2004 Schloss Johannisberger Grünlack Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Rheingau (4/9/2007)
Opened with high expectations, this fulfilled some but not all. I really like the precision of the aromas, blending peach, white flowers and spice with an apple nuance. Very clean. The flavors are also quite focused, with more peach, blended with apple and a mineral backbone. There's a touch of bitterness on the finish that tightens everything up, and the acid balance is good. There's even a little bit of that expansive finishing richness. Where it falls off is the length of the finish, which after that brief expansive moment fades quickly into oblivion.
On the whole it's a very good wine, and one that I would (and will) be happy to have in my cellar. It's classic spatlese, not some outsized monster auslese sold as spatlese to impress people. But it is missing the extra dimension, especially in the finish that makes so many of my favorite rieslings from 2004 (e.g. Leitz, Selbach, Donnhoff, Schafer-Frohlich) so great.
If this is part of an overall comeback for the estate (and I hear that it is) then I am very happy and look forward to trying more and being even more convinced.