Is it worth decanting or slow-o-ing Riesling?

[Patrick Martin]

Never really tried this for Riesling, but I plan to open these wines at a tasting coming up:
-2001 Christoffel Erdener Treppchen Spatlese
-2001 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese

Any reason to let them breathe beforehand?

[David M. Bueker]

Not really.

[Dale Williams]

I would answer yes to your title, but no to your actual question.
I'll decant Riesling like young GGs or CSH, or things like Prum where I expect an excess of sulphur. But those 2 I'd expect to be fine over a couple hours out of bottle (though in any case always listen to David over me re Riesling, though we agree this time!).

[Patrick Martin]

Thanks, good to know.

I'll try to write up some notes post-tasting.

[David M. Bueker]

Good additions Dale. With a producer like Prum (St. Urbans-Hof shows a lot of sulfur as well) I would decant, but not really an issue for either of the listed wines.

[Andrew Bair]

I'll agree with David and Dale here. The only Rieslings that I ever aerate are young, powerful dry wines like GGs or their equivalents.

[Bill Hooper]

I'll agree with David and Dale here. The only Rieslings that I ever aerate are young, powerful dry wines like GGs or their equivalents.

Exactly this. I would add that young (and even not-so-young) dry Riesling should ALWAYS be allowed to breathe to get maximum enjoyment. I can't tell you the number of times that I've initially dismissed a wine on the first pour only to come back to it after an hour or two and to have been shocked by its aromatic development.

Cheers,
Bill

[David M. Bueker]

I'll agree with David and Dale here. The only Rieslings that I ever aerate are young, powerful dry wines like GGs or their equivalents.

Exactly this. I would add that young (and even not-so-young) dry Riesling should ALWAYS be allowed to breathe to get maximum enjoyment. I can't tell you the number of times that I've initially dismissed a wine on the first pour only to come back to it after an hour or two and to have been shocked by its aromatic development.

Cheers,
Bill

Interesting Bill. I've always found the GGs most expressive at first pour. Too much air and they cloe in. Of course given the relative youth of the genre, it could just be the way some young wines react to too much air.

[Bill Hooper]

I'll agree with David and Dale here. The only Rieslings that I ever aerate are young, powerful dry wines like GGs or their equivalents.

Exactly this. I would add that young (and even not-so-young) dry Riesling should ALWAYS be allowed to breathe to get maximum enjoyment. I can't tell you the number of times that I've initially dismissed a wine on the first pour only to come back to it after an hour or two and to have been shocked by its aromatic development.

Cheers,
Bill

Interesting Bill. I've always found the GGs most expressive at first pour. Too much air and they cloe in. Of course given the relative youth of the genre, it could just be the way some young wines react to too much air.

It could also be a function of different winemaking techniques -SS/Cask, whole-bunch pressing/skin-maceration etc. -A dense, mineral-driven wine like a Rebholz takes longer to come around than a more supple, giving, 'schmalzig' Bassermann-Jordan for example. Another producer whose wines always seem to need a little air is Nikolaihof, imo.

Cheers,
Bill