WTN: Two '06 Nahe Rieslings (Schönleber, Dönnhoff)

Dinner with the Buekers at Mei Tzu last night. Very good food, wonderful company once again and the wines were both delicious.

2006 Dönnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese
Packed with bright cherry and peachy fruit flavours over minerals and touches of honey. Quite rich and sweet but really well balanced and elegant with bright acidity underneath, good length and a great match for the food. I love this wine; have had a few bottles of this since its release and it never disappoints.

2006 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Spätlese
Not as sweet as the Dönnhoff and feels leaner and more focused; this has fantastic aromatics of smoke, rocks, citrus fruits and herbs that lead into a palate packed with minerals and bright fruit ranging from lime and melon to hints of berries. There's a lot of acidity here that makes this feel almost crunchy in the mouth and a long finish that's all smoke and lime.

[David M. Bueker]

Thanks for providing the wines Salil.

I found the Schönleber almost salty in its acid/mineral state. The Kirschheck was quite delicious, but I prefer my Kirschheck to have a little bit more of a sunny disposition, as such I liked the honeyed/richer aspect, but prefer to see it in a different wine.

I prefer my Kirschheck to have a little bit more of a sunny disposition, as such I liked the honeyed/richer aspect, but prefer to see it in a different wine.

I guess by sunny you mean bright? Because another way of thinking about honey/richness is that it reflects/speaks of a sunny growing season.

[David M. Bueker]

Brightness and a certain lightness of touch is what I am getting at. The '06 is delicious, but not what I am looking for in Kirschheck most of the time.