1997 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/1/2019)
It's never easy to pick the "right time" to open a bottle. Will it be ready? Will it be closed in and not up to par? In a spur of the moment decision, I grabbed this, and opened it. It was an orphan bottle, so the "oh my it's the last one" reluctance would have kicked in if I waited too long before grabbing the corkscrew.
No regrets! The wine was at an apex. It still showed fruit, but it had developed mature tones that played on the same level. The aromatics bounced from one scent to another. Each sip was a whirlwind of flavors. It was as close to a perfect time to open the bottle as I could have guessed. It was comforting, and exciting. There was no temptation to play the "fruit salad analysis", as the wine was complete and integrated. To break it down would have been to destroy its harmony.