- Never try opening a bunch of old Rieslings without Dan Tisch around! We had all sorts of issues with the corks at the table among the older wines with corks getting jammed in the neck, some literally disintegrating with the slightest pressure - somehow Dan (armed with a decanter, funnel and two corkscrews) managed to get all the bottles open and the corks free while still managing to talk, eat and drink. Thanks a lot Dan!
- Old Rheingau wine is amazing when it's on. As is old Saar wine. The two '76s were simply extraordinary.
- And young Riesling is pretty insane too, plus Tim Frohlich is making some seriously stunning wines (yes, I'm finally getting into the hype). I thought the 07 Schafer-Frohlich Felseneck Spatlese was stunning a few weeks back - but the Halenberg last night was even better and it was definitely at the same level as the two Donnhoff Spatlesen. Just a crazy, exotic wine and I can't wait to see what the 08s from Frohlich are like.
MOSTLY RIESLINGS (OLD AND YOUNG) AT GRAND SICHUAN - NYC (6/3/2009)
- 1971 Bischöfliches Priesterseminar Trier Kanzemer Altenberg Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Incredibly light yellow colour in the glass; hard to believe this is nearly a 40 year old wine. Strange musty blue cheese-like aromas at first, but those blow off with air and half an hour later this is absolutely gorgeous with youthful pear and apple fruit over sweet and sour lemon candy-like notes, smoke, slate and faint hints of honey. Plenty of acidity underneath and a long finish. Gorgeous. - 1971 Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Hochheimer Domdechaney Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Rheingau
Dead on arrival. Smelled like pure chlorine, and didn't taste much better. A real shame as a bottle of this a few months ago was really lovely. - 1971 Staatliche Weinbaudomäne Trier Serriger Vogelsang Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
AP #1-73. Light yellow in colour with a nose of gentle white fruits, earth and touches of honey with some musty notes that don't fade even with extended air. There's plenty of power and concentration in the mouth and bright pear and white fruit combined with a silky mouthfeel, but with some air an oxidative note emerges that spoils this a bit. Still really fascinating to sit down with and explore alongside dinner. - 1967 Graf von Plettenberg Kreuznacher Osterholl Riesling feinste Auslese Cabinet - Germany, Nahe
Dead upon pouring. Brown/caramel in colour with strong root beer and oxidative notes. - 1976 Schloss Johannisberger Riesling Rosalack Auslese - Germany, Rheingau
Liquid velvet. It's not just how this wine tastes and smells; the way it FEELS on your tongue is enough to make one go 'WOW'. Somehow this conveys tremendous richness and power with so little apparent weight, with an incredibly smooth, slightly oily mouthfeel and flavours that slowly build up with air, keep expanding and then stay with you minutes after the last sip is finished. Beautiful aromatics; at first there's honey, caramel, tobacco and savoury earth, then with time apple, lime and cardamom flavours emerge. Like the Egon Muller, there's a sense of incredible freshness to the fruit with plenty of acidity underneath, and incredible length. And this was also getting better with air through the night; the last sip I had was the best and I can't imagine how long this will age and last for. - 1976 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
AP #8-77. Light gold colour in the glass, and good grief - what an insane nose! Ginger, spearmint, chocolate and white fruits - the whole thing smells like chocolate-mint cookies dusted with spices and served with a plate of fresh fruit. With air this just keeps expanding on the nose and palate, developing elements of basil and other herbs, earth and honey, and a gentle, floating mouthfeel with plenty of acidity. The fruit here still feels very young and this just kept getting better with time - hard to imagine how long this will actually last for. - 1983 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhauser Abtsberg Riesling Auslese #190 - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Also dead. Darn it. Really oxidative and impossible to get past the aromas just from the bottle. - 1989 Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Herrenweg de Turckheim - France, Alsace, Turckheim, Alsace AOC
Bright gold colour with an unbelievable nose that smells like essence of rosewater at first and keeps developing with time with elements of smoke, spices, apricot, lime and honey emerging with more air. Gorgeous on the palate with all the typical Gewurz spice, lychee and exotic floral notes over nut oils and minerals. Still a little sweet with good acidity, a silky, slightly viscous mouthfeel and a very long finish that's all rosewater and spices. Wow. - 1998 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese * - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Surprisingly strong amounts of sulphur on the nose at first with white fruits, pear and floral elements underneath that emerge as the sulphur eventually blows off. The acidity feels a bit spiky and awkward initially but with some air seems to integrate as this becomes quite pleasant and refreshing to drink. Still this doesn't have the depth or complexity I've found in any of the recent Selbach wines. - 2002 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe
Best bottle of this I've had yet. Really pretty aromatics with lots of flowers, smoke, red fruits and hints of minerals. Incredibly elegant and light in the mouth, almost weightless with a floating, silky mouthfeel and very youthful red fruited flavours combined with slate and spices over plenty of acidity. Really lovely wine with tremendous balance, clarity and a very long finish. - 2006 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe
Ridiculous stuff; this is all mineral at first with aromatics that suggest this may have come from a rock quarry rather than grapes, and a crystalline texture in the mouth. With a little bit of air the fruit emerges; light peach, apple and pear flavours that blend seamlessly with the rocky mineral flavours. Tremendous clarity and precision here with lots of acidity underneath balancing the sweetness and a very long finish that leaves streaks of salt and minerals in the mouth. - 2007 Schäfer-Fröhlich Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe
This has an absolutely insane exotic nose with lilacs, blackcurrants, cherries, smoke and touches of honey. Full bodied and quite sweet with lots of power and richness in the mouth, really complex with flavours of smoky red fruits, lime and herbs over minerals and smoke and good acidity underneath. Incredibly long mouthcoating finish that leaves you tasting honey and tropical fruits for a good while. Fascinating to sit down and contrast this with the Dönnhoffs, which seem so much calmer and restrained compared to the really exotic and intense Halenberg. - 2007 Kurt Darting Dürkheimer Nonnengarten Rieslaner Auslese - Germany, Pfalz
Wild nose (I think Stephen was calling it psychotic) full of exotic spices, flowers, tropical fruits and sweet onions. Gorgeous to smell although in the mouth this doesn't live up to the expectations raised by the aromatics - a bit simple and soft with lots of sweet tropical fruit flavours, but lacking in acidity and depth.
