TNs: Some top vintage German BAs
Posted: Wed Jun 09, 2004 2:16 pm
<b>1949 Pieroth Gau-Oderuheiser Petersburg Muller-Thurgau Beerenauslese (Rheinhessan)</b>
Deep golden brown and orange but with profound clarity. Bouquet redolent of honeyed apricots and very ripe tropical fruits. Hints of Grand Muscat. Palate is remarkably in fine condition, despite a slightly eased cork protruding from the bottle. Upon initial opening on Day 1, the wine had a pronounced oxidised character, but not enough to envelope the unctuous apricots and jammy mandarins. Sweetness is integrated with clean acidity. Excellent length although seemed to be losing some of its residual sugar concentration as time went by. Really quite lovely (as Coates would say) and best described as a cross between sherry (nutty, rancio characters) and Aussie Muscat style. On Day 2, even better! Less fortified-like and nutty, and more complete. Length dropped off marginally. Nonetheless an impressive wine given I believe that Pieroth are not renowned.
<b>Excellent 18.5 / 20</b>
<b>1971 Reinhold Senfler Nierfteiner Spiegelberg Riesling Rulander Gewurztraminer Beerenauslese</b>
Deep yellow, almost gold. Nose of tokay/muscat splendours. Very rich with subtle cascades of dried out citrus fruits, toffee and sweet tea. Medium bodies with good length. Excellent condition for a 33-year-old wine. Honey, fig and marmalade tones. Not entirely dissimilar to an unfortified Tokay or Muscat from Rutherglen. An excellent and sumptuous sweet aftertaste. My one criticism is that that massive sweetness over-rides what little acidity remains, thereby slightly upsetting the wineÂ’s balance. Nonetheless a fine wine.
<b>Very Good 17.5 / 20</b>
<b>1976 Weingut Petershof Waldracher Doktorberg “Erzeuger-Abfullung†Beerenauslese (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) </b>
9-11% A/V. Crumbly cork but perfect levels. Lovely golden colour with no browning. Rich and intoxicating bouquet of honey and youthful apricots, yet striking and crisp. No aged characters. Taste? In a word: sensational. This is a stunning wine, augmented by chunks of sweet caramel, mellifluous honey, tangy marmalade, peaches, ripe passionfruit and mango brulee. A faint zing of crisp acid supports the extraordinary length. This is so resplendent and luscious that I fear the TBA (if there is one) would be too much. Amazing how a near 30-year-old wine can be so fresh yet dances like a salacious and sensual Salome on the taste buds. Will clearly hold for many years but the acid is exhausting. This wine has all the hallmarks of great wine: Length. Balance. Complexity. Wow factor. Resplendent wine.
<b>Grand Vin! 19.0 / 20</b>
<b>1983 J.J. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese</b>
Light gold with brilliant transparency. Smells irrevocably of subtle apricot peel, sweet kiwi fruit and passionfruit. Excellent length. Light to medium bodies, in contrast to aforementioned wines. Quite refreshing too – like a fresh fruit salad with little sugar weight. Beautiful balanced, with the delicious tropical fruits offsetting the acidic backbone. Not a dense botrytis style like those big and chewy Aussie “stickiesÂâ€Â, but well below the va-va-voom and intensity of the BA/TBA style. In its own right, a beautiful, refreshing wine that I could drink all day – only 10% A/V too. At its peak and a treat.
<b> Excellent 18.5 / 20</b>
Deep golden brown and orange but with profound clarity. Bouquet redolent of honeyed apricots and very ripe tropical fruits. Hints of Grand Muscat. Palate is remarkably in fine condition, despite a slightly eased cork protruding from the bottle. Upon initial opening on Day 1, the wine had a pronounced oxidised character, but not enough to envelope the unctuous apricots and jammy mandarins. Sweetness is integrated with clean acidity. Excellent length although seemed to be losing some of its residual sugar concentration as time went by. Really quite lovely (as Coates would say) and best described as a cross between sherry (nutty, rancio characters) and Aussie Muscat style. On Day 2, even better! Less fortified-like and nutty, and more complete. Length dropped off marginally. Nonetheless an impressive wine given I believe that Pieroth are not renowned.
<b>Excellent 18.5 / 20</b>
<b>1971 Reinhold Senfler Nierfteiner Spiegelberg Riesling Rulander Gewurztraminer Beerenauslese</b>
Deep yellow, almost gold. Nose of tokay/muscat splendours. Very rich with subtle cascades of dried out citrus fruits, toffee and sweet tea. Medium bodies with good length. Excellent condition for a 33-year-old wine. Honey, fig and marmalade tones. Not entirely dissimilar to an unfortified Tokay or Muscat from Rutherglen. An excellent and sumptuous sweet aftertaste. My one criticism is that that massive sweetness over-rides what little acidity remains, thereby slightly upsetting the wineÂ’s balance. Nonetheless a fine wine.
<b>Very Good 17.5 / 20</b>
<b>1976 Weingut Petershof Waldracher Doktorberg “Erzeuger-Abfullung†Beerenauslese (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer) </b>
9-11% A/V. Crumbly cork but perfect levels. Lovely golden colour with no browning. Rich and intoxicating bouquet of honey and youthful apricots, yet striking and crisp. No aged characters. Taste? In a word: sensational. This is a stunning wine, augmented by chunks of sweet caramel, mellifluous honey, tangy marmalade, peaches, ripe passionfruit and mango brulee. A faint zing of crisp acid supports the extraordinary length. This is so resplendent and luscious that I fear the TBA (if there is one) would be too much. Amazing how a near 30-year-old wine can be so fresh yet dances like a salacious and sensual Salome on the taste buds. Will clearly hold for many years but the acid is exhausting. This wine has all the hallmarks of great wine: Length. Balance. Complexity. Wow factor. Resplendent wine.
<b>Grand Vin! 19.0 / 20</b>
<b>1983 J.J. Prum Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Auslese</b>
Light gold with brilliant transparency. Smells irrevocably of subtle apricot peel, sweet kiwi fruit and passionfruit. Excellent length. Light to medium bodies, in contrast to aforementioned wines. Quite refreshing too – like a fresh fruit salad with little sugar weight. Beautiful balanced, with the delicious tropical fruits offsetting the acidic backbone. Not a dense botrytis style like those big and chewy Aussie “stickiesÂâ€Â, but well below the va-va-voom and intensity of the BA/TBA style. In its own right, a beautiful, refreshing wine that I could drink all day – only 10% A/V too. At its peak and a treat.
<b> Excellent 18.5 / 20</b>