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WTN: Wente Riesling Auslese '73...(short/boring)

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TomHill

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WTN: Wente Riesling Auslese '73...(short/boring)

by TomHill » Sun Jan 20, 2019 7:33 pm

Opened this Fri night w/ Susan for dessert:
1. WenteBros Riesling Auslese ArroyoSeccoVnyd/Monterey(Slctd Botritis; 11%) Livermore 1973: Deep brown oloroso sherry color; strong botrytis/peachy/apricotty/stewed peaches bit pencilly old German Aus light earthy rather complex nose; bit soft very strong botrytis/peachy/apricotty/peachy fairly sweet rather peach compote/peach cobbler light earthy rather complex flavor; very long/lingering strong botrytis/apricotty/peach compote fairly sweet light pencilly lightly tart complex beautiful finish; a pretty decent replication of a good 45 yr old German Rheingau Auslese; a beautiful example of old Calif botrytis R & amazingly good; no signs of oxidation; very little ullage. $7.00
___________________
A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. This was another old wine from Blair's stash that we harvested. After we tried this wine on release, Blair bought several btls directly at the wnry. It was not a hot-seller and languished on the Wente list for a number of yrs. Blair was a very astute buyer of wines.
The yr 1972 was a landmark yr in Calif for Riesling. The folklore back in those days that the climate was too dry & warm for the formation of botrytis as they have in Germany. During harvest in '72, ChuckCarpy was walking a German vintner thru his Riesling vnyd and pointed out one block that had "rotted" and was no good to harvest. The German went apopletic..."why that's botrytis...you shgould make a wine from those grapes". They did, and the rest is history. They released it has FreemarkAbbey Edelwein '72...the first authentic BA level R in Calif. For recall, '72 was a yr in which they had a lot of rain during harvest and the wines from that rain-besotted yr were pretty miserable.
In that same yr, AlBaxter at Veedercrest relased a (lightly) botrytis/LateHrvst R from WineryLakeVnyd that was outstanding...more of a Spatlese level. An Wente also made their WenteBros R Spatlese Late Hrvst '72...again a wine w/ not a strong botrytis signature. The following yr, they released this botrytis affected '73, that was outstanding in its youth. Again, the botrytis signature was not all that strong upon release. Now, 45 yrs later...it's all about botrytis.
Hadn't had this wine in almost 20 yrs...my last btl. I was surprised that it was still holding on so well. That said, it would not hold a candle to most 45 yr old German Auslesen.
Tom
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Bob Parsons Alberta

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Re: WTN: Wente Riesling Auslese '73...(short/boring)

by Bob Parsons Alberta » Sun Jan 20, 2019 8:08 pm

Good note as I open my 2013 Fox Run Riesling, NY.
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Well....

by TomHill » Sun Jan 20, 2019 8:10 pm

Bob Parsons Alberta wrote:Good note as I open my 2013 Fox Run Riesling, NY.

Well, Bob....bet it didn't cost $8!!!
Tom

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