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WTN: Riesling Beauties

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Rainer from CH

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WTN: Riesling Beauties

by Rainer from CH » Sun Jun 02, 2013 3:31 pm

Notes from recent tastings with family and friends.

2005 Rudi Pichler Riesling Smaragd Achleiten
Fresh and subtle on the nose. Reminiscent of lime, white flowers and wet rock. Clear lines, indication of great depth.
The juicy, harmonically integrated acidity and the highly aromatic tannins create a powerful structure, without any heaviness, similar to a Gothic cathedral. The minerality demonstrates a complexity and depth which is rarely seen. - To me Rudi Pichler's Achleiten is a benchmark in the area of puristic, dry Riesling.

1996 Schloss Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Auslese 3-star
Shows impressive viscosity in the glass. (like a Beerenauslese)
Crystal-clear minerality on the nose. Reminds me of the cool freshness of a sunny morning in the mountains.
Floral notes, passion fruit, mango, green tea on the palate - all permeated by a multi-dimensional, omnipresent acidity that can be brought forth only in extreme vintages. - The successful 96 Rieslings from Germany are among the most impressive Rieslings that I know, in particular with respect to their unique structure.

2006 Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Beerenauslese
The technical data is a blatant warning for light wine drinkers: :wink:
The content of residual sugar is 342g/liter, the dry extract is 68g/liter. Imagine this wine's viscosity ..
Very rich on the nose with yellow peach, plum, fresh figs, honey, beeswax, botrytis, burnt sugar and smoky minerality.
These impressions are confirmed on the palate. Thanks to its highly aromatic acidity this massive wine is still fresh and racy - a truly great experience. 8)

Best regards,
Rainer
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Shaji M

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Re: WTN: Riesling Beauties

by Shaji M » Sun Jun 02, 2013 8:41 pm

Rainer,
That 1996 Schloss Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Auslese sounds like an incredible quaff! Maybe I should start drinking more Rieslings!
-Shaji
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David M. Bueker

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Re: WTN: Riesling Beauties

by David M. Bueker » Sun Jun 02, 2013 8:53 pm

Vollenweider made some impressive stuff in '06. His auslesen were big enough. I can barely imagine a BA.

As for 1996, there are fewer great ones than I thought there would be 17 years ago.
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Rainer from CH

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Re: WTN: Riesling Beauties

by Rainer from CH » Mon Jun 03, 2013 3:02 pm

Shaji M wrote:Rainer,
.. Maybe I should start drinking more Rieslings!
-Shaji


Shaji, I think that's a good idea. Riesling from good producers is often highly rewarding, sometimes even mind-boggling.
Cheers, Rainer
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Rainer from CH

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Re: WTN: Riesling Beauties

by Rainer from CH » Mon Jun 03, 2013 3:29 pm

David M. Bueker wrote:Vollenweider made some impressive stuff in '06. His auslesen were big enough. I can barely imagine a BA.

Me too, I had no idea what to expect before I've opened the bottle. This BA is actually more like a young Tokaji Eszencia because it makes you feel as if there would be no alcohol at all. (it actually has 6%)

David M. Bueker wrote:As for 1996, there are fewer great ones than I thought there would be 17 years ago.

I've made the same experience. However, a perfect 96 Riesling from a perfect bottle can be utterly convincing and unforgettable. I've once joined a best bottle event where they've served one medium-priced Riesling in the beginning and tons of super-luxury reds afterwards. And you know what? The only thing I still remember is this Riesling. :D It was a simply perfect bottle of 96 Robert Weil Gräfenberg Spätlese. Stunning! On this level I would rate it 97/100.
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Andrew Bair

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Re: WTN: Riesling Beauties

by Andrew Bair » Mon Jun 03, 2013 9:54 pm

David M. Bueker wrote:Vollenweider made some impressive stuff in '06. His auslesen were big enough. I can barely imagine a BA.

As for 1996, there are fewer great ones than I thought there would be 17 years ago.


David - I'll definitely agree about the 2006 Vollenweider Auslese being big. A few years ago, I tried the Portz Auslese twice, and it certainly met your description. That said, I would have preferred more acidity there to go along with the ripeness. Of course, I do tend to prefer a more acidic style of Riesling.

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