Refreshing off-dry Riesling with 21g/l residual sugar, but plenty of acidity to balance it. Peach and citrus fruitiness with a crunchy green apple finish.
Dom. Wachau is one of the most dynamic wineries in Austria. Behind the classic, crowd pleasing Federspiel and Smargd wines is the 'backstage' range including this delicious amphora Riesling, brain child of fully confessed wine geek Roman Horvath MW. After spontaneous fermentation in 300 litre amphorae, the wine then spends an addititional 5 months ageing on lees. The result is a complex wine with beeswax, tropical fruit, and sweet spice notes accompanied by fresh Riesling acidity.
A classic dry estate Riesling from Olivier Humbrecht. Mineral and taut to start off with, this wine really opens up in the glass. Fresh, floral, peachy, exciting.
Located in Alsace’s Haut-Rhin village of Rorschwihr, near Ribeauvillé, lies the family Domaine of Rolly-Gassmann, whose roots date back to 1661. Their Terroir des Chateau Forts is made from a blend of biodynamically grown grapes, namely Auxerrois, Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris. Aromatic and rich, it displays aromas of pear, melons, peaches and lychee. Complex on the palate with delicate rose flavours underpinned by lychee fruit and balancing acidity.
From younger parcels in premier and grand crus including Brauneberger Juffer, Himmelreich and Treppchen, all grapes are of Qmp status. Quite simply a perfect essence of young, ready to enjoy Mosel style at a deeply tempting price.
Parker 91 "delicate and complex bouquet with floral and herbal aromas and stony notes. On the palate, this is an elegant, seriously dry but round and persistent Juffer with salt, grip and refreshing, finely racy acidity... a beautifully pure but complex Kabinett"
Parker 94+ "75-year-old vines... super intense and herbal on the refined and flinty nose, with notes of curry plant intertwined with aromas of perfectly ripe mirabelle and crunchy slate. On the palate, this is an intense, dense, powerful, fleshy, lush, well-structured and persistently salty Riesling with firm but fine tannins and crystalline acidity. This is a great and generous Riesling from grafted vines trained on single poles... will age for at least three decades"
Parker "opens with deep and intense fruit on the nose. Full-bodied, round and mouthfillingly juicy, this is a generous, well-structured and mineral Kabinett with dark, ripe stone fruit, good tannins and an aromatic finish... very juicy and almost lush on the palate."
Parker 93+ "Picked at 110° Oechsle and with 30% to 35% botrytis... offers dusty raisin and grapefruit aromas on the nose. Lush and concentrated on the palate, it is an elegant, mouth-filling and piquant Auslese with a creamy texture and long, salty-piquant, slatey finish."
Dry-ish Auslese is a real specialism for this superb, mother-and-daughter estate, especially in the rare cases when they release some mature stock - what a treat! So hard to describe as it doesn't conform to classic Mosel idiom. Firstly it's the most amazing pale green, more silver than gold. The nose teases with all manner of unexpected notes, from sage to fennel, lilies and blossom (in a 30-year old wine, how, how?) and a palate of equally unexpected complexity, where perhaps more of the Mosel notes are apparent: ripe lime, slate, mint. The texture is feather-light, the length astonishing. Rather madly, it's just as good after a week open. Like a wine from another world.
Apple cider and overripe peach, decadent peony and heliotrope effusively inform the nose and expansive, buoyant, subtly creamy palate of Tyrell’s 2011 Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Riesling Auslese, a glaze of caramel and honey underscoring the influence of botrytis – less happily, responsible for a dearth of primary juiciness – and leading to a sustained and soothing as well as decidedly sweet finish.
Starts with ripe and tropical fruit flavours on the nose displaying ripe peach, bananas and lychees. Bottled with 8% alcohol and 69 grams of residual sugar, this is a very sweet, intense, elegant and slightly mineral-scented wine with a nice, almost soft acidity (8.1 grams) and a lingering salty finish.
17.5 JancisRobinson.com "Although a light herbaceous fragrance still reflects the contribution of natural yeast, an almost exotic expression of fruit and a distinctive mineral aroma take control of the nose. Add a perfectly pitched acidity, tastefully restrained sweetness and an intriguing spicy notion, and you have a Spätlese that fascinates through its complexity. A gentle salty tang on the finish makes the mouth water. "
very fine and elegant on the bright yet deep, flinty and floral-flavored nose. Round, ripe and lush, but with the typical Saar piquancy and precision, this is a complex, mineral and grippy Scharzhofberger with great elegance, length and finesse. Very long and extremely stimulating, this an expressive terroir wine
From the Josephsof vineyard, one of best and most historic vineyards in the cool-climate of the Saar valley, this Spätlese Riesling is known for its subtlety and delicacy. Grapes ripen slowly given the microclimate and are usually picked as late as November. This gives the wine elegance and finesse, and often a touch of Noble Rot adds another dimension. Deep ripe sweet citrus fruit flavours against lovely light sweetness, exquisite acidity and great length.
An unusual, but terrific, blend showing the spiciness of Gewurz; the grapiness of Muscat; the body of Pinot Gris; the backbone of Riesling; and the refreshing character of Sylvaner. The resulting wine is fresh and characterful.
Vegan
Decanter Trophy winner. "Beautifully delicate. Citrus... floral/grapey... Tight and firm... Still retains a gentle Torrontés aroma. Hint of clementine on the palate. Long and crisp and super fresh." Julia Harding MW
92-94 Wine Advocate "dense, cool, very precise and flinty-mineral on the nose, which is still reductive but exciting. Coming from a coolish side valley that was picked at roughly 84° to 85° Oechsle at the end of September, this is a gorgeously lush and mouth-filling Riesling with the mineral piquancy of quartzite soils. There is no aggressive acidity here, there is nice tartaric acidity that makes this a seductive Kabinett you can't resist. This is a fabulous, very long and enchanting Riesling. The wine has slightly more than 50 grams of residual sugar and comes in at 8.5% alcohol."
Great wine! Great everything! Some residual sugar, but everything else is perfect! Long finish, balanced, nectarine, petrol. Just a super wine especially considering the price.
Family Hasselbach of the Gunderloch Estate own around 4.5 hectares of this prime vineyard made up predominantly of very steep parcels. It yields wines of striking mineral character paired with a broad spectrum of expressive spice and fruit aromas.
Heavy soils of Oligocen and limestone marl with a high lime and iron content. Steep south and west facing vineyard. This vineyard was planted just before the estate’s conversion to biodynamics which has caused headaches since with planting style. Clean, herbal, citrus, lime, grapefruit, and bitter orange aromas. Powdery, chalky texture on the palate. Super high acidity. Citrus dominant palate; lime and grapefruit. Long. Persistent.
Tasted at the Domaine March 2020, AA
Some citrus, pear and white flowers perfumes develop on the nose. The rich aromas continue through the mid-palate. A long lasting wine, with a refreshing finish. Very versatile wine for a range of fish, chicken and salad dishes.
Rangen de Thann is one of the most Southerly vineyards of Alsace. Volcanic soils, and vertiginous slopes. This site is so difficult to work it requires that estate to employ four full time staff for just 5.5ha!
"Very closed. Smoky, lees-y, saline. The fruit is very reserved right now and lacks some density. There’s texture, tannin, and heat. These vines produce very small, tiny berries giving a greater ratio skin to pulp, hence the sensation of tannin on the palate. This wine is all structure at the moment." Tasted at the Domaine, March 2020 (AA)
"Pink granite soils. Rich and spicy wine. There’s bright florality, then some bitter fruit, pithy citrus, apple skin, kumquat, and quince. Elegant and long with great concentration and wonderfully balanced acidty. Charming and focussed." Tasting at the Domaine, March 2020 (AA)
Planted 1972-4. 1.2ha just below Hengst Grand Cru. Touch of bottle shock. Broader, more concentrated aromatics. Slightly savoury spice and musky flowers. Rather like a Gruner Veltliner. Saline and savoury on the palate, but with some plump fruit too (8.2g/l RS). The fruit concentration seems to be in a crescendo. Brooding.
Tasted at the Domaine, March 2020 (AA)
As the name indicates, all the vineyards are located on the poor granitic soils of the Brand hillside. It is in fact the second wine of the Grand Cru Brand. These precocious and warm granitic soils produce wines that have a vertical structure, always expressive at a young age and never shy on their aromatic potential.
Tasted at the Domaine March 2020:
"Fruit from Brand Grand Cru. Pretty much a declassified second wine. Soils here are biotype pink granite. This wine comes from seven parcels: two planted 1947-49, three planted in the early 1980s, and two planted about 20yrs ago under biodynamics. New release. It seems like there’s a bit of bottle shock here. It’s rather muted at the moment. There is some fleshier fruit on the palate, and it is absolutely bone dry. Bitter fruits. Pithy. Smoky finish. ." AA
Grand Cru Brand overlooks the village of Turckheim where Dom. Zind-Humbrecht are based. These are special steep granite soils. 2014 was an absolutely phenomenal vintage for Brand. A wine of opulent aromas - white fruit, acacia, and a whiff of smoke. The wine coats the palate, revealing great depth, complexity, and length. Racy and dry on the finish. For keeping.
Rolly-Gassmann is a domaine like no other and has a unique style. It is located at Rorschwihr, a sleepy village on the northern rim of Haut-Rhin. The vineyards are located in Rorschwihr and the neighbouring Rodern and Bergheim. The wines are small masterpieces with very good definition. They all carry the signature of Rolly-Gassmann, a certain shameless, velvety sweetness. The fruit is rich and manages to balance the fruit with a vibrant acidity to form wines that melt on the palate.
Rolly-Gassmann is a domaine like no other and has a unique style. It is located at Rorschwihr, a sleepy village on the northern rim of Haut-Rhin. The vineyards are located in Rorschwihr and the neighbouring Rodern and Bergheim. The wines are small masterpieces with very good definition. They all carry the signature of Rolly-Gassmann, a certain shameless, velvety sweetness. The fruit is rich and manages to balance the fruit with a vibrant acidity to form wines that melt on the palate.
Lychee like. Fresh flavours, not overripe at all. Tasty. Very well judged residual sugar. Bright finish, excellent balance, surprisingly long. Very appealing.
The Osterberg Grand Cru dominates Ribeauvillé, the cillage next to Hunawihr. This marl-limestone and sandstone hillside favours Riesling. Discreet on the nose, it releases mineral notes with aeration, then fresh scents of elderflower and citrus fruits, lime in the lead. On the palate, it is lively and long, lemony and slightly salty. A racy wine, full of finesse. (Residual sugars: 6 g / l.)
Refreshing off-dry Riesling with plenty of acidity to balance it. Appealing elderflower and honeydew melon aromas. Peach and citrus fruitiness on the palate with zesty lime sherbet on the finish.
