WTN: Breuer, Zilliken, Schaefer

Yesterday we had a lovely tasting centered around some great Rieslings:



First we had some blinds:

• 2005 Domino Dostares Prieto Picudo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León Cumal - Spain, Castilla y León, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León (6/24/2008)
  Blind: This is the first time I have even heard of the Prieto Picudo grape, so I was sad that it was so overdone that I couldn't get any idea of the grape. It smelled of new oak and dark, ripe fruit - it was as anonymous as a modern styled Bordeaux! Full bodied, sweet fruit, quite tannic - it tastes like so many other wines. Modern/international.
• 2004 Bacio Divino Pazzo - USA, California, Napa Valley (6/24/2008)
  Blind: Very toffeed nose, sweet and spicy, liqueur-like. Full bodied, lots of alcohol and spice, sweet fruit. The overall sensation is that of sweetness, and the whole was indeed a little too much for me.
• 2005 Donnafugata Passito di Pantelleria Ben Ryé - Italy, Sicily, Passito di Pantelleria (6/24/2008)
  Zibibbo; 14,5%. Blind: This smells very much like Muscat in its grape and apricot aromas; very sweet and concentrated, adequate structure. A rather obvious wine but quite enjoyable.

Then we had a rare tasting that (apart from the Alsace) wasn't blind!

• 2005 Georg Breuer Rüdesheimer Berg Schloßberg Riesling - Germany, Rheingau (6/24/2008)
  Earthy, stern, red fruit; not austere at all though dry, concentrated fruit, very mineral and a good expression of Riesling fruit. Long. Nice!
• 2005 Georg Breuer Rauenthaler Nonnenberg Riesling Monopol - Germany, Rheingau (6/24/2008)
  A little bit steelier aromas than the Berg Schlossberg, but with a nice red toned Riesling fruitiness. The palate is nicely mineral, but seems a bit softer than the Berg Schlossberg, not as intense. Nice!
• 2004 Lucien Albrecht Riesling Clos Schild Monopole - France, Alsace, Alsace AOC (6/24/2008)
  Served blind: A very perfumed nose, perhaps a Pfalz Muskateller? Very mineral - simple but nice. Dry, forceful but with a sweet fruit sensation like in Muskateller or Gewurz. A bit short. With air and warming it became harshly alcoholic. It started out nice but ended up quite disappointing. Atypical for the grape IMO.
• 2002 Zilliken (Forstmeister Geltz) Saarburger Rausch Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (6/24/2008)
  A.P. Nr.9; 8%abv. A lovely nose of steel, green apples and citrus. Light but intense, slightly sweet, attractive but not very high acidity. Steely aftertaste. This seems like an actual Kabinett instead of a Spätlese! Bravo! Delightful.
• 2005 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese #7 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (6/24/2008)
  A.P. No.7; 8%abv. A very ripe nose of passionfruit and ozone/sea breeze. A little bit sweet, good enough structure for a warm year, but it is a little bit lacking in intensity and is a touch soft. It is a nice wine, however, and I will never turn down a glass or three of it.
• 2005 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese #14 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (6/24/2008)
  A.P. Nr.14; 7,5%abv. Bright aromatics, very elegant, mineral; good grip for the year, not too sweet, persistent and mineral finish. Quite the ideal of what I seek in Mosel Auslese. Wonderful.
• 2005 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese #11 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (6/24/2008)
  A.P. Nr.11; 7,5%abv. Whereas the Graacher Himmelreich Auslese was elegant, this was a buxom and honeyed, less stately wine - but still very nice. I did find this to be going towards a BA style. Full bodied, sweet and voluptuously fruity, fair structure, long and very nice.
• 2004 Zilliken (Forstmeister Geltz) Saarburger Rausch Riesling Auslese #3 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (6/24/2008)
  A.P. Nr.3; 7,5%abv. A lovely, classic style, steely, mineral and citrussy - some found too much sulphur, but I didn't find the amounts problematic. Steely, wonderful grip and high acidity, pure Riesling fruit, great intensity and length. Lovely.

The ending wasn't so nice for me:

• 2005 Costers del Siurana Priorat Gran Cruor - Spain, Catalunya, Priorat (6/24/2008)
  Edició Limitada de 3540 ampolles; 15%abv. Bluberry, super sweet dark fruit, oak, chocolate, Christmas spice on the nose. Creamy oak, huge concentration, massive amounts of fruit, turns bitterly oaky towards the end and it finishes harshly alcoholic. Once more I try a Priorat that isn't to my taste - I'll give up soon. The Priorat-lovers around the table found this to be excellent.

Posted from CellarTracker

[David M. Bueker]

Lovely tasting Otto. I'll try to comment more later, but I'm a big fan of many of hte wines you drank.

Great notes Otto, but I must add that I was quite surprised by the showing of an '01 Dolc de L'Obac Priorat sweetie that totally took me by surprise and I don't recall oak being part of the flavor profile. As a lover of Roussillon grenache sweeties such as Mas Amiel, I dare say that there is still hope.

Kevin

Oops! Just realized the "Costers del Siurana" in your note, oh well, nevermind. Hey, maybe the '01 was different? Is the Gran Cruor different from the Dolc de L'Obac?

Nice tating, Otto, with several delicious wines in the list. As you know I am a lover of Breuer's wines, but I think the 2005s you tasted must have been opened much too early.

2005 Donnafugata Passito di Pantelleria Ben Ryé - Italy, Sicily, Passito di Pantelleria (6/24/2008)
Zibibbo; 14,5%. Blind: This smells very much like Muscat in its grape and apricot aromas; very sweet and concentrated, adequate structure. A rather obvious wine but quite enjoyable

Just a little fact, that you might already know: Zibbibbo is actually Muscat (d'Alexandrie). And I quite agree with your description of this wine, as I remember it, though I haven't had it in a few years, but the muscat character was indeed quite obvious. De Bortoli (of Marsala fame) make a very good Passito di Panterellia too.

Cheers, Anders

PS. I'm having a good time in Genua. I bought a half bottle of the Sciacchetrá today, a rare, sweet passito wine from the Cinqueterre in Liguria, just to the east of Genua. Made from an ancient variety called Bosco, possibly a remnant of the original wildly growing vines, or at least an early descendant from it.

[..]but I'm a big fan of many of the wines you drank.

So am I!

Great notes Otto, but I must add that I was quite surprised by the showing of an '01 Dolc de L'Obac Priorat sweetie that totally took me by surprise and I don't recall oak being part of the flavor profile. As a lover of Roussillon grenache sweeties such as Mas Amiel, I dare say that there is still hope.

Kevin

Oops! Just realized the "Costers del Siurana" in your note, oh well, nevermind. Hey, maybe the '01 was different? Is the Gran Cruor different from the Dolc de L'Obac?

I have tasted a few Dolc de L'Obacs at c.10 years of age, and I agree that I haven't noticed overt new oak aromas. I liked them better than I have most dry Priorats like the one in this tasting.

Nice tating, Otto, with several delicious wines in the list. As you know I am a lover of Breuer's wines, but I think the 2005s you tasted must have been opened much too early. [...] Just a little fact, that you might already know: Zibbibbo is actually Muscat (d'Alexandrie).

I think all the wines that evening were opened too early, not just the Breuers. But even so, young Riesling can be a lovely drink. I did know that Zibibbo was some grape of the Muscat family (and was therefore quite proud of my rare show of blind tasting skill!) but I didn't know it was M. d'Alexandrie. Glad you're enjoying Genoa!

-O

Thanks for the notes, Otto.

I reallly love Zilliken and I just secured some 1983 Auslese LGK's in fantasic condition. Pop around when you've got a hour or two to kill and I'll crack one for you.

[David M. Bueker]

The Donnafugata really bowled me over about 4 years ago. I have not been able to find a bottle of it since then. As I was drinking it I kept getting the sense of nearly drowning in fresh, ripe apricots. Yum!

[list][*]2005 Georg Breuer Rüdesheimer Berg Schloßberg Riesling - Germany, Rheingau (6/24/2008)
Earthy, stern, red fruit; not austere at all though dry, concentrated fruit, very mineral and a good expression of Riesling fruit. Long. Nice!
[*]2005 Georg Breuer Rauenthaler Nonnenberg Riesling Monopol - Germany, Rheingau (6/24/2008)
A little bit steelier aromas than the Berg Schlossberg, but with a nice red toned Riesling fruitiness. The palate is nicely mineral, but seems a bit softer than the Berg Schlossberg, not as intense. Nice!

Thank you Otto! I was fortunate to taste these babies from barrel, but haven't tried them from bottle yet. Your notes are another glimpse into these wines future potential.

PS. I'm having a good time in Genua. I bought a half bottle of the Sciacchetrá today, a rare, sweet passito wine from the Cinqueterre in Liguria, just to the east of Genua. Made from an ancient variety called Bosco, possibly a remnant of the original wildly growing vines, or at least an early descendant from it.

Well done. I've only tasted a few Sciacchetrà so far, some better and some less, but always an intriguing experience. The bottles are hard to find and cost a fortune, but those who are willing to keep up the hard work in the terraces of the Cinque Terre deserve every support they can get.