Open Mike: Aged riesling, preferably german, preferably Mosel

After discussions with a fellow forumite (any guesses who? the clues abound) I propose an open mike this weekend to discover the joys and vagaries of aged riesling.

To tie this down a little more, if you have something from the Mosel, ideally from the last millenium (prior to 2000 before we get into that debate about exactly when the millenium finished). Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, even Trockenbeerenauslese (draws breath ) or other denomination? it matters not.

If you haven't got any aged german riesling, perhaps an aged example from Alsace, US, Canada, NZ, Australia, Austria or anywhere else this grape has established roots. If nothing else, crack a younger one and join in.

I'm hoping this should be quite an accessible open mike and one that even the less confident people will feel they can pass comment on. I'm also hoping it will coincide with a late summer in N. Hemisphere and a warming spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

For info I'll be digging out a bottle of either

1995 Fritz Becker Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett (Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Mosel)
or
1993 berner muller Trabener Wurzgarten Riesling Spätlese (Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Mosel)

Neither of which are particularly classy producers, but we'll see what's in the bottle.

So go have a ferret in the cellar for those sleek riesling bottles and pop the cork on one of them - you know they're ready!

regards

Ian

[David M. Bueker]

Too bad I am going to miss it.

I might be able to take part in this one Ian. Have a few elderly victims here, could be an interesting few days coming up!

Don't have any, and none available I'd love to join, though. Sigh.

:( Don't have any, and none available I'd love to join, though. Sigh.

Otto
How about something more recent, or do your recent notes indicate a clearing out of your stocks ?
regards
Ian

No bottles of Blue Nun hanging around there Otto!!

:( Don't have any, and none available I'd love to join, though. Sigh.

Otto
How about something more recent, or do your recent notes indicate a clearing out of your stocks ?
regards
Ian

I've mostly been recently writing only on the 2005s. I've drunk my older ones ages ago. Maybe by Bob's wishes I'll open up some Blue Nun. I have a very fetching blue habit you know....

Here, this you....?

http://www.thewinedoctor.com/germany/bluenun.shtml

Scroll down for for excellent tasting notes!!!!

I was just googling around and came up with this informative site......

http://www.coldbacon.com/wine/germany.html

So the question is...who is this coldbacon fellow?? Some very good links there forumites.

Too bad I am going to miss it.

Is this the weekend you are in Banff, David? You will be able to see our notes when you get back, this might carry through a few days/weeks!!
Apart from some German suspects, I have a few Oz wines I need to drink up including some mid `90s from Great Best Western, Victoria. I do not think the Brian Barry wines are up to much if cellared too long? Ah hum, like most Semillons?!!

Well here goes

Tasted without food, as the spicy chicken & apricot casserole is still cooking

1993 berner muller Trabener Wurzgarten Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Mosel
A very bright straw colour. On the nose, certainly some typical apricot, yet also some grapefruit (perhaps edging towards petrol) and some honey-floral aromas. No great surprises.
The palate is more of a mix of lemon, apricot and honey (and a hint of spice) and despite the obvious sweetness, the crisp acidity keeps it in check. The acidity itself has an edge of sourness to it, but it's otherwise well judged. The finish is relatively long for a wine of relatively low standing and there's similar feelings over the complexity.

All in all, this wine offers excellent value, though it's important to say there are much better examples around - but maybe not many at this price.

Looking forward to others WTN's on aged riesling!

regards

Ian

Wow, Ian. Congrats. I don't know how long it's been since I've tasted---or seen a note on---a wine from Traben-Trarbach! I do know it has been over ten years, at the very least.

T-T is actually a pleasant little town to visit, and the make some surprisingly decent wines, for being essentially unknown. There's a great little hotel (I think it's called Moselbluemchen or some such) on the western side of the valley. Lovely, rooms, and not expensive, with beautiful views of the river and vineyards.

And on the eastern side, up the slope, there is a restaurant that is one of th oldest in the area. Can't tell you the name, because it didn't have a sign out, simply an upside down fir tree hanging over the door, the old medieval sign of an inn or tavern. Simple, ancient, peasant food mostly---but that kind of food can be quite tasty. Some Schmalzbrot, some broiled freshly-caught lake trout, parsleyed potatoes, and a bottle of the local Riesling: life is good.

Thanks for evoking some fine memories.

No Mosel, sorry, but I did dig up one unpublished recent note:

Freiherr Heyl zu Herrnsheim Niersteiner Rehbach Riesling Beerenauslese 1976

AP 4 382 093 34 77. I had two bottles of this and I reported on one this forum. The other I put in a tasting but didn't post a note here. Lovely nose: botrytis, minerals, sea shells and Essence-of-Riesling. The palate was sweet, but not flabby and had ok acidity (more would have welcome, of course). Nice stuff and better than the first bottle. No good wines...

Wow, Ian. Congrats. I don't know how long it's been since I've tasted---or seen a note on---a wine from Traben-Trarbach! I do know it has been over ten years, at the very least.

T-T is actually a pleasant little town to visit, and the make some surprisingly decent wines, for being essentially unknown. There's a great little hotel (I think it's called Moselbluemchen or some such) on the western side of the valley. Lovely, rooms, and not expensive, with beautiful views of the river and vineyards.

And on the eastern side, up the slope, there is a restaurant that is one of th oldest in the area. Can't tell you the name, because it didn't have a sign out, simply an upside down fir tree hanging over the door, the old medieval sign of an inn or tavern. Simple, ancient, peasant food mostly---but that kind of food can be quite tasty. Some Schmalzbrot, some broiled freshly-caught lake trout, parsleyed potatoes, and a bottle of the local Riesling: life is good.

Thanks for evoking some fine memories.

Hoke
Coming at it from the other direction, it's great to hear such background behind the area the wine was made. Thanks for that!
regards
Ian

[David M. Bueker]

Daniel Vollenweider has his winery in Traben-Trarbach, although his vineyard land is in the Wolfer Goldgrube.

When I was in T-T in 2003 I thought it was the most postcard-like German town I had visited. It looked more like Busch Gardens 'The Old COuntry' than the actual theme park.

[James Roscoe]

But Busch Gardens is all about selling bad A-B beer. (If you could get the real German stuff it might be worth the hassle.) Do you have any pictures of the vinyard you could post?

James:

Try this to see some pics of Traben-Trarbach

http://www.pbase.com/kjay/trabentrarbach

[James Roscoe]

How do you do that Hoke? Those are cool pictures. One of my dream vacations is to journey back to the Fatherland and see these places. Thanks for the pictures, I am sure I am not the only person who will enjoy them.

For no apparent reason, I always seem to have a soft spot for Graacher Himmelreich. Maybe `cos in the old Liquor Board days, there was always plenty around!! Anyhows this has been in my cellar for ions, so lets have a looksie!!

WTN: `89 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese-F.W.Gymnasium, M-S-R.

Shipped by Stefan Ress of Rudesheim, AP 3 561 024 17 90. Crumbly cork, alc is 8.5%.

Colour. Dark gold, no sign of rust.

Nose. Some vague gasolein hints, orange zest/marmalade. Apricot and a very brief honeyed scent! Could not find much in minerally tones, maybe tomorrow?

Palate. I have to admit on opening I thought past its best and I served a tad warmer to get more flavours. Initial thoughts were lime, apple, orange peel from my fav. marmalade. Sure is not oxidized and has good acidity and some minerally elements. After 2 hrs, there is some sweetness but no botyrtis. That would come from an auslese right? Quite a turn around in a couple of hours, for sure. I have half-a-bottle for tomorrow! Ok so there is not a lot of fruit here, but quite enjoyable. Probably past the peak but still drinkable.

Cost was $14.00 Cdn in `1993.

****BTW, really enjoyed Ian`s notes from earlier today. Good Open Mike idea there sport!!

For no apparent reason, I always seem to have a soft spot for Graacher Himmelreich. Maybe `cos in the old Liquor Board days, there was always plenty around!! Anyhows this has been in my cellar for ions, so lets have a looksie!!

WTN: `89 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese-F.W.Gymnasium, M-S-R.

Shipped by Stefan Ress of Rudesheim, AP 3 561 024 17 90. Crumbly cork, alc is 8.5%.

Colour. Dark gold, no sign of rust.

Nose. Some vague gasolein hints, orange zest/marmalade. Apricot and a very brief honeyed scent! Could not find much in minerally tones, maybe tomorrow?

Palate. I have to admit on opening I thought past its best and I served a tad warmer to get more flavours. Initial thoughts were lime, apple, orange peel from my fav. marmalade. Sure is not oxidized and has good acidity and some minerally elements. After 2 hrs, there is some sweetness but no botyrtis. That would come from an auslese right? Quite a turn around in a couple of hours, for sure. I have half-a-bottle for tomorrow! Ok so there is not a lot of fruit here, but quite enjoyable. Probably past the peak but still drinkable.

Cost was $14.00 Cdn in `1993.

****BTW, really enjoyed Ian`s notes from earlier today. Good Open Mike idea there sport!!

A fair dinkum response from yourself mate

botrytis? I don't think there's any hard and fast rule, though yes I'd expect more botrytis influence as the sweetness level increases through Kab, Spat, Aus, BA, TBA. There's also the situation where a producer can effectively declassify down a level if they're missing enough spatlese say, but have too much auslese. I'm sure others can answer this better than me though.

A good point to mention drinking temperature. Ours came from our wine cabinet (about 13C) to the fridge door for half hour (so maybe down to about 11C) before opening and I think with a gradual warming in the room, didn't seem to harm the aromatics too much.

Funny, I never used to like marmalade, but as I've aged (I wouldn't go so far as to say matured ) the taste has become appealing. I think 20 years ago, I'd have said "it's a bit sharp and bitter isn't it". Now I'd say it's refreshing and has a lovely bitter twang! Really enjoying some Portuguese marmalade we discovered recently. Anyway I'm drifting.

Will be interested to see how this one gets on tomorrow. Is the half left in the same bottle, or decanted to a half?

Ta for the note

Ian

Hi Ian, thanks for the thoughts this evening. As usual, I poured half of the wine into a split and chilled down overnight in a very cold fridge. This auslese/spatlese/botyrtis subject needs some more research this end too!! I have had some spatlese that has been quite sweet but cannot remember producers or region.

The Graacher Himmelreich after 24 hrs.

I was lucky to find some experienced tasters at my fav. store downtown and they were quite surprised that this wine had held up so well.
"Quince and minerally" were the main comment as I explained the wine`s transition from opening. They thought it was a nice cellared wine and only $14 Cdn. It certainly had not taken a dive overnight and continued to show nice complexity and a bit more apricot fruit.

So the question is...who is this coldbacon fellow?? Some very good links there forumites.

Have you gone back to his index page, http://www.coldbacon.com/index.html, and looked at his complete website?

Not really, Gary. I clicked onto music and Bowie, thought thats nice and moved on.

Anyway, planning on opening another mosel this evening whilst thinking about the menu for next Thursdays do when Mishy is honoured!!! Looks like 10/12 participants and a brown bagger.

No Mosel, sorry, but I did dig up one unpublished recent note:

Freiherr Heyl zu Herrnsheim Niersteiner Rehbach Riesling Beerenauslese 1976

AP 4 382 093 34 77. I had two bottles of this and I reported on one this forum. The other I put in a tasting but didn't post a note here. Lovely nose: botrytis, minerals, sea shells and Essence-of-Riesling. The palate was sweet, but not flabby and had ok acidity (more would have welcome, of course). Nice stuff and better than the first bottle. No good wines...

Otto, guess you are familar with the Scharzhofberger vineyard and why so famous? Well, heres a heads up. I have just opened a `96 Hohe Domkirche and it is delicious. Any experiences for you from here?...the vineyard that is!!