WTN: 2017 Riesling Spätlese x 2

2017 Lauer Ayler Kupp Spätlese Fass 7
So so good. Brisk and bright with firm sweet shimmering golden lemon drop fruit in the middle. Great palate presence, great Saar freshness, great fun. Matches well with a variety of dishes but especially good with chanterelles and roasted potatoes. So so good.

2017 Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Spätlese
Nice on opening but with air the flavors get more vivid and the texture gains delicate tones. Juicy, mineral and decently-complex, this is lovely balanced wine. For my tastes, not the same electric thrill of the Lauer Fass 7. But those are privileged (and very subjective) distinctions to make.

[David M. Bueker]

Not a shocking distinction between those two wines. I would never expect a Vollenweider to have the same “electricity” as a Lauer.

Fair point. Although in my defense, I did add 'thrilling' to the description of Lauer as electric. I'm not sure I would prefer every version of Lauer's electricity to every version of Vollenweider's broader pleasure. But yes, at the end of the day, these preferences are subjective and these are both delicious wines from great producers.

[David M. Bueker]

Yep - I like both expressions.

[David M. Bueker]

Had a glass of a 2019 Vollenweider Spatlese tonight. This won’t come out quite right, but all I could think was “comfort wine.”

'Comfort wine' makes total sense!

Si it sounds like 2017s are still drinking well? Just discovered a box of mixed '17s (Kruger-Rumpf and Donnhoff that I apparentlly threw in a corner and never opened.!!

Ha!

I can't claim any broad 2017 exposure. From my little quartet, the Vollenweider kabinett was more open and giving than the Lauer Fass 8 Kabinett. But the Vollenweider spätlese would probably benefit from some more time to integrate. While the same may be true for the Lauer Fass 7 spätlese, that is the one that thrilled me the most and which I will buy more of, if there are any left.