WTN: Maume, Touraine, Riesling

1995 Maume Gevrey Chambertin En Pallud
This starts off on the rusty dusty tannin and rustic acid side. But, it pretty quickly pulls its act together and shows a nice full, dark, suave, firmly structured, yet nuanced profile. Not a lavish wine but a nice accompaniment to dinner. Luckily we timed it right because a few hours later it became tenser, less generous and more difficult. Fun while it lasted!

2007 Clos Roche Blanche Touraine Sauvignon No. 2
Previous experiences have been better (they were wonderful) but this bottle tastes a bit sour and medicinally pungent and doesn’t really come out of that funk during the 45 minutes the bottle is opened. It was perfectly pleasing to the other guests at the party but not my favorite showing.

2005 Selbach Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Rotlay
I did not know how this would show but it had great layers and layers and layers of minerally Mosel goodness. The flavors are sweet but also restrained, as they dance around the light white peach and orange citrus realm with maybe a hint of golden raisin intensity but never tilting too far tropical. Intense yet light, delicate, fresh (almost certifiably brisk!) and balanced, with a lacy elegant structure. Bravo!

2003 Daniel Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese Goldkapsel
The last of my 2003 German rieslings and wouldn’t you know that this showed better than the other bottles from recent weeks. Sure it is rich and ripe and there is some thick weight speaking to its ‘special’ GK-ness. But it also has clear edges and a better structural profile than last week’s Prüms. Dark golden, savory, and structured, not bad at all.

2008 Daniel Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Kabinett
Consistent with recent notes. Refreshing, fun, Pour-A-Glass-for-Everyone riesling.

The 2005 Rotlay is an amazing wine - one of those few Auslesen that have lots of richness and power and at the same time can combine those qualities with tremendous freshness and lightness as you said. It's worth also looking out for the 2005 Schmitt from Selbach-Oster which is in the same league.

Sounds like a nice lineup and glad to see more positive Vollenweider notes. Although I am surprised that you note the 03 GKS as being dark golden in colour.

Although I am surprised that you note the 03 GKS as being dark golden in colour.

Good catch. I didn't mean to describe it as dark golden, especially when I think back to the Prüms from last week. In some respects this Vollenweider had a deeper more savory element, which is what I was trying to get at with dark, but it also had more lift and more structure, which the Prüms were sorely lacking (at least those bottles last week). I tried to edit the original note to make this clearer but for some reason that didn't work. Oh well. If anyone has these, I don't think you'll be disappointed (including M Lawton!).

Haven't heard of Maume, generally worth seeking out?

thanks for notes. One doesn't see much Maume (I own one bottle, of the 02 en Pallud), but generally nice showings.
Too bad about the 07 CRB, I too have quite liked

Haven't heard of Maume, generally worth seeking out?

Depends on your stylistic preferences. They don't seem to have rock-star status but they have a unique style and sometimes I appreciate that. And if you get into Gouges then you should certainly put Maume on your list!

Because Maume also has a reputation for making hard and backwards wines that take a long time to come around. The fans say that when they do come around they are wonderful but the detractors say that point takes too long/never comes. I have a feeling much of this debate is probably about the upper-level wines and in particular the Mazis.

But, I've mainly focused on the village wines (GC, Etelois, Pallud), and the 'lower' premier crus (GC 1er, Champeaux) and the wines are definitely on the structured side but depending on the vintage they have been enjoyable young or with a bit of age. However, like in many places, there are reports that they have been going for a more approachable style in recent vintages.

2003 Daniel Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese Goldkapsel
The last of my 2003 German rieslings and wouldn’t you know that this showed better than the other bottles from recent weeks. Sure it is rich and ripe and there is some thick weight speaking to its ‘special’ GK-ness. But it also has clear edges and a better structural profile than last week’s Prüms. Dark golden, savory, and structured, not bad at all.

Any chance to get the AP-Numbers on the Prüms? (Manfred made quite a few Spätlesen and your ones are not behaving like the ones I taste.)

Greetings from Sweden / Fredrik L

PS. BTW, I have not opened one single 2003 yet, but plan to check in on Daniel´s wines soon.

Any chance to get the AP-Numbers on the Prüms? (Manfred made quite a few Spätlesen and your ones are not behaving like the ones I taste.)

Greetings from Sweden / Fredrik L

PS. BTW, I have not opened one single 2003 yet, but plan to check in on Daniel´s wines soon.

The Graacher Himmelreich was #30, the Wehlener Sonnenuhr may be downstairs in the recycling, I'll check later.

When you say you haven't opened one single 2003, is that only for Vollenweider? Otherwise how would you be tasting the Prüms?

The Graacher Himmelreich was #30...

And the WS Spätlese was #17.

[David M. Bueker]

All this '03 talk has me thinking of digging deeper, but excavation projects inevitably unearth something lovely before I get to the intended bottle(s).

I wonder how producers like Selbach & Vollenweider will react to the supposed "crackdown" on quasi-legal parcel names.

When you say you haven't opened one single 2003, is that only for Vollenweider? Otherwise how would you be tasting the Prüms?

Neither Vollenweider, nor any other Mosel bottle. So what have I been drinking? My friends´bottles!
I tell them not to touch their Prüms, but they just won´t listen, and then they call me and say that the wines smell odd (read:sulphur), and I go: "put it in the fridge and I´ll come over for lunch tomorrow"!

Greetings from Sweden / Fredrik L

So what have I been drinking? My friends´bottles!
I tell them not to touch their Prüms, but they just won´t listen, and then they call me and say that the wines smell odd (read:sulphur), and I go: "put it in the fridge and I´ll come over for lunch tomorrow"!

Good strategy!

Neither of my bottles were sulfur bombs but to the extent that sulfur was evident it was actually welcome for calming down the ripe sunny fruit! And neither bottle got better or gained any structure over night.

But, it was only two bottles. Hardly a definitive word on 03 Prüm.

The fruit is ripe and sunny, which means I personally will let them rest even longer than usual. The acidity is not too low, it is perfectly ripe and the tartaric/malic ratio is very good. If you let them rest til some - or most - of the sugar is consumed, they will be stupendous. (I have not, however, tasted WS Spätlese #17.)

Greetings from Sweden / Fredrik L

If you let them rest til some - or most - of the sugar is consumed, they will be stupendous.

Fair enough. Although I only bought those two bottles so I'll have to take your word for it.

But we can all wait and see..