1989 Hattenheimer Mannberg Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese, Langwerth von Simmern
The wine has a striking deep copper color. At a casual glance you'd think it was a red wine. Complex aromas jump out of the glass and say, "I am riesling. Worship me!" There's all sorts of citrus fruits and spices, with the honey-and-shoe-polish botrytis notes in the background. I could spend all day just inhaling the wonderful aromas. In the mouth, there's a glycerin-like texture and flavors that overwhelm the palate. Most of what comes through is sweetness, but perfectly balanced with bracing acidity so that it's never cloying. To fully appreciate the flavors, you have to drink this wine in small sips. Then you can appreciate all the nuances of flavor, which follow the aroma. The finish is very like the initial aromas and lasts ten or fifteen minutes. This is one of the best sweet wines I've ever tasted. Triple Curly with an extra Woo! Woo! Woo!
-Paul W.