WTN: Grunhaus

A bottle of 2014 Grunhaus Abtsberg Kabinett was lovely, lively, typical and extremely easy to drink. The inner iron core of focus is always there, but it is surrounded by the refreshing verdant cucumber flavors that scream 'Grunhaus' to me. And then of course the slight sweetness. Did I say this was extremely easy to drink!

Unfortunately, a bottle of 2005 Grunhaus Abtsberg Spatlese was not lovely or lively and it was very difficult to drink. I had mixed expectations because of the year and was not sure how much it would be showing. But it underperformed with sweet hollow golden fruit that titled towards the dull syrupy side. That said, I bought this last week in a wine shop, so cannot rule out the possibility of a damaged bottle (they had some roughed-up ones on the shelves so I asked for one from the storage, but that storage was just a wine refrigerator and who knows the history).

Oh well. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.

I too was disappointed with the Grünhaus Abtsberg Spätlese '05. I may have already posted this. If so, apologies for repetitiveness.

2005 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (12/28/2015)
I wonder if this wine is not a downgraded Auslese. The sweetness was quite marked and it was fuller than I was expecting and was short on the usual Grünhaus airy elegance. Having said that, there was plenty of attractive white fruit and flower fragrance, good fruit, lively moreish acidity and minerals. It was too sweet now, IMO, for even foie gras zakouskis. A few more years probably needed to bring complexity and proper focus.

I don't think that 2005 is my kind of vintage for German Riesling with RS. Perhaps it suits dries better.

[David M. Bueker]

2005 is a vintage that was hailed as great, and in some cases hailed as greater than 2001. It was right in the middle of the "riper is better" craze and "sweeter is better" fetish for pradikat wines. I find most of them very hard to drink now, and have a ton of them. I am just hoping that they age into something I can enjoy.

Tim-your Spatlese was definitely at least an Auslese, and perhaps could have qualified for beerenauslese. There is not a single Spatlese from a quality producer these days that doesn't meet the oechsle requirements for Auslese. The really dangerous vintage is 2006 where some producers downgraded BA level musts to Kabinett! And they also had rampant botrytis in 2006.

I too was disappointed with the Grünhaus Abtsberg Spätlese '05...I don't think that 2005 is my kind of vintage for German Riesling with RS. Perhaps it suits dries better.

I agree, and I have had experiences from the past few years with other 2005 German rieslings that were too heavy and lacked elegance. But I still think something was off with my bottle, as it felt damaged.