WTN: 2018 Mosel (dry Vollenweiders, WK Spätlese)

2018 Vollenweider Schimbock
My first time tasting this bottling, so difficult to evaluate. The golden midpalate fruit feels limp and dull, needs more energy. Perhaps a function of the vintage, or a function of the aging curve? I can't answer that question with this bottle, but it's not fun to drink.

So I move to the 2018 Weiser-Künstler Wolfer Sonnenlay Spätlese, which is exactly the uncomplicated pleasure that I wanted. Crunchy fresh and bright but sweet and juicy. Nothing to blow your mind, but the perfect accompaniment to grilled seabass, spargel and quinoa with spinach. Life is good.

2018 Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Aurum
More impressive than the 2018 Schimbock, but still not the right time? The fruit here is firm and full and clearly well-stacked, but with fine acid structure and penetrating minerals on the palate. All of that is promising, but the big downside is the dull pale limp midpalate flavors. I don't usually get this difficult showing with other dry German rieslings during the 'shutdown' phase, but every wine is different and now may not be the time!

[David M. Bueker]

I think the 2018s are shut down hard across the board, and given their overall weight, I am not all that surprised at how the Vollenweiders showed. It's the Weiser-Künstler that surprises me.

Ok. I don't taste widely enough across vintages to have a sense of these things.

Maybe the sugar in the WK helped keep it pleasant. I had a very nice recent experience with an 18 Falkenstein Spätlese, where there may be plenty more development ahead, but it was still delicious at this stage. And now that you mention it, some dry 2018 Wittmann Kirchspiel wines were very difficult a few months back.

I wasn't expecting the Vollenweiders to be wide open, but was hoping to get a better read as to whether I should buy more for aging (especially Aurum, which is such a low-production low-availability wine). I guess I didn't get much useful info, but given all the other sure-bet options, I probably won't invest in these.

[David M. Bueker]

Ok. I don't taste widely enough across vintages to have a sense of these things.

Maybe the sugar in the WK helped keep it pleasant. I had a very nice recent experience with an 18 Falkenstein Spätlese, where there may be plenty more development ahead, but it was still delicious at this stage. And now that you mention it, some dry 2018 Wittmann Kirchspiel wines were very difficult a few months back.

I wasn't expecting the Vollenweiders to be wide open, but was hoping to get a better read as to whether I should buy more for aging (especially Aurum, which is such a low-production low-availability wine). I guess I didn't get much useful info, but given all the other sure-bet options, I probably won't invest in these.

I don't think 2018 is an "invest in" vintage. There are good wines, but other years are better options if similar wines are available.

FWIW - I bought less than 4 cases total of 2018s across all German producers. That's like "zero" for me.

I bought less than 4 cases total of 2018s across all German producers. That's like "zero" for me.

Ha!