WTN: Grilling with 2002 rieslings

An invitation to some friends to join me for my weekly grilling and dining routine proved an ideal opportunity to pop open some rieslings. As there are some wonderful slightly older bargains on the shelf here in Ann Arbor, I sought out a few 2002ers and decided to see what would happen. While snacking on some cheeses, olive tapenade, tomatoes and other assorted pleasantries (and while toiling away to prepare the items to be grilled) we enjoyed a bottle of the 2002 Willi Schaefer Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett (Middle Mosel, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany). Though I wouldn't say it was zippy, it certainly felt alive with a quieter nose (though picking up th nose of a wine, even a riesling, is challenging when I'm working with charcoal). Plenty of dried apricot, refreshing, quite delicious. Rounded drinkability--very kabinett and a perfect start. The kind of bottle that can disappear pretty quickly. Prep-work done, we all proceeded outside to watch the magic on the grill. As I rotated the newly dug potatoes and flipped the zucchini, my friend took over to care for a variety of fishes (tuna, salmon, orange roughy) marinated in soy sauce, cumin, garlic, olive oil, and wasabi drizzling sauce. I sought out the corkscrew and opened the 2002 Von Hövel Oberemmeler Hütte Riesling Spätlese (Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany). Sparkling on the nose and ready to run as soon as it left the bottle. Fantastic delicious acidity of limes with lots of savory notes. Tasted like it was bottled six months ago as it was so fresh. Delicious with food and just a phenomenal wine. More to my liking stylistically than the Schaefer, but just especially stunning how well the wine has fared over 7 years--it tastes brand new. A good long life ahead for this wine. Stunningly beautiful acidity--lovely stuff. Dinner on the table and conversation abounding, I made to sure to bring out the following in honor of my friend who studies at a small university in the Rheingau and was delighted to discover my fascination/obsession with German Riesling. The producer was well-known to him and the wine enjoyed by all. The 2002 Freiherr Langwerth von Simmern Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen Riesling Spätlese (Rheingau, Germany) certainly tasted much farther along in its aging curve than had the von Hövel. Faint touches of Indian spices and lots of chrome, it tasted fatter but still, still, had a really decent acidic backbone. Complexity-wise this wine was the highlight of the night. My friend shared some great background n the region and the wines and we all enjoyed the last few moments of our respite before returning to our crazy world of problem sets, technical readings and really bad statistical jokes. A wonderful evening that I was so glad to share with such interesting people. What a summer . . .

And another 2002er from a few weeks back:

2002 Willi Schaefer Graacher Himmelreich Riesling (Middle Mosel, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany) cork closure, 9% - imported to USA by Terry Theise Selection/Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, New York - smell fantastic, faint but lively rust, nice, taste high delicious acid, soft and creamy, floral, zippy and rusty, just plain delicious wine, in the background was fantastic piquant spice, lovely acid that went well with some simple stir-fried black swan and tofu, what a steal for $15!

Love your notes! I just consumed a 2002 Geltz Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Auslese which I will post on later this week and also have a 2002 Fritz Haag (not sure of specifics right now but it's a spatlese) that I will open in the next couple weeks. I bought two bottles of each so thought I would have one of each this summer and hold the second bottles until 2012.

You mention finding the wines in Ann Arbor. Does Bay Area refer to San Francisco area and did you move to Ann Arbor from there?

Thanks for notes, I have a few left of the Willi S. WSonn, have enjoyed them and your notes sound right on the mark. The Graacher Himm was a Kab too? Haven't had that one. But the '02 Graacher Domprobst is an amazing kab, sadly I don't own any.
JC, look forward to the Zilliken note.

[David M. Bueker]

In general I find that the 2002s have come around while their 2001 counterparts are still (largely) sleeping.

Nice selection of wines. Were these from Village Corner? They had a very fun and well-priced selection of slightly-aged rieslings when I was in Ann Arbor a few years ago..

And nice to hear about the freshness and liveliness on the Von Hövel. We're going to drink a bunch of them here in DC tomorrow night, but I forget if that particular one is in the lineup.

Keep up the good work!

You mention finding the wines in Ann Arbor. Does Bay Area refer to San Francisco area and did you move to Ann Arbor from there?

Yes, I live in the Bay Area, but I am spending the summer in Ann Arbor. Fantastic town, but glad to be done with that whole Art Fair extravaganza!

The Graacher Himm was a Kab too?

I don't have the bottle now, but I'm pretty sure it was a QbA.

Nice selection of wines. Were these from Village Corner? They had a very fun and well-priced selection of slightly-aged rieslings when I was in Ann Arbor a few years ago..

Indeed Village Corner. Fun finding stuff like that hanging out on the shelves. Though I've been focusing on beer, I knew I'd have to find a way to fit a few of these beauties in and having friends over proved the perfect solution.

Indeed Village Corner. Fun finding stuff like that hanging out on the shelves. Though I've been focusing on beer, I knew I'd have to find a way to fit a few of these beauties in...

Nice.

I can still clearly remember some of the wines I had that summer because they were so 'perfectly' aged and my 'cellar' usually skews so young. Checking my notes I see I bought (in 2004) the 1995 Emrich-Schonleber "Monzinger Fruhlingsplatzchen" Riesling Kabinett for $11 and the 1994 Emrich-Schonleber "Monzinger Fruhlingsplatzchen" Riesling Spatlese for $16. Both were wonderful.

Of course I also bought some duds. My notes show a 1992 Josef Leitz Rudesheimer Kirchenpfad Riseling Spatlese for $18 that was pretty boring and a 1998 Chateau Pierre Bise Anjou "Le Haut de la Garde" for $8 that was completely shot. There were others too. But always interesting.

Yes, Ann Arbor is a great town. I did my Master's degree at the U and have been back for a few Mo'Cools.

In general I find that the 2002s have come around while their 2001 counterparts are still (largely) sleeping.

David (or Salil or Rahsaan or Dale or . . . ),
Any advice you can offer on 2003? I've tended to stay away from it as a freakish year (though I've had some delicious wines) but 2002 and 2003 seem to be the slightly older bottles on the shelf around here for mighty reasonable prices. Any useful guidelines of what might be worthy for 2003 german rieslings?

[David M. Bueker]

2003 is still quite controversial and variable. Wines from one producer can be both good now and weird now. It varies by specific bottling. I am hoping to do a more comprehensive look in the late summer/fall (with Salil & Rahsaan), so I hope to have mroe data then.

As David said, my limited recent experiences have been variable. Schaefer GD Spätlese #11 was delightful two months ago, awkward last week. But last week the Schaefer GH Spätlese was a pleasure. And I think David had a good experience recently with Schaefer WS Spätlese.

So do they have any Schaefer?

Depending on the price/producer it might not hurt to try?