Pewsey Vale "The Contours" Riesling 1998
An absurdly strong aroma of lime and petrol. Dry but fleshy. I like this, but I can understand why some feel that Ozzie Riesling can be a bit one-dimensional. But that one dimension of this wine is one that I like very much!
Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Riesling Auslese 1999
Quite unlike most Zillikens I have had since it was a bit flabby and fruit-heavy. The aromas were lovely and pure, however. Perhaps the acid spine will emerge with time?
[b]Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Riesling Spätlese 1993
Lovely, lively, high acid wine, more typical Saar than the 1999 above, it started to smell of green peas with air; lovely balance of sweetness, steel, acid and purity. Lovely.
Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Riesling Auslese 1993
Sweeter, of course, than the Spätlese, but still with that lovely green pea aroma; steely, lively, deliciously sugary yet savoury. Lovely.
Grünhäuser Herrenberg Riesling Auselse 1988
This was somehow off: it smelled of lime and urine. No fruit. Not obviously corked, but some such flaw that stripped it of its fruit.
Grünhäuser Herrenberg Riesling Auselse Fuder 153 1988
Lovely. Darker colour than the straight Auslese. Honey and steel aromas to the pure Riesling fruit. Drying a bit on the palate so it is just perfect! Racy, steely, lively, aged yet not tired.
Kesselstatt Graacher Josephshöfer Auslese 1983
Deep, honeyed, floral and copper kettle aromas; rich, sweet, honeyed palate - none of that steely character I usually find with Saar and Ruwer. Rich, but lovely.
Louis Guntrum Niersteiner Rosenberg Auslese 1976
A Rheinhessen. Very clean and pure Riesling aroma but very, VERY ripe and rich. The colour, smell and palate is that of a much younger wine, but there is a balance between the roundness and the dried character so this is, to my tastes, a perfect time to drink it.
Grünhäuser Abstberg Spätlese 1973
A lovely aroma of bruised apple and honey; dryish already with little indication that there is generous sugar in the wine, perfectly balanced, delightfully high acid. Lovely, though supposedly from a weak vintage.
Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr feine Auslese 1966
Before the modern system there were Auslese, feine Auslese, feinste Auslese and still some further category that I can't remember the name of. These have now become Auslese, GK and Lange GK Auslese. So this is what would now be GK Auslese. Orange colour. A lovely aroma of copper kettles and bruised apple - though obviously oxidative, this is incredibly lively and doesn't seem tired at all. It seems dry and racy on the palate, the sugar has vanished, it is steely and racy and there is nothing soft about it. Lovely.
Prinz von Hessen Johannisberger Klaus Beerenauslese 2003
Very intense crystallized fruit aromas; very sweet but much better acidity than I thought this year would have. The finish is actually refreshing! One more example of why those of us who disliked 2003 initially must in some instances say positives: the structure has surfaced from the fathoms of fruit.
Landgräflich Hessiches Weingut Johannisberger Klaus Beerenauslese 1975
This is the same producer and vineyard as above, just the name has changed. A super-intense copper aroma; dry but sweet paradox on the palate, grippy; lovely.
Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Beerenauslese 1992
9,5% abv. Lovely passionfruit intensity; super acidity. I just don't see how the complexity strengthens with the prädikat!
Trimbach Cuvée Fr. Emile SGN 1983
12,5% and it shows after these 7-8% abv wines. But the aroma is lovely: very pure Riesling, floral and steely. Slightly sweet, super acidity, mineral, intense, interminable aftertaste. Outstanding. But could do with a bit more age...
To finish, we opened up a Champagne: Fr. Boulard Les Murgiers. A brut nature, Pinot dominant wine, with lovely crisp, citric and red fruit, floral aromas; crisp yet friendly, elegant mousse, racy, interminable finish. Lovely.