WTN: He bakes bread, we drink (mostly) riesling

Started off a lovely Sunday evening with the fellas opening assorted palate cleansing bottles of Federspiel and Gemischter Satz, eating homemade bread with flour milled in that very kitchen.

We then increased the intensity and had higher hopes for 2014 Domaine Dublère Chablis Valmur, but unfortunately the bottle was not at its best. Showing its age with wan fruit (but no premox), limp, and not much improvement with air.

So we looked for something new (to us) with 2014 Pewsey Vale The Contours Museum Reserve Riesling and 2017 Pewsey Vale The Contours Museum Reserve Riesling, but we were not terribly impressed. Both were crisp, taut, and certainly drinkable, with more of a golden patina in the 2014, but not much excitement in either case. Maybe we didn’t give them enough attention, because that quickly got diverted.

2023 Grünhaus Herrenberg Riesling GG was the start of the good stuff, a tiny bit of reduction but lots of juicy friendly fruit, offset perfectly with crisp bitter Grünhaus herbal notes. Evolves nicely over the evening and maybe I’ll start following these over time again.

2018 Rebholz Kastanienbusch Riesling GG led to much debate. Others enjoyed it the whole way through, but I thought it was clunky and dull upon opening. However, with air, it stretched out and began to show more Kastanienbusch definition and precision. It became a lovely wine that I was happy to drink, although I suspect 2018 will never be my favorite vintage in Germany.

On the other hand, 2002 Hirtzberger Singerriedel Riesling Smaragd was unanimously loved from the very beginning. A P-E-R-F-E-C-T bottle of wine. Aged into lovely mellowed harmony that has slimmed down the full fruit of its youth, but still plenty of palate presence and aromatic excitement, along with lively vibrancy underneath. Some may enjoy this wine with even more age, but I had no complaints on the evening. Pure joy.

2018 Clemens Busch Marienburg Raffes took us back to recent times, with a stacked layered mouthful of wine. It gains elegance with air and offers a great counterpoint to the other Rieslings in circulation.

The wind-down began with 2010 Clemens Busch Marienburg Rothenpfad Auslese injecting sugar and depth into the mouthfeel. Another example of a wine that is in an aging sweet-spot for my tastes. Others will prefer it younger or older. Everyone is correct.

The red pivot goes to 2024 Occhipinti SP68 Rosso which is young dark and crunchy, difficult for us to sink our teeth into at this point in the evening. So we go for the dark velvety caress of 1990 Carruades de Lafite Pauillac. I don’t drink much Bordeaux, but this had very nice linear shape to balance the dark intensity. A fine nightcap…

Sadly 2021 Koehler-Ruprecht Saumagen Riesling Spätlese Trocken and 1989 Clemens Busch Marienburg Riesling Auslese Trocken were both corked. The latter unlikely to be seen again!

[David M. Bueker]

Now you have me thinking about broaching a bottle of 2019 Grunhaus GG. Must resist.

Those early oughts Hirtzbergers are sooooooooo good. I find the wines a bit too heavy these days, a combination of climate change and my advancing age.

Very cool lineup.
Very few people have cellared 1989 German Auslese trocken!
I don't think I've ever had a MG GG.
Milling own flour is impressive, Betsy and Champagne Jon trade bread tips all the time, but not that serious. What style bread?

Now you have me thinking about broaching a bottle of 2019 Grunhaus GG. Must resist.

Presumably Herrenberg more accessible than Abtsberg. I thought about bringing a 2022 Abtsberg GG as well, but decided to save it for another night when I could follow it over more time. But I do plan to open it soon, even if not at 'peak', just to get a sense of what their new GGs are like.

Those early oughts Hirtzbergers are sooooooooo good. I find the wines a bit too heavy these days, a combination of climate change and my advancing age.

I don't follow Hirtzberger too closely and probably haven't tasted any recent vintages, but that does sound all too familiar...

Very few people have cellared 1989 German Auslese trocken!
...
Milling own flour is impressive, Betsy and Champagne Jon trade bread tips all the time, but not that serious. What style bread?

Host is friends with Clemens Busch and has lots of his wines. But alas I think this may have been his last 89 Auslese Trocken. Or at least the last 89 Auslese Trocken in his US storage.

Host is also German and made a few types of German-style rye bread. I was impressed but he made it seem all pretty straightforward. Another friend piped up and said he also mills his own grains. Can get a small counter-top mill and grind as needed for each recipe. Sometimes they go through the trouble of getting special grains from baker friends, but claimed that even using supermarket spelt berries (or whatever) is infinitely superior because the freshness of the grind is when everything gets activated and rapidly deteriorates.