WTN: Three Rieslings (Mosel, Nahe, Pfalz) and a Loire Cab

2007 Château du Hureau Saumur-Champigny La Tuffe
$16 from Table & Vine, grabbed a bottle to try as I've seen a lot of effusive praise from John Gilman about this estate. Fresh dark berried fruit and tobacco flavours on a lightweight frame, but dominated by an astringent green stemmy character that makes it hard to enjoy. A little too severe and austere for my liking.

2006 Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz von Buntsandstein Riesling Spätlese trocken
From the sandstone parcel in the Im Sonnenschein vineyard (that produced the Ganshorn GG in later vintages, when they decided to put this into a bigger, heavier bottle and charge a lot more for it). A little reticent at first but this just needs a little air - after an hour the aromatics are compelling; a lovely scent of saline seaspray, fresh pear and grapefruit and a vivid stoniness, and a palate presence that's remarkably light and delicate for the vintage with superb acidity keeping it very vibrant and precise. Superb.

2009 Dönnhoff Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Großes Gewächs
Still drinking superbly with a powerful stony minerality and cool green herbal notes around a core of bright Meyer lemon and pear fruit. There's amazing depth here, power conveyed with Dönnhoff's typical lightness of touch and sense of elegance, and powerful acidity beneath. Glad I have a few more bottles.

1999 Carl Schmitt-Wagner Longuicher Maximiner Herrenberg Riesling Auslese
Bright apple and lime fruit flavours framed by slate, green herbs, gentle honeyed notes and developing creamy and smoky elements. Drinking very nicely now with the fruit flavours still fresh and bright, but with the stuffing, structure and balance to age a while yet. Lovely.

[David M. Bueker]

Nice stuff.

The Schmitt-Wagner was the gold capsule auslese correct?

I haven't gotten into my 2009 Donnhoff GGs. I really should rectify that some time soon.

I haven't gotten into my 2009 Donnhoff GGs. I really should rectify that some time soon.

I kinda hate it that you guys talk about your Donnhoffs in the plural form. This stuff is expensive here.

Don't know if this was a GK Auslese compared to the regular (I thought he always used gold coloured foil on all his bottles and didn't have any GK designations), CT only shows one entry for a 99 Schmitt-Wagner Auslese. And yes, you need to check into your 09 Donnhoff GGs at some point (or an 08 Hermannshohle when I'm around ). On an aside, I just picked up some of my 09 Rebholz GGs from Crush.

Chaim - well, make a visit out to the US then and drink some!

I do drink plenty of Donnhoffs, I just can't afford to buy too many multiples

And... it's a sore spot for me that my trips to New England are too rare.

[David M. Bueker]

Salil - my 2001 Schmitt-Wagners are all in white capsules. The change to gold came later.

Hmm, interesting. Then this one is a GK (same bottles you'd picked up for me at Table & Vine).

Hi Salil -

Thank you for the great notes as usual.

Interesting info there about the 2006 Rebholz von Buntsandstein essentially being the predecessor to the Ganz Horn bottling. I've never had either bottling from Rebholz (at around $100, the Rebholz GGs are out of my price range now, as great as they are), and wonder if you knew where the grapes for the 08 and 09 editions of the von Buntsandstein come from. Just in the past month, I know that somebody was featuring a 2009 von Buntsandstein "S" from Rebholz.