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GERMANY
GE-2032. 20 WILTINGER RIESLING ALTE REBEN, WEINGUT NIK WEIS ST. URBANSHOF 92+/100 *
Wine Spectator 92/100. My notes: Est. 1947; vineyard on red slate, planted in 1905. A zinger. Racy, snappy Saar riesling, yet with a degree of softness Weis imbues to all his wines. He does not abide trocken. This is all about 2020, Weis, terroir, and old vines fruit density. Great balance. Watch it go and grow. As it did over the coming hours. Very popular with the group. 92+/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $23.99 each
GE-2033. 18 SCHARZHOF RIESLING, EGON MULLER (93/100)
2017: Wine Spectator 93: 'Enticing aromas of elderflower and saffron lead off, with an intriguing silky texture enveloping the apple, spice and mineral flavors of this white. Barely off-dry, this is harmonious and long, delivering a refreshing finish. A lovely sipper, but this would be a great complement to food as well. Drink now through 2029.'
How Many bottles/singles: $69.95 each
GE-2034. 18 SCHARZHOFBERGER GROSSE LAGE RIESLING KABINETT FEINHERB, REICHSGRAF VON KESSELSTATT 94/100
Von Kesselstatt owns over 20% of the vineyard. Well, that's statuesque. Grand Cru indeed. Feel the dry mineral extract in the nostrils! This has oomph! And beauty. And composure. Low key sweetness of feinherb. Deep mineral penetration. Moderate acidity--enough for decent balance. Quite the commanding riesling for the price. 94/100.
Dry and full Bockstein style. Lush fruit, Bockstein earthy basis. Really penetrates the nostrils. Oh, full of body, flavor, feel, richness. The consummate sweet-acid harmony. Yow. 93/100.
Whoa, so much spiel! It has a suggestion of Ruwer raciness in additional to the richer Mosel aspects. No prime terroir sophistication. Still, it's fair to call it slate born. Yes, vigorous acid race on the palate, especially for the vintage. Mealworthy, and certainly worth the tariff. 92/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $23.99 each
GE-2037. 20 MOSEL RIESLING MAXIMIN MAXIMIN GRUNHAUS, VON SCHUBERT 92+/100
From several parcels in the Mosel and Ruwer valleys recently acquired by the Von Schubert family; 16 g/l RS. Rather lush and gentle for Von Schubert. Shows the additional Mosel contributions. Still, there's plenty of cut and minerality to it. And plenty of acid to balance the light RS. Ample green fruit Ruwer take on riesling. Even a suggestion of horseradish, all to the positive. Bargain priced. 92+/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $19.99 each
GE-2038. 16 MOSEL ESTATE RIESLING DEVON, RICHARD BOCKING 91/100
At Trarbach. Good development and dryness. Good stage. Same. Even tempered. Nice acid ring. Dry. 91/100.
At Wincheringen, on the Upper Mosel. As bracingly fresh and stimulating as a whiff of bay rum. Has been compared to muscadet but more like gros plant. Wow. What relief!/ Oh, yes, brisk cubed. Not without a core of forgiveness though. Very, very long, surprisingly flavorful finish. 92/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $16.99 each
GE-2040. 20 MOSEL RIESLING MONCHHOF, ROBERT EYMAEL (91/100)
2018: Wine Enthusiast 91: 'Swathes of freshly cut herb and crushed slate extend from nose to palate in this exceptionally zippy, green-fruited wine. Off-dry and racy on the palate, it's a spine-tingling, lime-kissed sip that finishes with a tickle of effervescence. A joy to drink young but should hold well through 2024. $27.'
How Many bottles/singles: $17.99 each
GE-2041. 19 MOSEL RIESLING SPATLESE SLATE MONCHHOF, ROBERT EYMAEL (93/100)
Wine Enthusiast 93 - EDITORS' CHOICE: 'Intensely smoky notes of struck slate and salt introduce this true-to-form Mosel Riesling. An ode to minerality and luminous, piercing green apple, grapefruit and lime flavors, it's a feather-light yet lusciously fruity, delicately sweet sip that's drinking gorgeously young. $32.'
How Many bottles/singles: $28.99 each
GE-2042. 21 MOSEL ESTATE RIESLING OLD VINES, NIK WEIS - ST. URBANS-HOF 91+/100
Est. 1947; 40-60 year old vines; native yeasts. I like its overall cool, clear disposition. Seems less sweet than the Weis norm thanks to a cool vintage. Lovely, balanced mouthfeel. You're never going to get a trocken from Weis. 2021 acidity is pretty bracing though, and it extends the finish. Which is good. 91+/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $21.99 each
GE-2043. 20 MOSEL RIESLING KABINETT SINGLE POST, NIK WEIS 90/100
By the owner of St. Urbanshof at Leiwen; from a village next to Leiwen in the Mittel Mosel. Accurate Mosel riesling nose without the brilliance of one from a prime site. Agreeable, off dry Nik Weis style. Great acid; real riesling character, and should age well. 90/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $14.99 each
GE-2044. 19 MOSEL RIESLING FEINHERB, DR. H. THANISCH (90/100)
Wine Enthusiast 90: 'Staccato notes of caramelized honey and lime zest abound in this spine-tingling white. Just a hint off-dry in style, it's a zippy, electric shock of steel and acidity softened by flavors of pristine lemon, white grapefruit and green apple. A lovely sip to enjoy young. $17.'
2019: Wine Enthusiast 91: 'Delicate but perfumed, this deft, sprightly Riesling offers rich, concentrated pink grapefruit and white peach flavors etched by lime and steel. It's a juicy, thirst-quenching wine that's gobs of fun to drink young but should continue to drink beautifully through 2029.'
Pleasing village body and brown earth take on riesling. Nice bouquet forming at age five, short of excessive terpene. This works. Correctly kabinett sweet. Acid a little mild in 2018--not unexpected. Or it's still coated with the sweetness. Riesling and village reports echo on the aftertaste. 91+/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $15.99 each
GE-2047. 20 BERNKASTELER BADSTUBE RIESLING KABINETT, DR. THANISCH (93/100)
Wine Spectator 93 - TOP 100: 'Brilliant aromas of jasmine, peach, lime and slate mark this exuberant Riesling. Charming, harmonious and vibrant, with a long aftertaste echoing the fruit, floral and mineral notes. Drink now through 2028.'
How Many bottles/singles: $23.99 each
GE-2048. 15 BERNCASTELER DOCTOR RIESLING SPATLESE TROCKEN, DR. H. THANISCH (94/100)
Parker 94: 'The dry 2015 Berncasteler Doctor Riesling Spatlese trocken was aged on the lees until the end of August and opens with a clear, very deep and flinty bouquet with perfectly ripe and subtly intense Riesling flavors in the background. On the palate, this is a super fresh, impressively concentrated, very mineral and firmly structured Doctor that needs some years to age in the bottle. This 2015 is enormously complex and persistent and might be a challenge for most Mosel wine lovers, but it could be highly interesting for Molitor fans and lovers of tight and serious structured dry white wines. Drink 2023-2035. $58.'
2016: Shows the great extract of 2016. One of the best in the series. Yes, this has it all: sweetness, fruit, and flavor matched by acid, extract, grip, and full texture. 93+/100.
Parker 93: 'Predominantly from a 90-year-old plot and another that was re-planted in 1984, the 2014 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spatlese Feinherb Alte Reben is made from berries that were as big as peas and colored like copper. Intense and concentrated, yet also with very fine fruit and pip fruit aromas on the nose, this 11% bottling is round and silky textured on the palate, nicely concentrated and almost creamy; it is very mineral and long, and finishes with great finesse and stimulating salinity. This is a great and tension-filled Riesling of great elegance, finesse and intensity. A beauty and one of my favorites of the 2014 vintage. Drink now-2034.'
How Many bottles/singles: $25.99 each
GE-2051. 21 WEHLENER SONNENUHR RIESLING KABINETT FEINHERB, MAX FERDINAND RICHTER 91+/100
Vines up to 100 years old. Just the right feinherb acid/sweet spiel and balance. Flavors build with warming. And Sonnenuhr rieslling marks of peach, sweet citrus, and flowers. Latent; first class future. 91+/100.
Full sweetness of 15 and full tingle of a Studert riesling too. Classic like the 12 but with less development in both aromatics and textural fullness. With aeration, it becomes more bountiful, sporting a full fledged high spatlese lusciousness. It continues to sweet, tingle, and stimulate. The beauties of fully ripe fruit plus botrytis extras. Full concentration and great acidity and extract too. 94+/100.
Parker 93: 'The 2020 Zeltinger Schlossberg Kabinett offers a bright yet intense and finely flinty, very delicate bouquet of bright fruits and crushed/weathered slate. Lush and round but vital and bright on the palate, this is a highly delicate and saline, well balanced and juicy picture-book Kabinett. Superb! Drink now-2055.'
Wine Spectator 91: 'This features a multilayered texture, with mineral, fruit and floral notes and acidity all in harmony. Complex, but delivers pleasure. Long finish. Drink now through 2027.'
Est. 1967; 70-80 year old ungrafted vines; 70% steep, south-facing vineyard; Gold Kammerpreis - Rheinland-Pfalz. Light sulphur scratch. Spicy terroir statement of Wurzgarten gets through. A bright, lifted, and complex young Mosel auslese. More about vigor than sweetness. Sure the fruit is auslese ripe. Here, that leads more to concentration than richness. Yes, the acid is somewhat coated. Have no fear. This wine deserves its acclamations. Nothing but praise for this from attendees, who couldn't believe the great price. 92+/100.
Nostril etching acid and extract. Really zingy. Not especially Wurzgarten 'spicy'. More about texture than aroma. Certainly has fruit sweetness, but mineral extract is to the fore. The acid is a little coated in youth. This has plenty of presence and potential. 92+/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $17.99 each
GE-2057. 21 NAHE ESTATE RIESLING, DONNHOFF 91+/100
Predominantly from the Oberhauser Kieselberg and Felsenberg; volcanic soils of porphyry and melaphyr. At opening, not real forthcoming. A little sugar coated. Used to prefer the Trocken but can buy that special order case only now. Rallies with more flavor and acid on the palate. Still, remains less chiseled than the trocken. 91+/100. Developed better Donnhoff riesling stature with aeration. 'Long, balanced, classy', noted one attendee.
How Many bottles/singles: $25.99 each
GE-2058. 17 SCHLOSSBOCKELHEIMER KONIGSFELS RIESLING KABINETT, PAUL ANHEUSER 91/100
Est. 1627; a brewing ancestor emigrated to St. Louis; steep porphyry site, a monopole of Paul Anheuser. Sweet nose, taking on some resin. Overall, thoroughly Mittel Nahe style, volume, class. Kabinett sweetness level. Decent acidity. Flavorful and spot on for this wine at age four. Good deal. The group appreciated its balance, current appeal, and value. 91/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $14.99 each
GE-2059. 20 KREUZNACHER KRONENBERG RIESLING SPATLESE, ST. ANTONIUS 93/100
2017: Lovely extract and acid etches the nostrils. The aroma set is classic Kreuznacher riesling. Deep and sweet. Big time success in 2017 for this cuvee. Full flavored. Forward and abundant. Balance of sweetness and acidity. Best vintage of this in memory. 93/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $10.99 each
GE-2060. 20 KREUZNACHER KRONENBERG RIESLING AUSLESE, ST. ANTONIUS 92+/100
2016: Cool, even, brittle on the approach, with a ventilating flair. Deepens to Kreuznach riesling ripeness. Yes, terroir, etch, dignity. Sweet and also racy. The whole Kreuznach package. 92+/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $11.99 each
GE-2061. 17 BURG LAYER SCHLOSSKAPELLE SPATLESE, ST. ANTONIUS 89/100
Faint and pleasing fruit. A nice sense of crispness. Mild acidity. After all, it's not riesling. Modest flavor. Spatlese sweet. Agreeable. 89/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $9.99 each
GE-2062. 20 BURG LAYER SCHLOSSKAPELLE AUSLESE, ST. ANTONIUS 90+/100
2018: Vintage and quality grade give this one more substance than the 2017 spatlese, as well as sweetness. Valid auslese concentration, sweetness. Honey on the palate--nice. Mild acid again. However, this one suggests more capacity for improvement as it ages. 90+/100.
Dry, well structured, and smelling of tart cherry and cranberry. Dry and vinous. Well balanced presentation, eminently suitable for turkey and all the trimmings. 90+/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $16.99 each
GE-2064. 21 RHEINGAU RIESLING R, WEINGUT AUGUST KESSELER 91+/100
At Assmannshausen; est 1924; average vine age 25 years; from estate vineyards in the leading townships of Rheingau. Crisp, neat, lightly tangerine scented. Sussreserve still coating the brisk 2021 acidity to a degree. It emerges in the finish. Well constructed wine that will become fulfilled by summer. 91+/100. Attendees enjoyed this for both now and later. The acidity appears to have emerged more after aeration.
How Many bottles/singles: $19.99 each
GE-2065. 18 RHEINGAU RIESLING TRADITION, ROBERT WEIL (90/100)
Wine & Spirits 90; Wine Spectator 90: 'The 2018 Rheingau Riesling Trocken offers a shiny, bright and intense, wonderfully aromatic and coolish Rheingau Riesling nose with great precision and even flinty notes. Lush and fine, with good grip and great elegance, this is a remarkably fine and classic dry Rheingau Riesling in the reductive and linear Robert Weil style. Fabulous, really fabulous. Drink now-2027.'
Rheingau riesling apparent through a light sulphur veil. Aeration wisps the sulphur away and brings out fill varietal character. Yes, this is crisp and lifting, and terroir specific. Great acid and length. 91+/100.
2015: Est. 1866; Gold Preis - Hessen. Peach and orange blossom honey. Classic Rheingau riesling. Golden, rich, fully sweet spatlese. No baby fat. The sweetness is balanced by acid and extract. One of the best in this series. 93+/100.
Goldene Preizmunze - Land Hessen. Medium sweet and intense. Vintage? Youth? I'm looking for more, but maybe it's a stage. After all, it earned a gold medal. Well, more acid zing, more concentration of honey and flowers flavors than the nose suggested. Balanced and lusty and well posed after all. 94+/100.
9.5%. Wow, that's a full aromatic delivery! Round riesling stone fruits and great nasal etch as well. Rheingau riesling orange leanings. Kabinett sweetness level slightly coats the acid at this stage. Flavorful as well as aromatic. Enough acid carry to extend the finish. Best vintage of this yet. 91+/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $14.99 each
GE-2070. 20 JOHANNISBERGER KLAUS RIESLING AUSLESE, KRAYER 2++/100
Rheingau riesling peach and orange lurk behind a sulphur veil. And Auslese richness and concentration. Auslese fruit sweetness and intensity in nascent form. This has the skills to pay the bills, if you'll first loan it a few months in the cellar. 92++/100.
2015: Gold Medal - Franken. Young and fresh and brisk. Stimulating. Classic Franken stoniness. Perfect. Roundness and richness of the vintage. Full and generous. Wow! 93/100.
Gold Medal - Franken; est. 1591. Lightly nutty tone of pinot gris. Grows larger and broader with aeration. Rich is both flavor and texture. A good Franken take on the variety. Full and long aftertaste. 92/100.
Wow, mineral saturated riesling with just the right tinge of sprucy terpene. Full in the mouth. Not austerely dry. Balanced for food. Long aftertaste. 92/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $14.99 each
GE-2074. 15 ECHERNDORFER LUMP RIESLING STEILLAGE S SPATLESE, BRENNFLECK
A cross of portugieser and pinot noir, domina was developed in the 1920s but not released for commercial cultivation until the 1970s. This one is smooth, yummy, and very agreeable on the nose. Good combo of fruitiness and vinosity. True dryness without severity. A very nice take on a German rotwein, made for the table. 91/100.
Though there's still a vestige of SUS (sulphur under screwcap0, this is a much more expressive take than the bottle the tasting panel experienced hours after opening. Silvaner is a sulphur sponge. Body, nut, earth. Even more lucid on the palate. Softly trocken. Varietally explicit. Bravo. 91+/100.
Est. 1901 by 35 families; oldest wine cooperative in Franken; Gold Medal - Franken. The dry and subtle take of Main riesling. Softer and more aromatic than the nose suggests. High trocken, or mild acid in 2020. Aerate, then serve with light fare. Agreeable balance overall. 90+/100. A complex of terpenes began to emerge after aeration. Attendees were high on this wine.
How Many bottles/singles: $16.99 each
GE-2078. 18 RHEINHESSEN DORNFELDER EISWEIN, ANTON BIROTH half bottle 93/100
Winery at Schweppenhausen in the Nahe region SW of Bingen; 16% RS. Sweet cherry aroma of dornfelder in a very concentrated form. Full sweetness and definite ice wine's racy acidity. The acid brightness really takes this prosaic variety's aromatics to new heights. Bravo! 93/100.
Decent Hugelland Hessia riesling perked up by the superiority acid of a cold vintage. Yes, unusually racy for its terroir. Surprising flavor quality and intensity. Peach and citrus. Deal, and versatile dinner wine. 90/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $11.99 each
GE-2085. 19 RHEINHESSEN RIESLING, SCHAFER 91/100
Oh, this is very, very racy for Hessia riesling. That's Schafer! Pungent dry riesling extract basis without pandering fruit-flower airs. Dry but not austere. There's great acid plus a forgiving core. Delicious mealtime riesling. 91/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $14.99 each
GE-2086. 20 RHEINHESSEN RIESLING, TRULLO 91/100
Well, that's fresh and bright. Plenty of nasal vigor. Palate has bright acid and good riesling flavors--more like those of a Nahe. Good value. 91/100.
GE-2088. 18 NIERSTEINER HIPPING RIESLING SPATLESE, GEORG ALBRECHT SCHNEIDER 91+/100
Est. 1806; steep vineyard on red earth, one of Nierstein's best sites. A rightful Rheinfront riesling in stature and breeding. Peach and tangelo nuances of the site's rieslings. Properly spatlese sweet. Coated acidity in youth. A sense it will balance out with more bottle age. Flavorful, lasting finish gives further confidence. 91+/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $19.99 each
GE-2089. 20 NIERSTEINER SPIEGELBERG RIESLING SPATLESE, FRITZ WINDISCH 91+/100
Est. 1780; at Mommenheim, northwest of Nierstein; Spiegelberg is a grosslage on gentle terrain atop the steep Rheinfront escarpment. Pleasing and proper Spiegelberg riesling. Nose satisfies. Full spatlese sweetness. Some fruit and flowers form on the palate, which becomes more expressive than the nose. Moderate or coated 2020 acidity. I think this will age well mid term. 91+/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $16.99 each
GE-2090. 18 OPPENHEIMER RIESLING KABINETT, WEINGUT DR. HEYDEN 92/100
2016: Better than ever. Full fruit. Noteworthy Hessia riverside vineyards riesling aromatics of tangerine and nectarine. The sweetness is great, the acidity is great. More harmony and generosity than ever before. Long and juicy aftertaste. 92/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $12.99 each
GE-2091. 16 OPPENHEIMER RIESLING KABINETT, WEINGUT DR. HEYDEN 92/100
Better than ever. Full fruit. Noteworthy Hessia riverside vineyards riesling aromatics of tangerine and nectarine. The sweetness is great, the acidity is great. More harmony and generosity than ever before. Long and juicy aftertaste. 92/100.
A cool, slightly tart take on pinot. Light footed and rangy at the table. Palate confirms the sweet-tart pinot cool climate approach. Balanced and lengthy. 90/100.
Generations old family estate; inland from the Rhein between Worms and Nierstein; Gold Medal - Pfalz. The aromatic intensity of gewurztraminer. Really quite an abundant varietal set of rosewater and glycerin playing against ginger nip. Spatlese sweetness. Good acid for the variety. Expanded further with aeration. Popular with the group. Orders taken. 91/100.
Dry, stony, noble, above it all. Grosses Gewachs knockoff at a great price. Rivals the 2018. More sweetness than expected on the palate. Coats the acidity. Needs a few weeks. 92+/100. Tasted 8/10/21.
How Many bottles/singles: $21.99 each
GE-2096. 18 PFALZ ESTATE RIESLING DRY, DR. BURKLIN-WOLF 92+/100
From Wachenheim, Deidesheim, & Ruppertsberg vineyards. That's much 'newer' than the 2017 of late. Pfalz full, with plenty of dry extract. The terpenes are much more unformed. Opens will almost a sense of sweetness. Seems high 'trocken', not a surprise this vintage. I sense more flavor and texture interest to come. The group was high on this as well, and agreed with my assessment of its potential. 92+/100.
Local estate and cooperative combine efforts to produce this cuvee from an amphitheater of terraced vineyards first planted over 1000 years ago. There are almost 25 miles of hand-built stone walls within its 15 acre expanse, some of them part of a nature preserve. Lemberger, trollinger, regent; schwarzriesling. Fresh, upbeat, racy, variegating aroma set. This is really vigorous, entertaining, and pleasing. Lithe and lively, plenty flavorful. Good acid yet a tender core. Dry but not austere. Its own thing. No wonder Wurttembergers keep most of their wines to themselves! 91/100.
Oh, deep, sweet, forward, immediate. It's 16 vs 14, both fine but different in style. Really deep. Pushing the great ones we tasted last week. Cherry and peel. Packs lots in there. More than just alluring. Has material grip, character, depth, all. 92/100.
Well, this is in a different world compared to the norm, fuller, deeper, more significant. Perhaps some barrel influence. Rich, mouthfilling, flavorful, finely tannic. Ambitious; ageworthy. 92+/100.
At Kamptal. This is what it should be. Cool, medium bodied, accurately varietal. Again, the blue fruits, the varietal and regional levity and race. Even a hint of leather. Works. 91/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $14.99 each
GE-2105. 16 NIEDEROSTERREICH ZWEIGELT, WEINGUT HERMANN MOSER 92/100
Deep, rich blue and black fruits. Lots of fruit fulfillment and sense of body and richness. Earthy undertow. Forest floor: sur bois. Noble reduction. Melted tannins. Good acid. Put right to use. 92/100.
Yellow-green color of a malic wine. Indeed, fresh, lithe, and stimulating. Just right. Yes, great acidity. Perfectly accurate flavor set. Vital and refreshing all around. 91/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $14.99 each
GE-2107. 21 NIEDEROSTERREICH GRUNER VELTLINER, WEINGUT FRANZ ETZ liter 92/100
2014: Ideal apple and legume gruve aroma set. Full and nostril swelling. Rich and round, with a good splash of acid. Tangy follow through. Ideal gruve feels and flavors. 92/100.
From the domaine's scattered terraced parcels too small to be bottled under a single vineyard name; 'federspiel' is derived from falconry. Wachau full and classy. 2021 crisp. More legume than apple. The nose carries and endures. More apple on the palate, along with lima. Fills the mouth with flavor and texture. The acidity is extra special in 2021. Long and well balanced. Totally satisfies at this stage. 92/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $23.99 each
GE-2111. 21 KAMPTAL RIED HASEL GRUNER VELTLINER, BIRGIT EICHINGER (93/100)
2019: Wine Enthusiast 93 - EDITORS' CHOICE: 'Wet pebble and lemon on the nose are shy and subtle. It is on the palate that the salty, savory crushed herb sensations unfurl. There is crushed yarrow and sage dissolved in lemon purity and edged with salty yeast. This is sleek, concentrated, taut and brimming with flavor.'
How Many bottles/singles: $19.99 each
GE-2112. 21 KAMPTAL GOBELSBURGER GRUNER VELTLINER, SCHLOSS GOBELSBURG 92/100
Est. 1171; from vines under 20 years old in the best sites: Lamm, Grub, Renner. A large charge of gruve apple and legume and no brimstone. Kamptal gruner up river and up scale class, styling. Particularly good acid in 2021. Textbook gruner. 92/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $19.99 each
GE-2113. 21 KREMSTAL GRUNER VELTLINER PER DUE, HERMANN MOSER 91/100
2019: That's fresh and full and good. Bright as well as rich. Gruner apple and legume concentration as well as this cuvee's usual lift. Palate adds lime to the flavor set. Bright and brisk. Good plumpness and softness as well as acid ring. 91/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $16.99 each
GE-2114. 21 KREMSTAL GRUNER VELTLINER, WEINGUT STADT KREMS 91/100
Crisp and racy in 2021. Good green gruve stuff. Fully stuffed with varietal character. Good price. 91/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $17.99 each
GE-2115. 20 KREMSTAL WEINBERGE GRUNER VELTLINER, WEINGUT TURK 92/100
Rich aroma. Full and expressive. Impressive. Class. Ample. Spreading. 92/100.
2018: Apple and lentil aromas. Cool, crisp, ideal. Nice green apple malic bite and high minerality. Spot on. 91/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $17.99 each
GE-2117. 21 WAGRAM GRUNER VELTLINER, WEINGUT JOSEF BAUER 91/100
Geez, this is really concentrated. The aroma is still a bit introverted. All is present all the same. Fresh, crisp 2021 acidity. The flavors are as fully concentrated as the aromas. Bravo. 91/100.
Wine & Spirits 92 - BEST BUY: 'While this region east of Vienna is more known for red wines, Walter Glatzer pulled off an impressive gruner veltliner from the loess-rich soils of his organically farmed vineyards. It's silky, full and fresh, a hint of slatey minerality under the pineapple fruit. And the acidity remains vivacious for days after opening. $18.'
2019: Usually relatively soft and perfumed thanks to its balmy origin, this 2019 is exceptionally so. Ah, but there's good acid bite on the palate. Wine of place. People pleasing too. 90/100.
A very racy riesling, especially from an early harvest year. There's a plump center too. And discreetly and finely rendered varietal aromatics. Yes, racy, flavorful,. Wachau riesling specific. What spiel, vigor! 92+/100.
2020: A very racy riesling, especially from an early harvest year. There's a plump center too. And discreetly and finely rendered varietal aromatics. Yes, racy, flavorful,. Wachau riesling specific. What spiel, vigor! 92+/100.
Wine Enthusiast 92: 'Fragrant hints of bergamot and Seville orange play enticingly on the nose of this beguiling wine. The palate amplifies those juicy, tart and lively flavors, sending them dancing into the finish. It's fresh, fruit-driven, dry and utterly moreish.'
How Many bottles/singles: $18.99 each
GE-2123. 21 KAMPTAL RIESLING TROCKEN, SCHLOSS GOBELSBURG 92/100 *
2020: Est. 1171; mainly from Gaisberg and Heiligenstein; vines under 15 years old. Yes, that's it. Kamptal riesling dryness, form, lack of prominent stone fruit and flowers perfume. They're there; very subtle. Delicious fruit/acid balance. Lack of sweetness but not of roundness. Has it all together in an Austrian riesling context. Ready for the table. With aeration, the aromatics broadened and intensified, to the positive. Very popular with the group. 92/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $23.99 each
GE-2124. 20 KREMSTAL WEINBERGE RIESLING, WEINGUT TURK 92/100
Fine riesling. Upscale. Proper dryness, intensity, profile. Even more riesling flavor than aroma, and an attractive Austrian take it is. Just a bare suggestion of sweetness. Adequate acid to foil. Comes on; very tasty. 92/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $24.99 each
GE-2125. 18 NIEDEROSTERREICH GELBER MUSKATELLER, WEINGUT HERMANN MOSER 92/100
400 year old estate; from the Neubruch Steinernes Meer vineyard; same variety as muscat a petits grains;. Certainly distinct from the Med France takes. More lime and peel, and a special zestiness. Very vigorous, garrulous at this stage. The flavors are equally intense, rangy, entertaining. Good balance of acid and varietal tenderness too. Very long, flavorful finish. One of the best gelbers I've tasted. One panelist suggested Indian or Thai food. Sounds good to me. 92/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $14.99 each
GE-2126. 17 NIEDEROSTERREICH GELBER MUSKATELLER, HERMANN MOSER 92/100
Spot on varietal character with pointed citric edge. Lime and soft tropical fruits. Scores once again. 92/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $14.99 each
SWITZERLAND
GE-2128. 20 MONT SUR ROLLE LA COTE CHASSELAS L'ALPAGE, SOC. COOP. PROVINS 92/100
Aka fendant; from Valais; 25 year old vines at 500-750 meters' elevation. Crisp, bracing high altitude chasselas with good aromatic surge and wide ranging mealtime apps. Cool, racy, and even more delightfully aromatic from aeration than the bottle I tasted at opening for my weekly panel. The real deal. Flavor is equally accurate and intense. Yes, and showing a pleasing soft center now. Perfect poise, perfect pitch. Lingers. So glad to have a fresh, affordable Swiss wine in the market. A great introduction. Welcome to the market! 92/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $19.99 each
HUNGARY
GE-2130. 19 EGRI MERLOT, WEINHAUS KFT 91/100
2018: Rightly sweet, especially this vintage. And enough acid to balance the sweetness. A treat for lovers of sweet red table wines. 91/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $9.99 each
GE-2131. 17 EGRI BIKAVER BULL'S BLOOD, EGERVIN 91/100
The original Bulls Blood; barrel aged. This is unique too, thanks to the varietal set. Full, ripe, giving. Wow, great acid too. Take it to the table for goulash, paprikash, plus. 91/100.
Garagiste winemaker; 50% kekfrankos, 21% cab franc, 21% merlot, 8% kadarka; aged 22 months in seasoned Hungarian oak barrels. Denser and darker fruited than last week's kadarka. No surprise. Skillfully rendered. Far superior to the bulk produced Egri Bikavers on the market. Yes, fruit coordination and fruit flair. Plenty of flavor. Very satisfying. 91/100.
Garagiste' brother and sister team; from old vines; mainstay red variety of southern Hungary for centuries; first kadarka in the market for decades. Pleasing crispness of a central European red varietal. Dry and vinous. Red raspberry notions. Very dry indeed. Not long on aroma and flavor. The acid and texture request table service. Extended after-texture. 90/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $16.99 each
GE-2134. 20 HAJOS-BAJA BLAUFRANKISCH DONAUSONNE, MINOSEGA VOROS BOR 92/100
2014: Medium carmine. Lithe, sweet, fruity, fresh, ideal. Sweet and easy. 10.5%. Couldn't be more come hither. Just right, lithe, racy acid. Berry-cherry taste and aftertaste. Best version of this ever. 92/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $14.99 each
GE-2135. 17 TOKAJI FURMINT, EVOLUCIO 92/100
Ideal character and quality. Honey and acacia. Yes, body, character, extract, and flavor clarity of furmint. At an ideal stage too. Tells the tale. 92/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $11.99 each
GE-2136. 16 TOKAJI FURMINT LATE HARVEST, EVOLUCIO half bottle 93+/100
Honey and golden citrus. Insistent, lasting. Wow! Big surge of aromas. Palpable. Yes, sweetness, acid, grip. Full late harvest furmint delivery short of aszu botrytis. 93+/100.
Nutty, leesy, chalky, sweet. Pollen and old honey. Palate sweet and peachy as well as echoing the entire aromatic complex. Sweeter and more powerful than the beerenauslese, so this was definitely the right tasting order. 96+/100.
Wine Spectator 92: 'This is like a fresh lemon, with puckering acidity and roasted almond, orange peel, butterscotch and lemon candy flavors. The high level of sweetness is matched by bracing acidity. Lingers on the palate for what seems like minutes.'
How Many bottles/singles: $89.95 each
GE-2141. 17 TOKAJI LATE HARVEST, ROYAL TOKAJI WINE COMPANY half liter (93/100)
Wine Enthusiast 93; Tasting Panel 94: 'Scents of orange blossom; fresh and bright, with a creamy texture and crisp flavors of apricot and orange. Sweet but balanced, with just enough tangy acidity.'
How Many bottles/singles: $21.99 each
GE-2142. 17 TOKAJI ASZU 5 PUTTONYOS RED LABEL, ROYAL TOKAJI WINE CO. half liter (93/100)
Wine Enthusiast 93: 'Dark amber in the glass, this Tokaj Aszú has aromas of honeycomb, jasmine and freesia. In the mouth are intense flavors of ripe yellow peach and dried apricot.'
How Many bottles/singles: $59.95 each
ROMANIA
PSI-2758. 20 CRAMELE RECAS LEGENDARY ESTATE SERIES ROMANIA CHARDONNAY 90/100
Now that the Russian market has dried up, Romania is focusing on Western Europe and American consumers, while re-styling its table wines to their liking. Spot on appley chardonnay character unencumbered by barrel complications. Clear as a bell varietal character. Good acidity and overall balance. At the table, one glass invites another. 90/100.