Nice time at Sorella last night. Nice wines as well.
The Chronicle Wine Selections: 2006 German Spatlese, Auslese and Beerenauslese Riesling
Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle Staff Writer
Friday, April 25, 2008
Last week, we provided German QbA and Kabinett Riesling recommendations. This week's
recommendations - Spatlese, Auslese and Beerenauslese (BA) - are riper, sweeter and
weightier. Some can be weighty but dry and usually carry a halbtrocken (half-dry) or
trocken (dry) designation.
The Spatlese and Auslese the panel tasted from the 2006 vintage seem to be from wonderful
fruit of more even ripeness and excellent, more consistent quality than the QbAs and
Kabinetts.
The panel tasted 37 wines in these three progressively riper categories, recommending 20,
with more than half racking up three stars or better. No Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA), the
top level in the ripe, rare category, were submitted for our tasting.
With concentrated fruit and stunning acidity, Spatlese and Auslese Rieslings are generally
affordable and long-lived. They are lovely to have with a meal or on their own. If you
ever have an opportunity to try a BA or TBA, consider yourself fortunate and enjoy the
experience.
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Erben von Beulwitz Kaseler Nies'chen Alte Reben
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Spatlese ($22) A fuller, riper wine with a slightly muted nose that opens
to soft pear, golden apple and quince aromas with sorrel, lime zest and citrus acidity on
palate. Rich but somewhat racy; layered and complex. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines)
Rating: FOUR STARS 2006 Erben von Beulwitz Kaseler Nies'chen Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Beerenauslese ($170/375 ml) An exotic wine. Aromas of syrupy honeycomb, dried fruit -
apple, apricot and papaya - with hints of pencil lead and diesel. Explosive apricot, dried
pineapple and surging acidity on the unctuous palate. Superb definition and grip with
great structure and balance. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines)
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Hexamer Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Eisendell Nahe Spatlese
($27) Crushed rose, sandalwood, cassis, spiced apple and lime zest fragrances on the dark,
stony nose. A firm, slightly honeyed approach on the palate with round mineral on the
pitch-perfect finish. (Importer: Terry Theise Selection/Michael Skurnik )
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 von Hovel Scharzhofberg Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Spatlese ($22) Exotic
and zingy with Anjou pear, apricot, floral and dried plum aromas; dark mineral, gravel and
galvanizing acidity to match the dense texture. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines)
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 von Hovel Kanzemer Horecker Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Auslese ($63) Golden
with beeswax, granite, lurid apricot, rich nectarine and rambutan aromas. Similar flavors
plus hint of caramel corn; unctuous, almost thick mouthfeel. Balanced with galvanizing
acidity. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines)
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Josef Rosch Trittenheimer Apotheke Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Spatlese
($26) Fresh and balanced, rich but still racy, with focused lemon-lime, roses, honey and
pineapple aromas. Juicy fruit is dense on the palate; zippy acidity and mineral notes
complete it. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines)
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Keller Westhofener Kirchspiel Rheinhessen Spatlese Goldkapsel
($50) "Goldkapsel" or gold capsule - indicates a producer's
"extra-good" wine with an actual gold-colored foil capsule around the neck of
the bottle. Delicate floral, chervil, apricot, citrus rind and honey aromas with hint of
petrol. Very intense, concentrated palate that shows some botrytis - white nectarine,
Asian pear, ripe honeyed apricot and mineral. Complex and elegant. (Importer: Dee Vine
Wines)
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Kerpen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Mosel Artist Label Spatlese*
($33) Stars or asterisks on a label is a producer's special designation, which is not
regulated by German wine law. While it varies from producer to producer, an increasing
number of stars generally indicates a greater ripeness level from the standard bottling -
two star is riper than a one star. Stone fruit and tangerine peel with a hint of green
herb on the nose with some sulfur dioxide present. Softer palate of sweet caramel with a
ripe fruit finish. (Importer: Terry Theise Selection/Michael Skurnik)
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Dr. Loosen BA Mosel Beerenauslese ($25/187 ml) This is a great
way to test the Beerenauslese waters at a relatively modest price for an unusual offering,
a blend of multiple vineyard sites, which is rare for a BA. Fresh herb, rose, green
papaya, lime, dense honeyed nectar and mineral/slate on nose and palate. Though dense and
viscous, it maintains freshness and vibrancy with a surprisingly racy finish. (Importer:
Loosen Bros.)
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Markus Molitor Zeltinger Himmelreich Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Beerenauslese ($100/375 ml) Orange blossom, acacia honey, persimmon, cinnamon apple and
slate aromas. Honey and tropical notes dominate but are tempered with mineral and a
delicious, bright, slightly syrupy finish. (Importer: Schmitt Sohne)
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Auslese**
($60) Subtle nose of lime, apricot, clover honey, petrol and mineral. Intense papaya,
dried apricot and beeswax flavors on the palate, which is a touch on the dry side. Lovely
grapefruit peel balances the haunting finish. (Importer: Schmitt Sohne)
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Spatlese ($30) Ripe, rich, full nose of rose, red apple and honey wrapped in mineral.
Palate starts with a racy, sharp mineral twang then finishes with honey and bright apple
and its skin; slightly spritzy. (Importer: Schmitt Sohne)
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Peter Geiben Karlsmuhle Kaseler Nies'chen
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Auslese ($60) Rich, ripe nose of peach skin, navel orange, dark mineral
and hints of wax. The buoyant palate is more compelling - crisp orange peel, stony notes
with moderate botrytis and honeyed richness, and almost mouthwatering acidity. (Importer:
Terry Theise Selection/Michael Skurnik)
Rating: THREE AND A HALF STARS 2006 Prinz Hallgartener Jungfer Rheingau Spatlese
Goldkapsel ($39/375ml) Subtle petrol, freshly zested lime, pineapple and dried peach
aromas; vibrant, focused palate of apricot, ripe pear, green apple and rose hip with rigid
mineral underpinning and a racy, long finish. (Importer: Dee Vine Wines)
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Schloss Vollrads Rheingau Spatlese ($29.50) Rich nose of
pineapple, apple and ripe peach with a white mineral underpinning. Sweet fruit flavors
have buoyancy and kick; long, intense midpalate with guava on the slightly fading finish.
(Importer: Dee Vine Wines)
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Schmitges Erdener Treppchen Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Auslese**
($28.50/500 ml) Aromas of wet stone, tangerine and a slight fiery note akin to cinnamon
and gasoline. Baked apple, lemon zest, tangerine and intensely sweet peach flavors knit
together with intense acidity; subtle grainy texture on the refined finish. (Importer: Dee
Vine Wines)
Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Seebrich Niersteiner Hipping Rheinhessen Auslese ($23) Moderate
length and complexity, clean and straightforward with zesty tangerine, pomelo, pineapple
and peach aromas and flavors. Firm mineral palate. (Importer: Winesellers)
Rating: THREE STARS 2006 Selbach-Oster Wehlener Sonnenuhr Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Spatlese ($32)
Ripe apple, quince, loam, apricot and clover honey on nose. Fresh, nectar-driven palate
that is rich yet not overly extracted; lovely backbone of minerally acidity. (Importer:
Terry Theise Selection/Michael Skurnik)
Rating: TWO AND A HALF STARS 2006 Dr. H. Thanisch Berncasteler Doctor Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
Auslese ($60/375 ml) A lovely bit of earthiness and paraffin underscore strawberry, dried
apricot, dried papaya and apricot cream notes on the nose. A softer palate with lots of
honey - almost Sauternes-like - but acidity picks up on the finish. (Importer:
Winesellers)
Rating: TWO STARS 2006 Theo Minges Gleisweiler Holle Pfalz Spatlese ($27) With 11.5
percent alcohol, this is a drier style wine but lacks a trocken designation on the label.
Citrus, white peach and honeycomb aromas; leaner palate with bright acidity and long,
citrusy finish. (Importer: Terry Theise Selection/Michael Skurnik)
Panelists include: Lynne Char Bennett, Chronicle staff writer and wine coordinator; Jon
Bonné, Chronicle wine editor; Larry Stone, general manager, Rubicon Estate. For more
recommended wines, go to
sfgate.com/wine.
Key:
FOUR STARS: Extraordinary
THREE STARS: Excellent
TWO STARS: Good
Editor's note: As of last week, The Chronicle Wine Selections is listing the
importers for all imported wines that we recommend. Not all wines may be carried by your
local retailers, but we hope this added information will help to track them down. Please
share your thoughts with us at wine@
sfchronicle.com.
- Lynne Char Bennett
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/25/WI2P107PP7.DTL
This article appeared on page F - 6 of the San Francisco Chronicle
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