1976 Hessische Staatsweingueter Kloster Eberbach Steinberger Riesling Spaetlese - Germany, Rheingau (3/30/2026)
About 1.5 inches / 4 cm of ullage, medium amber. Purchased in 2009 from Premier Cru. The sommeliere didn't know how to use an ah so, and almost massacred the cork, but luckily it was sturdy and survived. With bits of cork, there was no real choice but to do a filtered decant. I was sure it would be dead after all that.
Couldn't be further from dead! Spun sugar and creme brulee, not a ton of sugar, moderate acidity, just wonderful. No petrol at all. I wish they could all be like this. Excellent.
File this one under "lucky". Anytime you buy a wine 30+ years after release from a $70 million pyramid scheme, and hold it for another 15 years, you're rolling the dice. My darling wife was celebrating 50 years, and we opened this on her birthday cruise aboard the Disney Destiny.