WTN: 1999 Kunstler Rheingau Kabinett

[Jenise]

I bought these about four years ago for the ridiculous price of $4 each. They were then so dry/austere as to be almost flavorless, and close to clear in color.

Now? Lovely yellow-gold with intense nose of honeysuckle, stone fruit, minerals and a hint of petrol. In taste, underripe stone fruit and wet rocks. Still dry, of course, but so packed with flavor that we were knocked sideways with surprise. It was an amazing match with our Tandoori chicken.

This is incredible bottle development, beyond anything I can remember expreriencing in any other white wine and, I must add, something that had I been aware of it would have had me on the reisling bandwagon long ago. According to my inventory, I have three more bottles--God, I hope it's right.

[David M. Bueker]

4 years ago the wine would have been smack in the middle of a classic shut down phase. The '99s are just now coming around & most I have tried have been really good.

[Jenise]

David, how rare are especially dry styles like this Kunstler, or is it simply more prevalent in cooler vintages?

I'll agree with David that the 99s are really nice right now - as indeed are the 94s. I have rarely liked German Trockens but Künstler seems to get this style right more than most others. The 2004 is very nice also.

Otto

[David M. Bueker]

David, how rare are especially dry styles like this Kunstler, or is it simply more prevalent in cooler vintages?

'99 was anything but a cooler vintage. In fact it was the lowest acid vintage (hence the "sweetest" in general) from 1998-2002. Not until 2003 did we have a warmer/lower acid vintage.

I would suspect that given Kunstler's favor towards drier styles that you are dealing with a producer thing, not a vintage thing. I might venture to suggest you try a bottle of the 2004 Gunderloch Riesling Dry as your next experiment. It's in screwcap!

There's not a lot of dry German Riesling that makes it here, for the simple reasons that the US market likes them much less than I do (I love dry Riesling), and the German market demands nothing but dry wines, so the producers are happy to keep it at home.

I would love to know your reaction to some of the drier tasting halbtrocken wines. 2 of my favorites in the 2004 vintage (hence they are available) are the Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken and the Schafer-Frolich Riesling Halbtrocken (oh...and the Lingenfelder Grosskarlbacher Burgweg Scheurebe Kabinett Halbtrocken). All are incredibly versatile, food friendly wines that I am cellaring by the case. They are all pretty cheap to boot.