Day 7 is a long travel from Wachau to Mosel. It is time to reflect on my first visit to the Wachau. It is a beautiful area, but I was surprised of the difference from German wine-areas. Like in Mosel you have the rivers and you have the endless long hills on the sides of the river. In Wachau you also have the river, but the vineyards surroundig it is not a continuous hill. Rather there are many smaller hills popping up and even smaller hills behind the hills. This discontinuation of the landscape around the river is different. It often makes the vineyards smaller and more scattered. Heat is not so important in Wachau as in Mosel. So vines are often further away from the river.
Also it is very easy to see the difference in cultural history between the south and north side of the river. Especially if you look at the churches. The south has the beautiful stifts of Melk and Göttweig. So impressive, but to think of the money they needed to raise such wealthy places and what it would imply on those living around it.
We arrive in Traben after 10 hours of driving. The first tasting is at Daniel Vollenweider. It was a situation in the Mosel where everything happened at the same time. The auctions was about to start. Daniel about to arrange the Klitzekleinen ring and then the weather had arranged that the harvest was just around the corner. So there was time to start organise that too. But Daniel found some time for us.
Wolfer Goldgrube riesling spätlese 2005, AP#3
Light straw colour. Slatey nose, a bit closed and reductive in style. Shows some flowers and honey. Powerful spätlese in the mouth. Quite ripe friut and massive. A bit too much?? The acids balance out in the finish. Gives length and hints of citrus. The most powerful blended spätlese I have taste from Daniel Vollenweider. I am not too convinced right now, but will need to retaste later. This needs time to calm down.
Wolfer Goldgrube riesling spätlese Portz 2005, AP#4
Straw colour. Flowery nose, more fruit showing, some honey and slate. In the mouth this shows a better structure. More elegance and not so top heavy fruit. Fruit shows honey, citrus, some more mineral notes. Citrus in the finish. Good length. Very fine, one of my favorites.
Wolfer Goldgrube riesling spätlese Reiler 2005, AP#5
Straw colour. Some more spritz. Less open nose again. Shows more flowers and mineral. More yeast. Fuller and more concentrated fruit in the mouth. A little heavier again. More flowery fruit, but also fine minerality in this one. Fine acids and good length. Good structure. Also needs to loose some weight. Less elegance than the Portz, but fine fruit. Very good indeed. For the cellar.
Wolfer Goldgrube riesling auslese 2005, AP#6
Straw colour. Quite a lot of spritz. Nose a littel closed. Shows some botrytis - very fine botrytis, flowers and white fruits. Slight fatness in the mouth, but botrytis is very fine indeed. Marries well with the fruit. Fruit giving little, closed. Some citrus in the finish. Fine acids and balance. Very fine auslese.
Wolfer Goldgrube riesling auslese goldkapsel 2005, AP#7
A little deeper colour. Heavier nose here. More opulence. Sweet nose, hints of honey, flowers, botrytis. More concetration in the mouth and a much more open wine. Honeyed fruit, again fine botrytis. Sweetness well balanced by refreshing acids and a long taste. Great wine.
Wolfer Goldgrube riesling beerenauslese 2005, AP#10
Yellow colour. Refreshing, fruity nose with hints of botrytis and honey. Quite fat and sweet BA in the mouth. Fruit a little tropical. Much botrytis, but again very fine botrytis and marries very well with the fruit. Great acidic backbone. A structured and fruity BA. Very tempting now. Tremendous wine.
So to Daniel Vollenweiders new line of wines. The Shimbock is made using traditional wine-making. The wines are more opulent in style. But also mineral wines. There are three wines this year. The two first without prädikat, but no sugar was added here. The Shimbock refers to the parcel-name where the vines for this wine grows. This parcel is just over the border from the Goldgrube and within the border of Trabener Würzgarten.
Shimbock riesling trocken 2005, AP#12
Yellow colour. Fine nose shows minerals, honey, slate, some spice. Fullbodied wine in the mouth. Fine fruit, light spice, fine minerality. Fine acids, but alcohol i s too high here (14%) for me. Making the finish a bit rustic. If you can tolerate that this is a very fine wine.
Shimbock riesling 2005, AP#11
Yellow colour. More intence nose here. Aromatic, hints of sweet fruits, honey, slate, minerals and some spice. Fullbodied and opulent style. Heavier fruit, more old-fashioned; honey, flowers. Some fine minerality. Sweet, but well balanced wine, but perhaps a little less structure here. Very fine.
Shimbock riesling auslese 2005, AP#8
Picked at 140 Oechsle. Yellow colour. Fine and aromatic nose. Hints of honey, botrytis, some raisins, spice, slate. Fullbodied in the mouth. Some fat. Fine botrytis. Raisiny hints. Fine fruit and good structure here. I like that balance and elegance. Fine acids and length. Great wine.
Wolfer Goldgrube riesling spätlese Portz 2002
In the end we were in for a couple of blind wines. This had a yellow/greenish colour. Complex nose. Some evolvement. Mineral, flowery with great depth. Portz-style?? In the mouth this is fullbodied, structured wine with fine fruit that shows some evolvement and drinks fine today. Slight leafy hints, som citrus in the back. Very fine. Must be one of the older Portz. 2001 or 2002? Daniel says 2002 and yes Portz. He explains 2001 is more closed and a younger wine.
Wolfer Goldgrube riesling auslese 2002
Yellow/greenish colour. Shows some sulphure in the nose, also some tea - botrytis. Definitely an auslese-style. Fullbodied and sweet in the mouth. More herbal botrytis-character here. Hints of tea, flowers and good depth. Some evolvement here also. But perhaps not as complex as the Portz. Could be 2002 again?? Yes, two correct in a row. But it is time to leave. Daniel has to fetch lunch for his workers and go out into the vineyards to work.