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GERMANY
GE-2024. 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-2025. 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-2026. 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-2029. 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-2030. 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.
11.5%; at Wincheringen, on the Upper Mosel. The wine's up to its story. Seckel pear and wet stone. Racy and seemingly gulpable. Add grapefruit and pith. More tenderness to the 21 than the 19, which is the opposite of what I would expect. Plenty good acid though, tart and zingy through the finish. Balanced. Quaffable indeed. So many options at the brunch-lunch-appetizer-main course tables. And the de rigueur modest alcohol. I think I'm going to have a second pour. 92/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $16.99 each
GE-2032. 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-2033. 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.'
Among the oldest, ungrafted vines in the Mosel; blauschiefer = blue slate. Very brisk, mineral saturated. Oh, boy, I'm getting the message at first sniff. Touch of tenderness and stone fruit flavor. Still this is more about terroir, old vines, and low yields. Throwback to great Mosel rieslings of yore..and I mean well before my time. 93+/100. Generally liked; WOTN for one. Many impressions: herbs, hay, apricot, gummy bears. Super oak-sensitive attendee thought he found it, though the wine is aged in very large, very old cooperage.
How Many bottles/singles: $25.99 each
GE-2036. 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-2037. 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. Agreeable, off dry Nik Weis style. Great acid; real riesling character, and should age well. Good value. 90+/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $14.99 each
GE-2038. 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.'
GE-2041. 20 BERNKASTELER BADSTUBE RIESLING KABINETT FEINHERB, WWE DR. THANISCH 92/100
Erben Thanisch. Nose carries village, vineyard, vintage, and age characteristics. Perfect pitch, really. On the high side of sweetness for feinherb, balanced by the style's good acidity--exceptionally good for the vintage. Classic green-grape Bernkastel flavor. 92/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $23.99 each
GE-2042. 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-2043. 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-2046. 22 WEHLENER SONNENUHR RIESLING KABINETT FEINHERB, MAX FERDINAND RICHTER 91+/100
2021: 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.
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.'
How Many bottles/singles: $26.99 each
GE-2049. 22 URZIGER WURZGARTEN RIESLING SPATLESE, WEINGUT C. H. BERRES
How Many bottles/singles: $24.99 each
GE-2050. 21 URZIGER WURZGARTEN RIESLING KABINETT, WEINGUT KARL ERBES
How Many bottles/singles: $14.99 each
GE-2051. 20 URZIGER WURZGARTEN RIESLING SPATLESE, WEINGUT KARL ERBES
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.
GE-2056. 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-2057. 22 NAHE RIESLING TROCKEN, WEINGUT EMRICH-SCHONLEBER 92+/100
2021: Sleek upper Nahe styling so, yeah, it's not going to be as 'lavish' as Donnhoff. Filigree riesling presentation; a wine of place and producer. Unusual pineapple aspect on the palate. Great acid, so a wine of vintage too. Totally confident and coordinated. Will retain its fresh demeanor for years. 92+/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $27.99 each
GE-2058. 22 NAHE RIESLING TROCKEN, WEINGUT KRUGER-RUMPF
How Many bottles/singles: $19.99 each
GE-2059. 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-2060. 21 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-2061. 22 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-2062. 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-2063. 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-2065. 20 RHEINGAU RIESLING, WINZ. ERBACH liter
How Many bottles/singles: $19.99 each
GE-2066. 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-2067. 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.
2019: 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-2072. 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.
How Many bottles/singles: $21.99 each
GE-2073. 20 WALLUFER RIESLING TROCKEN, WEINGUT J. J. BECKER liter 92/100 *
Dainty, enticing, totally together, quaffable liter take on riesling. The scent grows with aeration. Well balanced. Not starkly trocken. Just the right riesling flavor intensity to keep it rangy at the table. Long, savory, delicious aftertaste. 92/100. This showed more terpenes after aeration, which turned off some attendees. Others enjoyed the 'petrol, cedar, spruce, evergreen' aromatics.
How Many bottles/singles: $29.99 each
GE-2074. 20 WALLUFER WALKENBERG RIESLING SPATLESE TROCKEN J. B. BECKER, WEINGUT J. J. BECKER 93+/100 *
Runs deeper, more concentrated, less revealing than the kabinett. Aeration brings more aromatic spread. Better to wait a while on this one. Clearly extra material here. Great acidity again, and juice. But less forthcoming, less revealing. 93+/100. These give us suggestions of why great Rheingau rieslings of the late 19th century commanded prices equal to Bordeaux Premier Crus. And these aren't even from prime terroir. Opened up after two hours and generally preferred by attendees as the 'more-ish' of the two. The need for more cellar time observed also. Orders taken.
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.
How Many bottles/singles: $14.99 each
GE-2077. 15 ECHERNDORFER LUMP RIESLING STEILLAGE S SPATLESE, BRENNFLECK
2019: Though there's still a vestige of SUS (sulphur under screwcap), 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.
Splashy as well as sweet. Good effort with non riesling varieties. Yeah, there's a freshness to the acidity that is uncommon in this genre. Balanced, and good now or later. 93/100.
More golden than the BA. This one's really thick. Less aromatic development even at two years older. Latent. Wow, that botrytis polleny grip. Acid almost fully coated. Will surely reward aging. 96+/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $47.99 each
GE-2083. 20 RHEINHESSEN RIESLING CAT BOTTLE RED half liter
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-2088. 20 RHEINHESSEN RIESLING, SCHAFER 91/100
2019: 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-2089. 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-2091. 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-2092. 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-2093. 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-2094. 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.
Fifth generation winegrowing brothers at Bockenheim in northern Pfalz; native yeasts. Wisp of sulphur upon opening, but it's not messing much with the green-fruit pinot blanc character of the nose. Lovely texture as well as green pear and apple character of the variety. Builds, lengthens, lingers. A delicious example that's a bargain in liter ($14 bottle equivalent). 92/100.
Est. 1718; a founding member of VDP; native yeasts. Light SUS upon opening. It can't hide the exceptional purity and finesse of this bottling in the 2021 vintage. Seems more northern than Pfalz thanks to the cool vintage. Fairly high trocken buffers the 2021 acidity nicely. Flavorful, balanced. A really well crafted effort. Table ready. 92/100. Free of sulphur two hours later, it proved popular with attendees. 'Will meet many happy drinkers.'
How Many bottles/singles: $23.99 each
GE-2100. 20 PFALZ RIESLING TROCKEN, DR. BURKLIN-WOLF 92/100
Est. 1597; from Wachenheim, Deidesheim, and Ruppertsberg vineyards. While there are suggestions of SO2 and terpenes bracketing the core riesling character, they cannot conquer its Bakhmut fortitude. It's Pfalz riesling too, full of dried fruits and grains, even nuts. Trail mix, sweet-meal. Yes, 'power' at 12%, body, structure, texture, dryness. Lasting finish. Though customers stuck with the 2018 over the multi years it was on the market, I found the terpenes growing a little strong, and I welcome this 2020 successor. 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. A proper black fruit amalgam with ripeness indicative of vintage and region. Yes, now reflects its varietal range, which is coordinated and provides satisfying richness. Lots of meal time apps here. 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.
What a beautiful, dark red violet color!/ Fresh, sweet, invigorating and intense varietal aroma. Bravo. Dash of sandalwood. Sweet, round, peppery, flavorful, lasting. A good approach with zweigelt. High trocken. Good acid. 91/100.
2017: 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: $15.99 each
GE-2111. 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.
Oh so FRESH and lifting, Pure. Not apple, not legume; just GRUNER. Well balanced. Total clarity. Just a mindless GRUVE! 92/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $15.99 each
GE-2113. 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.
2021: 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-2117. 22 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-2118. 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: $21.99 each
GE-2119. 21 KREMSTAL GRUNER VELTLINER PER DUE, WEINGUT HERMANN MOSER 92/100
11.5%. Oh, that's subtle, accurate; in fact, perfect. Yes, lays just right on the palate. Defines Kremstal gruner. 92/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $16.99 each
GE-2120. 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-2121. 20 KREMSTAL WEINBERGE GRUNER VELTLINER, WEINGUT TURK 92/100
Rich aroma. Full and expressive. Impressive. Class. Ample. Spreading. 92/100.
Great apple-legume aromatic intensity. Great acid, juiciness, balance. Food wine. Quaffer. 91/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $17.99 each
GE-2123. 22 WAGRAM GRUNER VELTLINER, WEINGUT JOSEF BAUER 91/100
2021: 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.
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-2128. 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-2129. 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.
Extraordinarily focused, pointed, cool climate sauvignon nose. Unique. Lemony. Yes, in cool 2021, this is an off the charts rep of the region's sauvignon. Couldn't be racier, juicy, more mouthwatering. 93/100.
How Many bottles/singles: $27.99 each
SWITZERLAND
GE-2132. 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-2134. 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-2135. 19 EGRI BIKAVER BULL'S BLOOD, EGERVIN 91/100
The original Bulls Blood; barrel aged. This is unique, 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: $17.99 each
GE-2138. 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.
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-2144. 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-2145. 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-2774. 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.