the estate wines which are freaking stunning...
2010 Zeltinger Himmelreich Kabinett halbtrocken
A little bland and muted compared to recent vintages, still quite tasty and nicely balanced, managing to avoid feeling austere. Good.
2010 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett
Brilliant. Fresh apples infused with slate, superb balance, moderate sweetness and phenomenal length. Buy as much as possible.
2010 Zeltinger Schlossberg Riesling Spatlese
I just wrote down 'Wow!'
As good as the "Schmitt" parcel has been in the past - really layered, nuanced, superbly balanced - just wow.
2010 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spatlese
Creamy; dense; layers of ripe yellow/white fruits and stony notes, very ripe but excellent.
2010 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese one-star
Johannes says this is BA! I believe it after tasting - this is huge; peaches and cream, clean botrytis, incredible length. Buy as dessert wine.
2010 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling "Rotlay"
Bigger still; dessert in a glass. Honeyed tropical fruit; lots of botrytis here but again great balance with really good acidity and amazing persistence.
2010 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 2-star
A real powerhouse; not quite as sweet as the Rotlay, there's Beerenauslese-like richness and density here, but remarkably pure fruit - this almost feels solid in the mouth. Hard to put this one into words. Outstanding.
2010 Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Eiswein
Outrageous. Unbelievably intense - incredibly concentrated ripe fruit, honeyed/floral notes and tremendous acidity that cuts through it all and leaves your teeth shivering. Amazing.
Table 8: Meulenhof (Kerpen was also poured here, though I didn't try those wines)
2010 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett
Not far from that immensely ripe '06 Kabinett one-star I recollect; big, sweet, floral and faintly honeyed with very rich, luscious fruit.
2010 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spatlese
Not much going on in terms of the aromatics, but pleasant, sweet Mosel fruit on the palate. Good.
2010 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese Alte Reben
Impressive - ripe, powerful Mosel fruit combined with slate and more savoury umami-like notes. Quite rich and sweet, but well balanced by powerful acidity. Excellent.
2010 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese
Very, very rich, but also very pure - dense peachy fruit, gentle honeyed notes, intense sweetness matched by bright acids. Very good.
2010 Erdener Pralat Riesling Auslese
Incredibly opulent, Beerenauslese-like with ripe peachy and tropical fruit with rich vanilla/honey notes suggesting plenty of botrytis. Good.
Table 9: Jakoby-Mathy - tasted straight after Meulenhof, and a shot of insulin wouldn't have hurt right after...
2010 Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Kabinett
Kabinett my ass; once again this is a solid Auslese. Ripe Mosel fruit, honeyed touches, tasty but I can't see myself drinking a lot of this given the massive sweetness. Good.
2009 Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Spatlese
Damn good. Bright, pure Mosel fruit that's very refreshing and precise, lifted by bright acidity but without the sting of some of the '10s. Very good.
2007 Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Spatlese
Drinking very well now; freshly picked apples and limes on a slender frame. Very good/excellent.
2009 Kinheimer Hubertuslay Riesling Spatlese Goldkapsel
A bit disappointing (I really loved the '07 and had pretty high expectations for this); comes across rather creamy, polished and a bit soft.
2010 Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Auslese 'Eulenlay'
From their best parcel in the Rosenberg vineyard; not that much sweeter/riper than the Kabinett but showing more overt botrytis. Good.
Table 10: Joh. Jos. Christoffel
2010 Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett
2010 Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Spatlese
2010 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese
All 3 of these showed almost the same - dull, soft, a little heavy and lacking both something in the middle and some vibrancy. Average.
2010 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese 2-star
Better than the lower pradikat wines; more depth and layers here, but it still feels a little soft and lacks the vibrancy and energy that's made this such an outstanding wine for me in the past. Good.
Table 11: Loewen/Schmitt-Wagner
2010 Carl Loewen Leiwener Klostergarten Riesling Kabinett
A bit austere and acidic, green fruited and I'm not convinced it's entirely ripe.
2008 Carl Loewen Thornicher Ritsch Riesling Spatlese
Comes across rather closed and reticent.
2007 Carl Schmitt-Wagner Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg Riesling Spatlese
Pleasant though not particularly profound; light Mosel fruit and herbal accents. Good.
2007 Carl Schmitt-Wagner Longuicher Herrenberg Riesling Spatlese
A better showing than the Maximiner Herrenberg; more slender and focused with the same light fruit and high-toned floral/herbal accents. Very good+.
Table 12: Assorted Spatlese and Auslese
2010 Merkelbach Kinheimer Rosenberg Riesling Spatlese
Incredibly pure and precise; restrained fruit framed by Mosel slate and florality and the acids keeping it very focused and vibrant. Excellent+.
2010 Reuscher Haart Piesporter Goldtropchen Riesling Spatlese
Rather ripe and dull, a bit spritzy.
2010 Schlossgut Diel Dorsheimer Goldloch Riesling Spatlese
Very ripe, opulent and exotic - red fruits, plums, wild floral notes and powerful acidity underneath keeping it well balanced, despite Auslese-like sweetness and intensity. Excellent.
2010 Jakob Schneider Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Spatlese
Spicy, exotic, incense-tinged red fruits and peaches; quite sweet but very fresh and well balanced. Excellent.
2008 Messmer Burrweiler Schawer Riesling Spatlese
Pleasant up front with plenty of ripe fruit, but it's a bit rough and awkward on the back end. Good.
2010 Merkelbach Erdener Treppchen Riesling Auslese
Fresh pale Riesling fruit and vivid slate up front; turns spicy on the back end with the botrytis sticking out a little bit. Very good+
2010 Merkelbach Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Beerenauslese
Not too different from the Auslese, packed with primary fruit, sugar and honey; very pure and well balanced. Very good/excellent.
2010 Eugen Muller Gewurztraminer Spatlese
Rose petals and more rose petals! There's bright lychee/tropical fruit beneath, a lightness I rarely find in Gewurztraminer and great balance. Need to buy lots of this to go with biryani. Excellent.
Obviously, it would be lot of fun for me to attend one of these events sometime, but I figured that you had to either be in the trade, or be the guest of someone who is ITB.