Leitz out

Leitz 2002 Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg Riesling Spätlese Trocken (Rheingau) – The ever-so-slight touch of cream is a little surprising in this wine, given that it’s so young, but it works wonders in terms of textural cohesion. Everything else is still primary…gravel and dried white flowers, weight and presence, steel under lidded eyes. Surprisingly approachable, and yet nowhere near what it will become. (9/10)

Henry

Prinz von Hessen 1999 Winkeler Hasensprung Riesling Auslese 018 00 (Rheingau) – Creamy and well into its dark copper stage. In other words, much older than it probably should be, but not showing apparent damage as a result, only mature lusciousness and ambered sweetness. Completely spherical, without any sort of interior void. I admit to being surprised by this wine, and in a very pleasant way. (2/11)

Expensive balls

Karl Joh. Molitor 2008 Hattenheimer Riesling Spätlese 0013 09 (Rheingau) – Heavy, sticky (this feels far sweeter than it probably is), ponderous, dull. Really uninteresting. (10/10)

When the Lietz go down in the city

Lietz 2002 Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Auslese 005 03 (Rheingau) – 500 ml. Alcohol, gasoline, and burnt apple. Burnt bark. Burnt iron. Did someone light a fire in here, or are we just having a sale on sulfur? And is that grey rot? Stewed garbage finishes it off. Weird, and in no possible universe can this be called good, or even drinkable. Hopefully, it’s just the bottle or a stage, because…ugh. (5/10)

Fired Golf Channel interviewers

Kesseler 2005 Lorcher Schlossberg Riesling Kabinett 009 05 (Rheingau) – Riesling on fire, and I don’t mean that in a qualitative way; if a wine at this fairly low alcohol level can be said to have a little excess burn, this would be a top candidate. Along with the heat comes the inevitable weight, and this is far from the balance it would need to show its ripe, steel-jacketed apple and walnut character in any sort of presentable form. (10/09)

Left in the Lorch

Kesseler 2004 Lorcher Schlossberg Riesling Kabinett 009 05 (Rheingau) – Fruit salad (mostly peach and pineapple, with some crisper stuff lurking), yet not lurid, just approachable. Sweet cream, a few liquefied rocks, but definitely more about its fruit than its minerality or structure. Acidity is more apparent later on. Big. There might be (some) future here. (5/09)

Marcobrunn polo

Schloss Schönborn 2005 Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Kabinett 019 06 (Rheingau) – Extremely sweet, with wet acidity; this could be an auslese by its character, though it wouldn’t be a very good one, because it lacks much aside from the basic fact of its structure and a swoosh of tropicality. The problem is that it’s not a very good kabinett either; even by modern standards, it’s hellishly large. Only by ignoring classifications can the wine’s actual appeal be assessed…and there, it’s tasty enough. Maybe age will help, but I suspect not all that much of it. (4/09)

Left in the Lorch

Kesseler 2004 Lorcher Schlossberg Riesling Kabinett 009 05 (Rheingau) – Open and taking huge, lung-filling breaths of reflective, almost transparent minerality. It’s not a big wine, though it’s insistent, with various apples cut by nut skins and then, later, softened by a certain roundness to the acidity. Interesting. (4/09)

The perfect club

Kesseler 2005 White 001 06 (Rheingau) – 70% sylvaner, 30% riesling. Less (appealingly) vegetal than many examples of the grape, with a little bit of a sharp edge that may be from the riesling, but retaining the clingier texture of the majority partner. There’s a bit of welcome rockiness, as well. A good value, though I think similarly-priced pure rieslings are a little more defined. (4/09)

Rottland hum

Leitz 2007 Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Spätlese Trocken “Alte Reben” (Goldkapsel) 014 08 (Rheingau) – Tastes Austrian, in a diffident sort of way. Not particularly precise, but instead rather creamy, with intensity and power both present and in reserve. A solid block of riesling. Let it age. (12/08)

Georgetown, BC, St. Joe's...

Spreitzer 2007 Winkeler Jesuitengarten Riesling Spätlese 025 08 (Rheingau) – Light petroleum and smoky coal (get some uranium in there, and this wine will have quite the power-generating capacity), plus sweet banana. Ripe, with great acidity (thankfully, since the wine is very sweet). The finish sorta lingers, but doesn’t really develop. Still, there’s a lot to like here. (12/08)

Bury your head

Spreitzer 2007 Oestricher Lenchen Riesling Kabinett 028 08 (Rheingau) – Tropical (guava, mango) and floral, counterpointed by a slightly sour yogurt aroma. Fair acidity. This wine makes a big, attention-getting announcement of its presence, but doesn’t really follow through on the trumpeting. It’s good, though, and the finish lingers for a little while. (12/08)

Summer Rheingau

Küntsler 2005 Pinot Noir (Rheingau) – Chilly clay and dark soil, with good balance. (2/08)

Maxed out

Kesseler 2002 Spätburgunder “Cuvée Max” (Rheingau) – Dill and wood, beet and cherry. Simple and too intense; it’s striking, but that’s all. Disappointing. (2/08)

Vait a Weil

Weil 2005 “Estate” Dry Riesling (Rheingau) – Very concentrated, intense, aggressive, and dry at the finish. Slate and paper. (2/07)