Germany
Weingut Keller
Abts E de Riesling 2017
One of the best evenings of wine I’ve had this year, and it was just focused on this duo. Opened as inspiration for this year’s red pick at Miao Lu (a name to remember for those reading. I’ll say it here first - some of the best Pinot’s and Chard’s in the world will be coming out of this project high up in Yunnan!), and they both gave great context to the task.
When I harvested with Klaus-Peter in 2017, the vineyards bore the scars of hail, every last one of them. The damage was manifest in what we came to call "hail berries" (misshapen berries). To my untrained palate, they tasted perfectly fine. Naturally, I asked KP why we were discarding them, and his response, while not entirely unexpected, was still astonishing (paraphrasing of course): "I don't need to know precisely what they do," he said, "but if there's even a chance they might diminish the wine by 1%, they're gone. And these? They look capable of much worse."
That unyielding spirit of his was, I must admit, my torment at Abtserde, the vineyard hit hardest by the hail. We spent an entire day sorting and picking a single row - granted, the rows were long, but the pace was glacial. The true enemy, though, wasn’t the relentless sorting, but the wasps. Those little demons made an already grueling task even more daunting, dodging their stings as we plucked berries one by one, like selecting pearls from a troubled sea. What we ended up with were, quite literally, tiny gems - "caviar" berries of purity. By day’s end, the sight was something to behold. Despite the torment, the hard work was unquestionably worth it. The 17’ Abtserde is my wine of the vintage.
I’ve had the 17’ Abtserde on numerous occasions but this takes the cake as the best (note to self: best to decant a young Abtserde hard). It is a marvel of purity and depth, with its nose evoking Meyer lemon, iodine, chalk, and flint. These aromas reappear on the palate with a nearly overwhelming intensity, blending piquant brightness and mineral-rich concentration. With more air, a floral, bittersweet herbal note very typical of the vineyard appears (smells like the place even). As the evening unfolded, the wine seemed to grow younger, each glass more lively than the last. The final sip was almost painfully austere, like drinking pure limestone, its explosive palate held together by sharp acidity and a palpable, phenolic grip. The finish seemed endless. One of my best Keller experiences this year. — 7 months ago
Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch (Erben-Thanisch)
Bernkasteler Badstube Kabinett Riesling 2012
Apple, citrus, tarragon on the nose. Firm, wonderful acidity balances small residual sugar and long mineral finish. #Mosel #Riesling — 10 years ago
Egon Müller
Scharzhofberger Auslese Riesling 1989
Golden in color. Soft apricot and honeyed lemon fruit. Delicate edges with hints of rose and a delicate limestone. Lush and complex. Excellent — 6 months ago
Peter Lauer
Senior Faß 6 Ayler Riesling 2023
Orange blossom and the slightest touch of residual sugar to balance out the razor sharp acidity (and balance out my spicy Thai food). This is a light wine but I can almost taste the slate soils and steep slopes.
Whole-cluster grapes and spontaneous fermentations
From Importer:
Appellation: Saar
village: Ayl
vineyard work: All vineyard work is done by hand due to the incline of the vineyards. Absolutely no use of insecticides/pesticides or
fertilizers; the work is completely organic but not certified as such because Florian refuses to spray copper on the vines. — 8 months ago
Dönnhoff
Oberhäuser Brücke Spätlese Riesling 2015
Wowow. Powerful yellow florals. Perfume, gasoline. Aromas really lifting from the glass. Golden raisin, just-cut straw, salted light caramel, dried peach, melon, lemon, citrus zest. Brilliant, electric palate. Perfect RS/acid balance. Concentrated, really luxurious texture, almost opulent. Singing. — 4 years ago
Weingut Robert Weil
Rheingau Trocken Riesling 2012
Very Crisp, dry light Riesling with notes of lemon, pear and pineapple. Balanced with simple complexity. — 10 years ago
Joh. Jos. Prüm
Graacher Himmelreich Kabinett Riesling 2018
Kleur: Helder lichtgeel met groene reflecties.
Neus: Aroma’s van rijpe peer, citrusvruchten zoals citroen en grapefruit, aangevuld met subtiele minerale tonen.
Smaak: In de mond presenteert de wijn zich slank en verfrissend, met sappige smaken van ananas, mango en limoen. De levendige zuurgraad zorgt voor een harmonieuze balans tussen zoetheid en frisheid, typisch voor een Kabinett-stijl. 
Afdronk: Een aanhoudende, verfrissende afdronk met een minerale ondertoon en een hint van honing.
Deze Riesling is nu al geweldig lekker en zeer toegankelijk, maar heeft ook potentieel om verder te rijpen, waardoor de complexiteit en diepte in de toekomst verder zullen toenemen. — 4 months ago
Peter Lauer
Barrel X Saar Feinherb Riesling 2023
The pairing with tuna crudo, with ponzu, shiso, and pear is amazing. — 6 months ago
Schmitt Söhne
RELAX Riesling
Had at dinner with a warm bacon salad and a medium filet medallion.
Drinks nice by itself too - subtle sweetness — 6 months ago
Enderle & Moll
Müller 2015
A cold, rainy day in the Berkshires today, several degrees cooler and we'd be getting snow instead. I'm not ready, still yardwork to get done this season!
A head-to-head matchup today, '15 vs. '16 E&M 'Müller' Müller-Thurgau. This '15 is our last bottle, so this is the final evolution check. 😕
No evidence of dissolved gas (CO2 or N2) in this bottle like the '16 showed, but it got a decant anyways. Gold-yellow in color, distinctly different from the '16 today.
Nose has smoked honey, almonds, tropical fruit skins, extra ripe mango and light aroma of crushed minerals.
Palate has gotten crazy complex, honey, stone fruits, pineapple core, tangerine, lemon pith and mashed tropical fruit. Evolving more with each sip, finish is picking up a nice apricot note.
Wow what a difference the extra year makes. Likely we're hiding the remainder of our '16 away for maybe a year or two, hopeful on a similar evolution. — 7 years ago
Villa Wolf
Ernst Loosen Pfalz Pinot Noir Rosé 2015
Crisp + effervescent — 9 years ago
Egon Müller
Scharzhofberger Spätlese Riesling Auction 1990
Perfect residual sugar / acid balance. Very fresh on the nose with notes of mint, wet stones some petrol. Deep and complex. Amazing showing. — 11 years ago
Lindsey Davis
Clean and easy, tasty — 4 months ago