TN: 3 German Rieslings
Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2019 8:17 am
Inspired by the Schaefer Frohlich thread, I've consumed 3 German Rieslings in different styles over this weekend. I'm not the greatest taker of notes any more but here they are:
2011 Donnhoff Hermannsholle Grosses Gewachs: Sublime. So fresh, slatey lime and coriander like herbal flavours. The core is all sherbetty lemon fruit with lime pith touches, and pulpy tannic grip . Its searingly intense, power packed like a lot of 11's , and yet still perfectly balanced even at 13.5% ABV. Finish goes for an age, and to some this could show as off dry - I expect this still has a few grams of sugar. Brilliant wine from a vineyard that deserves more accolades than it gets.
2008 Schaefer Frohlich Bockenauer Kabinett: Usually fro mthe Felsneck / Felsenberg vineyard, but not designated that way for this vintage - must contain fruit from some other places as well. Its been 8 years since I opened the last one of these. 8 years on this has slowly aged. Now showing some tasty edges to its lime marmalade centre, dressed up with yellow fruits that often show spatlese ripeness - lemons, quinces, peaches. Balance is perfect, this is higher residual sugar as Kabinett goes but still plenty of acid and this all glides through in a seam less package to an effortless finish. Still smashable.
2004 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese: Wow this is still so primary! Its settled into its stride and shows some of the toastiness of maturity but the nectarine fruit is stil vibrant, the limey acidity still races and the fresh floral characters this legendary vineyard gives are still speaking loud. Alive and now complex more than pure, this could go another 15 if you like them with that much age.
The Donnhoff is closest to the Australian idiom of Riesling but still so different, the phenolics and flavours balance out a completely different way,
2011 Donnhoff Hermannsholle Grosses Gewachs: Sublime. So fresh, slatey lime and coriander like herbal flavours. The core is all sherbetty lemon fruit with lime pith touches, and pulpy tannic grip . Its searingly intense, power packed like a lot of 11's , and yet still perfectly balanced even at 13.5% ABV. Finish goes for an age, and to some this could show as off dry - I expect this still has a few grams of sugar. Brilliant wine from a vineyard that deserves more accolades than it gets.
2008 Schaefer Frohlich Bockenauer Kabinett: Usually fro mthe Felsneck / Felsenberg vineyard, but not designated that way for this vintage - must contain fruit from some other places as well. Its been 8 years since I opened the last one of these. 8 years on this has slowly aged. Now showing some tasty edges to its lime marmalade centre, dressed up with yellow fruits that often show spatlese ripeness - lemons, quinces, peaches. Balance is perfect, this is higher residual sugar as Kabinett goes but still plenty of acid and this all glides through in a seam less package to an effortless finish. Still smashable.
2004 JJ Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese: Wow this is still so primary! Its settled into its stride and shows some of the toastiness of maturity but the nectarine fruit is stil vibrant, the limey acidity still races and the fresh floral characters this legendary vineyard gives are still speaking loud. Alive and now complex more than pure, this could go another 15 if you like them with that much age.
The Donnhoff is closest to the Australian idiom of Riesling but still so different, the phenolics and flavours balance out a completely different way,
