WTN: G&G
Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 11:50 amGermany
1998 Reinhold Haart Riesling Spatlese Piesporter Goldtropfchen
Lovely lovely lovely. On day one, two and three. Great balance, seems like legitimate spatlese material, a sweet bubble tart of jade green fruit that dances across the palate with sprightly acids and a glistening glistening mineral undercurrent. Nothing profound, but I enjoyed it.
1998 Markus Molitor Riesling Auslese * Bernkasteler Lay “Bremer Ratskeller”
This was apparently bottled especially for the Bremer Ratskeller (a restaurant/wine shop in Bremen where the food is nothing spectacular but the deep wine list has bottles back to the 18th century, and even some non-trockens!), so I wonder if it somehow differed from the “regular” Auslese, or the “regular” Auslese *. Either way, it really came into its own on days two and three with firm ample fruit balanced by a taut sinewy texture and dark clove spice and petrol stone notes, as it is picking up secondaries, but still plenty of succulent fruit, and again, seems like legitimate auslese material. Nothing profound, but I definitely enjoyed it.
Greece
2005 Antonopoylos Vineyards Mantineia
2005 Antonopoylos Vineyards “Gris de Noir”
Both of these are 100% moschofilero, although quite different interpretations as a result of the longer skin contact and grey/rosé color on the latter. The first is rich and floral with a spicy finish, although too damned musky and redolent on the first day for me. On the second day it calms a bit, and is drinkable, but the “Gris de Noir” is much more pleasurable, with less redolence, more snap, more integration, a better tactile grip, while of course also floral and spicy. Still, don’t really need to drink either wine again.
2000 Kir Yianni Naoussa “Ramnista”
100% xynomavro from Northern Greece and it makes me think this is both a grape and region that might hold potential for my tastebuds. Hard spicy berries in the middle with the nebbiolo-esque mentholated fur tannin around the edges. Nice character, although a bit underfruited at the moment, as well as a bit sharp and rustic, so I didn’t exactly fall in love. But, it was promising.
1998 Reinhold Haart Riesling Spatlese Piesporter Goldtropfchen
Lovely lovely lovely. On day one, two and three. Great balance, seems like legitimate spatlese material, a sweet bubble tart of jade green fruit that dances across the palate with sprightly acids and a glistening glistening mineral undercurrent. Nothing profound, but I enjoyed it.
1998 Markus Molitor Riesling Auslese * Bernkasteler Lay “Bremer Ratskeller”
This was apparently bottled especially for the Bremer Ratskeller (a restaurant/wine shop in Bremen where the food is nothing spectacular but the deep wine list has bottles back to the 18th century, and even some non-trockens!), so I wonder if it somehow differed from the “regular” Auslese, or the “regular” Auslese *. Either way, it really came into its own on days two and three with firm ample fruit balanced by a taut sinewy texture and dark clove spice and petrol stone notes, as it is picking up secondaries, but still plenty of succulent fruit, and again, seems like legitimate auslese material. Nothing profound, but I definitely enjoyed it.
Greece
2005 Antonopoylos Vineyards Mantineia
2005 Antonopoylos Vineyards “Gris de Noir”
Both of these are 100% moschofilero, although quite different interpretations as a result of the longer skin contact and grey/rosé color on the latter. The first is rich and floral with a spicy finish, although too damned musky and redolent on the first day for me. On the second day it calms a bit, and is drinkable, but the “Gris de Noir” is much more pleasurable, with less redolence, more snap, more integration, a better tactile grip, while of course also floral and spicy. Still, don’t really need to drink either wine again.
2000 Kir Yianni Naoussa “Ramnista”
100% xynomavro from Northern Greece and it makes me think this is both a grape and region that might hold potential for my tastebuds. Hard spicy berries in the middle with the nebbiolo-esque mentholated fur tannin around the edges. Nice character, although a bit underfruited at the moment, as well as a bit sharp and rustic, so I didn’t exactly fall in love. But, it was promising.