𝑬𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒓𝒖𝒃 “𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆” 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏, 2018

📍Traben-Trarbach, Mosel, Germany🇩🇪

The wine was decanted a few hours before first test.

Very dark and golden color - probably from the late harvested grapes and the tiny maceration.

The aromas are powerful and delicate, offering ripe pear, lemon peel, beeswax, baked lemon, mild petrol, old eraser, dark honey, lemon wine gum, wet and smoky stones and lees.

On the palate, the wine is rich and creamy (not heavy) with a sick acidity to balance the body. Ripe pomelo, nectarine, lemon peel, a mild green bitterness, lemon verbena, honey (without being sweet) and white wine gum. Very fine minerality, lots of salt and a hint of salmiak in the finish.

• Hand-harvested from the famous and steep Enkircher Ellergrub vineyard

• Naturally fermented in 8-year-old barrique

This is the first Ellergrub “Reserve” wine from Weiser-Künstler, and probably the last for a long time, since it was kind of a (happy) accident. In the very hot vintage of 2018, Konstantin Weiser and Alexandra Künstler were waiting and waiting for the humidity causing the botrytis - but it never came. The vines were actually ment to be used for an Ellergrub Auslese, but instead, the overripe and very sweet grapes (still in perfect condition) resulted in a dry Riesling Reserve with high alcohol for its kind.

Konstantin and Alexandra started the winery in 2005, and quickly they were on the lips of the biggest international wine personalities. They farm a little morethan 4 ha of Riesling, all biodynamic and with a low amount of sulfur.

 ⭐️91/100⭐️ 𝑬𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒓𝒖𝒃 “𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆” 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏, 2018

That feeling when you definitely shouldn’t, but you do. My excuse, you don’t see these very often! Straight to the cellar! ⠀

 That feeling when you definitely shouldn’t, but you do. My

I love a good nose around a quality bottle shop, especially when you find gems like this. Keller Frauenberg 2014 is certainly not a regular find in Sydney so this is coming home with me. Notes soon! 🍷 ​

 I love a good nose around a quality bottle shop, especially

1995 Dr. Loosen - Erdener Prälat Riesling Auslese (93 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Riesling from the vineyard of Erdener Prälat in the Mosel, Germany. This vineyard is 1.6 hectares in size with steep south-facing slopes (45°). These old vines grow in red slate soils.

👃 Pronounced intensity on the nose. Aromas of petrol, dried apricot, dried mango, canned peach, ripe pineapple, orange peel, quince paste, saffron, candied ginger, and high-end honey.

👄 The wine is medium-sweet, high acidity, low alcohol (7.5%), and medium body. Initially, a touch of spritz on the tip of the tongue, but that faded after being open. A long length finish of dried apricot, quince paste, and saffron.

🔔  The Erdener Prälat wines are always so expressive and powerful. They need age to tame the fruitiness of the wine. The petrol was very obvious when first opened but faded after a few hours. The wine is ripe with a healthy amount of residual sugar (~100 g/l) but stays in complete balance all the way through the lengthy finish. I love the kaleidoscope of fruit aromas combined with the right mix of Botrytis flavors (saffron, ginger, and honey). At 25 years old, this wine still has a long life ahead of it.

 1995 Dr. Loosen - Erdener Prälat Riesling Auslese (93 pts)

2015 Clemens Busch - Riesling Vom Grauen Schiefer (86 pts)

ℹ️ Clemens Busch is based in the Mosel. The majority of his vines are grown on a hillside called Marienburg facing the town of Pünderich. He makes two Cuvees from this site that highlight they grey slate (vom grauen Schiefer) and red slate (vom roten Schiefer). Bottle capsule color (red, grey, blue) dictates the soil type. Terroir focused to say the least with minimal intervention. They practice Biodynamic farming·

👃 Medium intensity on the nose. Aromas of wet rock, flint, steelie, yellow apple, Meyer lemon, lemon zest, acacia, and quince·

👄 The wine is dry, high enamel destroying acidity, medium- alcohol, and light body. Medium+ intensity on the palate. This is tart, very tart! The palate is lemon zest, raw quince, and yellow apple skins. There is chalky texture and then an extremely mineral wet rock and slate note that dominates the medium length finish. ·

🔔 This wine is clearly not for everyone due to the ripping acidity. I probably like rocks and acid more than the average drinker. 2015 is a ripe year, but there is no suppleness here. This is straight up citrus zesters and laser beams ☄️. Served too cold and the acidity is austere, but a tad warmer than cellar temp and it eases off a bit. Time should help mellow it·

 2015 Clemens Busch - Riesling Vom Grauen Schiefer (86 pts)

1997 Dr. Loosen -  Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese (94 points)

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Riesling from the Mosel wine region of Germany. The grapes come from the "spice garden" vineyard from the town of Ürzig. The vines grow on red slate soils, and the average age was around 40 years old in 1997. This wine is a late release from the winery. These wines were aged in large fuder barrels on the lees for 20 months. The wine has 46.8 g/l of residual sugar with 8.4 g/l of total acidity.

👃 Pronounced intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe yellow peach, apple skin, nectarine, green papaya, grapefruit pith, dried lemon, dried pear, dried currant, and orange blossoms.

👄 The wine is medium-dry, high acidity, low alcohol (8.0%), and medium- body. Loads of delicate filigree on the palate. A medium+ length finish of citrus zest, peach skin, and wet stone.

🔔 The lyric "They just don't make 'em like you anymore" comes to mind when drinking this wine. Modern Spätlese wines just seem to be more robust. Honestly, many Kabinett wines these days have this much residual sugar. The residual sugar has toned down with time and highlights the acid backbone driving the wine. The 1997 Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese was a late release in 2018 and is full of energy. It is not exactly clear to me how to know that this is a late-release bottle with extended lees aging, but if you can get your hands on these, they are totally worth it.

 1997 Dr. Loosen -  Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese (94

Dr. Loosen Virtual Tasting and Interview with Ernst Loosen

🎙 Join my Instagram Live interview with Ernst Loosen, Proprietor of Dr. Loosen

.loosen on Thursday, March 4th, at 9:00 am PST / 6:00 pm CET. Ernst and I will focus the discussion on the age-ability of German Riesling. The magic of the "fruity" wines of the Mosel is their ability to age for decades. We will look at Ürziger Würzgarten (The spice garden of Ürzig) Riesling Spätlese across three decades in a mini-vertical tasting. Additionally, we will discuss how the style of the wines has evolved over the decades.

🍷 We will taste 1997, 2007, and 2019  Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese. Please join our Instagram Live and participate in the conversation. Don't forget to click the reminder in the stories.

 Dr. Loosen Virtual Tasting and Interview with Ernst Loosen

2017 Dr. Loosen - Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese (91 points)

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Riesling from the Mosel wine region of Germany. The grapes come from the "sundial" vineyard from the town of Wehlen. The vines grow on Blue Devonian Slate soils, and the average age is over 60 years old on original rootstock. The grapes are hand-picked with a cold fermentation in stainless steel tanks and Fuder barrels. Half the fermentation is with natives yeast and the other half with cultured yeasts. The fermentation is halted by chilling, preserving the residual sugar. The wine has 57 g/l of residual sugar with 8.5 g/l of total acidity.

👃 Pronounced intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe yellow peach, apricot, red apple, melon, candied orange, honeysuckle, and steely.

👄 The wine is medium-sweet, high acidity, low alcohol (7.5%), and medium body. A medium+ length finish of ripe stone fruit, red apple, and steely.

🔔 This bottle Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spätlese has all the components to be a delicious wine in time. Right now, it is overtly fruit-forward, and even with 8.5 g/l of total acidity, it is hard to overcome the residual sugar at the moment. This is a simple exercise in patience. Spätlese is one of my favorite levels of fruity Pradikat wines of the Mosel, but I prefer them with 10-12 years of bottle age. For young Pradikat wines, I am more of a Kabinett drinker and don't miss out on those GG wines either (see previous post).

 2017 Dr. Loosen - Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese (91

2017 Dr. Loosen - Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Grosses Gewächs Alte Reben (93 points)

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Riesling from the Mosel wine region of Germany. The grapes come from the "sundial" vineyard from the town of Wehlen. The vines grow on Blue Devonian Slate soils, and the average age is over 100 years old on original rootstock. The grapes are hand-picked with native yeast fermentation in neutral oak casks. The wine is kept on the full lees for a year without bâtonnage before being bottled.  The wine has 8.7 g/l of residual sugar with 7.4 g/l of total acidity.

👃 Pronounced intensity on the nose. Aromas of key lime, lemon sorbet, lemon zest, kiwi, grapefruit pith, orange blossom, honeysuckle, wet rock, and lemongrass.

👄 The wine is dry, high acidity, medium alcohol (12.5%), and medium+ body. This wine shows excellent texture and heft on the palate. A long length finish of citrus, especially lime, florals, and flint.

🔔 When I think of Dr. Loosen, my thoughts gravitate towards the fruity Pradikat wines of the Mosel, but after tasting this, Wehlener Sonnenuhr Grosses Gewächs, I now have to consider their high-end dry wines. This bottle was eye-opening, from the open and charming nose to the depth and weight on the palate. The length on the finish highlights ripe key lime and flint as if being carried out by a laser beam of acidity. This wine is utterly mouthwatering and such a pleasure to drink. My only complaint is that it was consumed too young. This GG will continue to improve with additional cellaring and I would wait at least 5 more years to get the full picture of what this wine has to offer.

 2017 Dr. Loosen - Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Grosses

1971 Staatliche Weinbaudomäne Trier - Serriger Heiligenborn Riesling Spätlese (90 pts)

❓What was the last wine you tasted that was over the hill❓·

ℹ️ Tasted blind at a German winetasting. 1971 is a legendary vintage and many of the wines I have tasted from that vintage have blown me away. This wine was clearly past it's prime, but was still charming. A few months back I tasted a different vineyard from the same producer. It was a 1975 and Auslese·

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of mushroom, leather, all spice, clove, dried apple, and persimmon·

👄 The wine is medium-dry, high acidity, low alcohol, and medium- body. When you taste it you realize that the sugar flavors have morphed into something totally different. Tasting formerly sweet wines is quite interesting. A lot of spice on this wine that came to life with food. Medium- length finish·

🔔 I am sure that 5-10 years ago this was excellent. While interesting and complex, this would not be everyone's cup of tea. I think if this wine was an Auslese or higher this may have faired better·

 1971 Staatliche Weinbaudomäne Trier - Serriger Heiligenborn

Blind Tasting of a Trocken (dry) German Riesling flight of wines

❓Do you prefer your Rieslings dry or sweet❓·

ℹ️ Each month a host prepares a flight or 2 of wines around a theme. I was excited to taste a Trocken flight vs a Spätlese flight. This flight had 5 wines, all but 1 from the 2016 vintage. Stack ranked, but not individually scored·

1️⃣ 2015 Selbach-Oster - Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese Trocken

📝 The only wine in the flight showing petrol on the nose likely due to extra year of age. Good notes of nectarine, orange blossom, and white peach. Acidity was lively but in harmony with medium+ body. Longest finish of the wines·

2️⃣ 2016 Dönnhoff - Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs

📝 Nose needed air to come to life. Interesting combination of earthy, floral, and citrus. High acidity and medium+ body. Clearly feeling the weight in the GG. Finish was medium+ length. Group's favorite dry wine·

3️⃣ 2016 Schäfer-Fröhlich - Felsenberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs ·

📝 Medium- nose. Grapefruit, pithy, and perfume. Laser like acidity. Medium body. Medium- length finish·

4️⃣ 2016 Weingut Keller - Riesling von der Fels

📝 This was the group's 2nd top wine. For me the nose was a bit muted and had an interesting savory note combined with grapefruit. Medium- finish. Needs time·

5️⃣ 2016 Müller-Catoir - Haardt Riesling Trocken

📝 Medium- nose. Lemon, lemon zest, white flowers, and ginger. Lightest body of the group. Shortest finish of the group ·

🔔 A fun tasting. I apologize as there were too many wines and not enough time to write full reviews. High level takeaway is that I clearly like weightier styles of Trocken Riesling. Based on my scoring of the Spätlese Trocken and GG wines. Keller and Müller-Catoir are fabulous producers, but just stood out as outliers in the group. In Blind, We Trust 😎·

 Blind Tasting of a Trocken (dry) German Riesling flight of

🍷🗝 Sometimes you just need the right tool for the right bottle. It is hot out, and I love aged German Riesling.

🇩🇪🍷 The lower alcohol levels make the wine a joy to drink. Also, there is something about long-term aging that somehow changes the perception of residual sugar on the palate. I realize the residual sugar is the exact same, but it just tastes "less sweet". If anyone knows the science behind this please let me know. Even a Spätlese can be aged beautifully for almost 50 years.

💪💪💪While some people prefer to leverage their corkscrew skills as a show of prowess, I prefer just to get the cork out as cleanly as possible, so I can get to enjoy those finely aged wine.

 🍷🗝 Sometimes you just need the right tool for the right

1975 Staatliche Weinbaudomäne Trier - Serriger Vogelsang Riesling Auslese Mosel (96 pts)

❓What is the oldest Riesling you have tasted? And did you like it?

ℹ️ The 1970s had a few great vintages. Most people talk about the great 1971 and 1976 vintages known for power and botrytis. 1975 was also a very good vintage with a lot of balance and structure. This wine is from a State Owned Enterprise in the Mosel Valley. This still exists today and owns about 30 hectares of vines. In 2011 they opened a state of the art facility with a commission for research and development of natural wine growing techniques·

👃 Pronounced intensity on the nose. Aromas of Peach skin, stewed peach, apricots, orange blossoms, red apple skin, ginger, and persimmon·

👄 The wine is medium-dry (possibly sweeter), high acidity, low alcohol, and medium body. Very intense on the palate as well. Peach skin, baked peach, persimmon, dried apricot, orange blossom, and chrysanthemum tea. The finish was long and elegant with a slight herbal almost minty note at the end ·

🔔 Freaking Amazing 🙌 these wines age forever. This was from my private cellar and purchased on auction with reputable provenance. Corks of this age are a pain, but that's why I own the Durand. Older wine is my true passion and I was happy to share this bottle to celebrate something with a friend. Oh and did I mention it was Amazing 🙌·

 1975 Staatliche Weinbaudomäne Trier - Serriger Vogelsang

2018 Dr. Loosen - Blue Slate Riesling Kabinett

ℹ️ This wine is 💯 Riesling from the Mosel wine region of Germany. The vines grow on Blue Devonian Slate soils. These vineyards are all estate owned. The grapes are hand-picked with native yeast fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The fermentation is stopped by chilling to preserve the residual sugar in the wine.  The wine has 40 g/l of residual sugar with 8.5 g/l of total acidity.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of ripe yellow peach, apricot, nectarine, orange blossom, red apple, pear, and steely.

👄 The wine is medium-sweet, high acidity, low alcohol (8.5%), and medium body. A medium- length finish of ripe stone fruit and steeliness.

🔔 This wine is an entry-level fruity (as opposed to dry) Riesling from Dr. Loosen. A lot of ripe fruit flavors without being cloying. A bit more weight than the Red Slate. This wine is far from dry or even off-dry, but that 8.5 g/l of acidity keeps it fresh. Just a stylistic choice between the two, but I do enjoy a touch of sweetness on the palate as long as it is balanced. Also, the low alcohol and affordable price point make this a perfect summer poolside sipper.

 2018 Dr. Loosen - Blue Slate Riesling Kabinett @dr .loosen

1971 Staatliche Weinbaudomäne Trier - Serriger Heiligenborn Riesling Spätlese (92 pts)

ℹ️ This wine is from a State-Owned Enterprise in the Mosel wine region in Germany. This winery still exists today and owns about 30 hectares of vines. In 2011 they opened a state of the art facility with a commission for research and development of natural wine growing techniques. The 1970s had a few great vintages (71, 75, and 76) for Mosel Riesling. 1971 is a legendary vintage, and many of the wines I have tasted from that vintage have blown me away, assuming they were stored correctly.

👃 Medium+ intensity on the nose. Aromas of dried apricot, orange peel, caramel apple, dried mango, peach skin, persimmon, mirabelle plum, dried white flowers, oolong tea, and a bit of kerosene

👄 The wine is off-dry, high acidity, low alcohol (~10%), and medium body. The profile is a bit earthier on the palate with dried leaves and dried flowers. A medium+ length finish of dried stone fruit, oolong tea, and a slightly bitter orange zest

🔔 Two years ago, someone served the same wine to me blind. That bottle, while still enjoyable, was over the hill, while this bottle is fully mature and hanging in there. Storage and provenance of these old bottles are paramount. I am delighted with how this bottle showed, especially looking back at my old notes. I will add that this wine in its youth was probably at least medium-dry if not medium-sweet. My tasting note reflects the perception of the residual sugar, not the actual RS level in the wine.  If you see some old Rieslings at auction and the condition is good, they can be worth the risk.

 1971 Staatliche Weinbaudomäne Trier - Serriger Heiligenborn

Riesling Spätlese “Herxheimer Himmelreich”, 2011

12th generation of Petri winemakers are running this old winery located in the village of Herxheim am Berg in one of the 13 Anbaugebiete (wine growing regions) of Germany called Pfalz (the Palatine region), where they cultivate 21 hectares of vines. The business is dating back to 1655, when the Petris arrived from Tyrol working as barrel makers before starting the winemaking.

Ever since, the focus has been on environment-friendly cultivation with no chemicals in the vineyards and only harvest by hand to secure the health and natural development of their agricultural areas.

The wine undergo slow fermentation on steel to preserve the Riesling’s precious characteristics before maturation in big 80 years old wooden barrels of 3000 liters to gain some more complexity and balance the structure.

This wine’s aromas are what Riesling dreams are made of.

It brings notes of ripe pear and candied ginger followed by white fresh mushrooms, nice hints of old eraser or tennis balls and melted plastic, acacia honey and lemon peel and some nice petrol starting to show muscles without taking over yet.

The palate is oily, off-dry and fresh offering lovely notes of peach, dried apricot, lemon peel and mild honey. The balance between the sweetness and the acidity is just lovely.

I’ve been working with these wines for some years having tried most of their portfolio from different vintages. They all show fine quality, but this exact one (with this age) is the best experience I’ve had from Petri. For the price, their wines are really nice, btw.

If you’re ever searching for these wines, the labels have changed quite a lot, but the (aged) content doesn’t disappoint.

 ⭐️87/100⭐️ Weingut Petri Riesling Spätlese “Herxheimer

Erdener Bußlay is the third vineyard connected to the village of Erden in the central part of Mosel.

Located on the same side of the Mosel River ad Erden, it’s facing the more famous Erdener Treppchen and Erdener Prälat.

Compared to Treppchen, Bußlay often deliver more fullbodied and less elegant Rieslings. Yet, they are very long living and have huge aging potential offering more structured and heavy wines.

Perfect color for a vintage white👌🏼

The nose is heavy and complex with exotic fruits like mango, canned pineapple, honeydew melon and peach. Flowers, beeswax and tertiary notes of old eraser and a touch of gasoline bring a classic vintage-Mosel style to the aroma.

The palate is round and soft (not much acidity left) with great depth. Fresh mango, papya, candied yellow/white fruits, ginger and honeycomb in a lovely relationship - and an endless finish of lemoncurd.

This winery keeps delivering high class with their matured vintages.

 ⭐️88/100⭐️ Weingut Bernhard Jakoby Erdener Bußlay Riesling

“Erdener Treppchen” Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken, 1985

The vineyard of Erdener Treppchen (Mittelmosel) is extremely steep (stone steps are built into the hillside to make it easier for the workers to get around). The soil is based on red slate and is very iron-infused, which together makes Rieslings that are more powerful, muscular and complex with a high minerality.

It’s not famous for producing very elegant wines, but instead you get a masculine hard-body rock climber.

It appears very clear in the glass with a yellow/pale green color.

The aromas are powerful and complex - just crazy!  It smells like entering a bicycle mechanic (burned tires, petrol and iron) followed by hints of slate, lemon zest, green melon, honey and ginger.

The palate is very exciting, but unfortunately the acidity hits like a hammer. It’s like pressing a lemon directly into your mouth - it’s way to much (which is way different from the other Jakoby vintage Rieslings I’ve tried).

If you try ignoring the acidity, there are beautiful mineral notes behind the lemon, and sour apple, lemon zest and nectarine.

This is a very special experience - mostly fun for advanced wine nerds, I think.

(I’m still impressed by the acidic level...).

 Weingut Bernhard Jakoby “Erdener Treppchen” Riesling

Close to the town of Assmannshausen in Rheingau, Jens Heinemeyer is producing several Pinot Noir wines in the most beautiful landscape of super steep vineyards (especially this one: steep = “steil” in German) adjacent to the Rhine River.

All vineyards located around Assmannshausen are covered by red slate stone soil, which are perfect in the relatively cold climate, due to red slate’s ability to withstand temperature changes. The temperature stability makes sure the slate doesn’t get too cold over night, nor too warm during the day.

Perfect conditions for a cool climate Pinot Noir.

All Heinemeyer’s vineyards are cultivated by certified organic farming.

The wine “Steil” is a single vineyard selection from old vines  ranging between 15 and 48 years.

The name also describes the nature of Solveigs vineyards which are all steep slopes up to 70°.

The wine ferments naturally and ages 24 months in barrique before unfiltered bottling, and then rests another 24 months in before leaving the cellar.

At the end, around 2000 bottles are made.

Powerful yet elegant bouquet harmoniously offering ripe, dark cherry and cranberry mixed with pepper, leather, fresh mild tobacco then finishing with an earthy and herbal touch. There’s a discreet perfumed scent of fried roses and stable too.

The palate is smooth with a fine acidity to match the dark (candied) cherries and ripe raspberries. Warm spices follow with a delicate, mineral touch from the slate.  Overall a fantastic and complex PN - stylistically a bit in between the “classic” German Spätburgunder and the Bourgogne PN.

 ⭐️88/100⭐️ Solveigs Steil, 2013 📍Rheingau, Germany🇩🇪 🍇100%

Riesling “Rüdesheimer Magdalenenkreuz” Trocken, 2018

“Erste Lage” (german for first-class site)

Almost water-like colour and a little prickling on the tongue.

This is for those who like non-fruity rieslings but prefer a clean mineral style with notes of flint, chalk, lemon and a tiny bit of honey flower.

It’s very dry and has a powerful acidity - It’s also a little salty, which I find quite sexy... It lacks a bit of complexity and length, but it’s for sure an exciting wine though.

 Weingut Leitz Riesling “Rüdesheimer Magdalenenkreuz”

Almost dead, unfortunately. Extremely earthy, but it might do alright with a risotto or pasta with mushrooms.

Wow..! This is incredible. Open it half an hour before serving, and serve it chilled - not cold. Caramel, browned butter, prune, leather and cinnamon.

Grand old Grauburgunder in an Auslese version.

A funky fella... Exotic fruit (mango, banana, litchi and pineapple) combined with a serious touch of oak.

 Henninger - Pfalz / Rheinpfalz, Germany🇩🇪 Tasted: Summer

Stefan Bietighöfer. A man in his prime - a hot shot in Germany, and soon to be seen everywhere. A biodynamic winemaker from the southern part of Pfalz, Billigheim-Ingenheim to be precise. Stefan is a free spirit and not afraid of experimenting with his wines, which are often funky and edgy with a laissez-faire attitude to the common German winemaking.

Still, his wines are fantastic, exciting and different. No wonder, his name is on the lips of most German top sommeliers at the moment.

Rosé Reserve is made with French techniques matured in barriques to bring some creaminess and structure. The varieties are the classic Spätburgunder and the quite unusual Pinotage.  Aromas are opened from the beginning bringing fresh raspberry, grapefruit and mirabelle. Light spices, raw liquorice, light oak and “Haribo Mix” follow with a mineral finish.

The palate is light with a high but somehow creamy acidity.

Cranberry, raspberry and peach with green bitterness to bring some kind of match to the fruit.

 ⭐️84/100⭐️ Stefan Bietighöfer Rosé Reserve Trocken, 2018

“Heppenheimer Centgericht” Riesling Kabinett Trocken, 1979

This label refers to the old state winery (Staatsweingut) of Kloster Eberbach from the federal state of Hesse (which includes the region of Rheingau and some other well known wine regions).

On the label you find the A.P. Number (Amtliche Prüfungsnummer) which gives information about the bottler/winery etc.

- 50010: Identification nr. (indicates producer and belonging)

- 80: Year of testing (all QmP-wines must undergo a control-test to make sure, the quality is high enough for the QmP-classification).

“Kabinett” is one of six designated German wine classifications and indicates the lightest style of German wines. The grapes are picked at normal harvest, typically in September when they have ripened, and shows an off-dry style, unless “Trocken” (dry) is mentioned on the label as well, which indicates a longer fermentation leading to less residual sugar content (a drier wine) and a bit higher alcohol. Combined with Rieslings high acidity, this marriage between a touch of sweetness and acidity is simply unique and elegant, and develops beautifully over long periods of time.

Do I have to mention the look from the color? Not really - perfect after more than 41 years.

The aromas started out with way too many scents of wet newspaper and damp basement. But checking on it after an hour in the decanter, it was all replaced by lovely aromas of canned peach, preserved lemon, kumquat, beeswax, slightly smoked (maybe some mild petrol) and just a hint of oxidation. Very elegant, but less petrol than expected.

The palate is round and soft with more than enough acidity preserved - peach, apricot, mango, acacia honey, dried ginger and some sweet spices.

 ⭐️86/100⭐️ Kloster Eberbach “Heppenheimer Centgericht”

Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese, 2004

📍Piesport, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany🇩🇪

Hain is a traditionel producer in the very center of the steep, hilly Mosel. Vineyards have been cultivated by the family since the 17th century, and for many years with organic, low human intervention to secure a healthy environment for the old vines.

Goldtröpfchen (“golden droplets”) is a wide amphitheater-like vineyard faced south and exposed to sun during the whole day - perfect for ripening the Rieslings.

The grapes from the top to the mid of the vineyard is mainly used for Kabinett, and from the mid to the bottom the grapes are used for Spätlese or sweeter wines due to the easier ripening (because of the combination of sun exposure and sun mirroring from the river).

After a slow cool fermentation in steel tanks, the wine matures in big, very old, wooden casks.

Delicious and doing its job very well without being exceptional.

The aromas bring a mixture of all the classics: peach, lemon peel, dried ginger, lemon curd, honey and wet and smoky stones. Only a tiny hint of petrol.

The palate is round and soft with just enough acidity left to balance the sweetness. Elderflower syrup, lemonade, mirabelle plum, canned pineapple, honey and soft minerality.

 ⭐️88/100⭐️ Weingut Kurt Hain Piesporter Goldtröpfchen

Phyllit Pinot Noir, 2014 📍Geisenheim, Rheingau, Germany🇩🇪

Phyllit is Solveigs entry level wine, named after the soil of the area - red phyllite (red slate). This vintage is another case, though.

2014 was a hard and struggling vintage in Rheingau with lots of rain and a cool summer, which is why the team chose to declassify their high-end-vineyard grapes from Steil, Micke and Present into their Phyllit. That brings some very unique and extra expressive terroir notes to the wine.  The nose is light with concentrated wild berries and cherry, medical herbs followed by  oak and some mineral and undergrowth notes.

It’s got a medium body with light tannins and a great acidity. Fresh berries are recurring on the tongue with a hint of tobacco and once again the minerality. All in fine balance. Think of a classic terroir-Spätburgunder but add the “natural wine touch” to complete the experience.

Produced after organic principles and gets as close as natural as you can possibly get.

 ⭐️87/100⭐️ Solveigs Phyllit Pinot Noir, 2014 📍Geisenheim

“Rauenthaler Baiken” Riesling Kabinett Trocken, 1989

From one of the more celebrated vineyards of Rauenthal, Rauenthaler Baiken (just north from the village of Eltville), Kloster Eberbach has produced wine for many years.

Today, the vineyard is classed as one of the most valuable agricultural lands of Germany - even above the most famous plots of Forst (Pfalz). In the opinion of many experts, this is Germany’s best vineyard.

It took me a while to find out, what winery was behind this bottle...

This type of label apparently refers to the old state wineries (Staatsweingut) from the federal state of Hesse (which includes the region of Rheingau and some other well known wine regions).

In the end of the 20th century, some of the wineries were sold/delegated as private wineries and cellars.

On the label you find the A.P. Number (Amtliche Prüfungsnummer) which gives information of the bottler/winery etc.

- 33050: identification number, bottler’s location/winery, Kloster Eberbach, Eltville (Rheingau)

- 90: Year of testing. All QmP-wines must undergo a control-test to make sure, the quality is high enough for the QmP-classification.

The palate surprised me a lot. Never have I experienced such elegance and balance from an old white.

Extraordinary aromas og lemon zest and petrol. Petrol in the way, that makes people fall in love with this special scent (instead of scaring away people). Clear mineral notes of phyllite (foliated metamorphic slate) and dry gravel.

The palate brings a silky soft, almost full-bodied, Riesling that doesn’t lack of either fruit (fresh lemon juice, pomelo and lemon zest), honey-sweetness or acidity.

The minerality and purity is overwhelmingly beautiful.

 ⭐️94/100⭐️ Kloster Eberbach “Rauenthaler Baiken” Riesling

𝑹𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒑𝒂̈𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒆 “𝑳𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒖̈𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈”, 1999

📍Lieser, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany🇩🇪

The estate is located in Lieser, just a couple miles from Bernkastel, Mosel, where it’s been in function since 1648.

They rule a total of 7 he of vineyards, including top sites in Brauneberg and Lieser. The area is mainly planted to Riesling (75%), and the rest is Pinot varieties (Blanc and Noir) and Rivaner. Since 2001, Jörg Thanisch has run the business.

Classic and conventional methods are used for winemaking: Fermented with native yeasts (in steel tanks) to express the vineyard as close as possible. Afterwards, the wine is matured almost a year in big, old barrels on the lees. The wine is filtered before bottling.

Lovely fruity aromas of ripe mango, lime peel, elderflower and lemon curd, followed by “matured Riesling notes” of mild petrol, eraser, warm plastic, beeswax and wet stones.

The palate was impressively youthful; lean, fruity and semi-sweet with an acidic kick, offering ripe pear, canned peaches, pomelo, Mirabelle plum, a hint of butterscotch and honey, finishing with a delicate, mineral touch.

Not the most complex matured Riesling I’ve had, but for sure a lovely glass that I’d love to taste again.

 ⭐️89/100⭐️ 𝑹𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒑𝒂̈𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒆 “𝑳𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒖̈𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈”, 1999

Stefan Vetter is a pioneering force in the natural wine evolution in Germany. He farms his old vines organically and biodynamically with little intervention.

⭐️91/100⭐️ 𝑬𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒓𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒈𝒓𝒖𝒃 “𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆” 𝑻𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏, 2018

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⭐️87/100⭐️ Weingut Petri Riesling Spätlese “Herxheimer

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⭐️88/100⭐️ Solveigs Steil, 2013 📍Rheingau, Germany🇩🇪 🍇100%

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⭐️86/100⭐️ Kloster Eberbach “Heppenheimer Centgericht”

⭐️88/100⭐️ Weingut Kurt Hain Piesporter Goldtröpfchen

⭐️87/100⭐️ Solveigs Phyllit Pinot Noir, 2014 📍Geisenheim

⭐️94/100⭐️ Kloster Eberbach “Rauenthaler Baiken” Riesling

⭐️89/100⭐️ 𝑹𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑺𝒑𝒂̈𝒕𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒆 “𝑳𝒊𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒖̈𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈”, 1999

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