Notes on a tasting of Rieslings.
No restrictions, any country any style. Lunch was a schnitzel with excellent sauerkraut and some cold cuts and patés.
2018 Stéphane Ogier Viognier de Rosine – this not in theme starter was just a wine to sip while chatting before getting down to it. Light colour, a real lemon/lime nose, clean and crisp. Light weight with good minerality. Nice, probably wouldn’t improve with ageing.
On to the main event - I was expecting maybe 2/3 German wines, maybe an outlier from Oz or the US, and certainly some Alsatians, but no, they all went for Germany except me!
1976 P. Licht-Bergweiler Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese – amber colour, sweet Riesling nose, with waxy fruit and hints of nutmeg. Always iffy with wines this old, but this one showed very well. Good bottle.
2012 Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling Großes Gewächs – light colour, hits of sulphur/gun powder in the nose, low residual sugar, very dry finish. Decent wine if not my favourite style.
2008 Gustave Lorentz Riesling Altenberg de Bergheim Vieilles Vignes – my wine and sadly this bottle was an underachiever. Light colour, middling RS, well balanced, with a slight bit of petrol in the nose but also an oxidative funkiness that eventually blew off. It still wasn’t what I expected of it – possibly heat damaged?
1996 Schwaab-Kiebel Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese – good varietal nose, nicely balanced with clean acidity, good fruit. Delicious.
1983 Louis Guntrum Niersteiner Oelberg Riesling Auslese – my ‘make up’ bottle for the flawed Alsatian (that turned out to actually be a dog). This one has a lot of history – making wine since 1648 under the same family.Middling amber colour, a nose with no petrol but some interesting saffron and some toasted, buttered nuts! Still had decent fruit an lengthy finish.
2005 Dr. H. Thanisch Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese – not as sweet as the Guntrum, light colour, nicely balanced and a delightful floral nose with apricot and honey. On palate, a fruit salad with pineapple, apple and lime notes, with good lengthy finish. I looked this one up and came across one tasting note that had me scratching my head. The reviewer said “Vaseline and lime flavours”. I agreed with his on the lime, but apparently lacked his experience tasting that other component.....
