I had the privilege to be invited to a friend's house, where he offered a delicious array of Korean tacos (fried shrimp was the Filling of the Night, but the Carnitas were no slouch either).
Accompanying the tacos were most of Max Kilburg’s 2022 Rieslings (we didn't have the ‘22 Geierslay Kabinett).
Going from Trocken to Spatlese, it was interesting to see how the wines communicated their vineyards of origins: Goldtropfchen seemed consistently riper and more fruit-forward while Ohligsberg tended to be more angular, mineral, and airier. Ohligsberg (for my palate) outperformed Goldtropfchen until we got to the Spatleses; perhaps the dry-extract and the comparative generosity of the fruit in the Goldtropfchen played nicer with the extra residual sugar while Ohligsberg’s leanness made its Spatlese taste sweeter in comparison (or maybe the Ohligsberg Spatlese just had more RS). Not really sure.
We also had some guest-appearances from Stein and Nikolaihof, we compared Wasenhaus with Chandon de Briailles, and ended the night with a ‘54 Rivesaltes to commemorate a birthday boy who had just turned 70 years young.
As always, fun times.
‘22 Kilburg Goldtropfchen Trocken: A little riper on the palate with more white fruit than the Ohligsberg. Plenty of acidity, but it still seems pretty tight and could use some more time for development. No detectable sweetness at all and comes across very dry.
‘22 Kilburg Ohligsberg Trocken: Much more acidic than the Goldtropfchen; almost jagged at this point, but plenty of slatey goodness with a hint of citrus to keep this interesting. Very energetic and lively. This could use more time to calm down, but it’s still very enjoyable in its current, angular state.
‘22 Kilburg Goldtropfchen Kabinett: Both Kabinetts are showing the best right now, with the Goldtropfchen a little fruitier and rounder, the residual sugar providing good balance to the acidity. Chuggable liquid drops of gold, indeed.
‘22 Kilburg Ohligsberg Kabinett: This feels a little livelier than the Goldtropfchen and a little more restrained and mineral on the palate. Great aromatic nose with a palate that has intense acidity that is rounded out just so with the residual sugar. The tension on this wine is in a great place right now and is just so joyous to drink.
‘22 Kilburg Goldtropfchen Spatlese: Richer and softer on the palate, though the acidity is still strong and provides a needed edge on the palate. While riper than its Kabinett counterpart, the sweetness is better-balanced by the acidity here than in the Ohligsberg Spatlese. Very good, but this probably needs more time to have the sweetness recede a bit.
‘22 Kilburg Ohligsberg Spatlese: This feels slightly sweeter on the palate and slightly softer than the Goldtropfchen. Not flabby by any means, but it doesn’t quite have the liveliness and intensity of its Kabinett and Trocken counterparts.
‘22 Stein Alfer Holle 1900: This was 12.5% alcohol and designated a Spatlese. Perhaps there was a smidge of residual sugar here, but this tastes very dry and savory, balanced with good, lively acidity. Sleek, energetic, light-on-its-feet, but what really stood out was the complexity. A hint of green fruit, wet slate, almond, a little bitter herbs, and a touch of appealing funk. An intense, flavorful wine that somehow just hovers over the palate with delicacy and grace. My favorite Riesling of the night.
'15 Nikolaihof Riesling Steiner Hund Reserve: This has an incredibly aromatic nose of stone fruit, citrus, and floral notes. The palate, on the other hand, is not quite as good: rich, intense, round, and fruit-forward. It’s not ponderous or heavy-handed (the acidity is adequate), but could use some more complexity. It’s an enjoyable wine, but perhaps too young (and coming across now as a touch too ripe).
'20 Wasenhaus Spatburgunder Bellen: The nose is very different from what I typically get from red Burgundy: the aroma is more lifted, reminding me of brambly red and purple fruit tinged with some green and herbal notes. The palate has lightness and finesse, with translucent red fruit woven together with those green notes, inflected with earthy tones. It’s an interesting wine, very complex, not 100% sure whether it’s my thing, but very different from most other Pinot Noirs I’ve had. I’m curious to try more (if I can find it).
'19 Chandon de Briailles Pernand Vergelesses Ile de Vergelesses 1er Cru: Intensely dark-fruited and earthy nose that just screams red Burgundy. Equally dense and deep on the palate; ripe and dark-fruited but with pretty-good acidity and lift. It’s very approachable right now, and is quite enjoyable and pleasurable, but it lacks complexity and doesn’t invite intense reflection. A very interesting contrast to the Wasenhaus.
'54 Domaine La Sobilane Rivesaltes: I did not realize until I did some research that this wine is technically a fortified red. In the glass, I distinctly remember it having a dark-amber hue. So, I assumed it was something like a fortified Muscat, but apparently this is made out of Grenache Noir (amazing what 70 years of age can do to a wine). This is an intense, big wine, but I don’t get any heat from the alcohol, and the flavors are a welcoming blend of caramel, vanilla, baking spices, and a slight nuttiness. Tastes more like a Madeira or an old, very big Sauternes, than a Port to me. Nice way to end the meal.
Accompanying the tacos were most of Max Kilburg’s 2022 Rieslings (we didn't have the ‘22 Geierslay Kabinett).
Going from Trocken to Spatlese, it was interesting to see how the wines communicated their vineyards of origins: Goldtropfchen seemed consistently riper and more fruit-forward while Ohligsberg tended to be more angular, mineral, and airier. Ohligsberg (for my palate) outperformed Goldtropfchen until we got to the Spatleses; perhaps the dry-extract and the comparative generosity of the fruit in the Goldtropfchen played nicer with the extra residual sugar while Ohligsberg’s leanness made its Spatlese taste sweeter in comparison (or maybe the Ohligsberg Spatlese just had more RS). Not really sure.
We also had some guest-appearances from Stein and Nikolaihof, we compared Wasenhaus with Chandon de Briailles, and ended the night with a ‘54 Rivesaltes to commemorate a birthday boy who had just turned 70 years young.
As always, fun times.
‘22 Kilburg Goldtropfchen Trocken: A little riper on the palate with more white fruit than the Ohligsberg. Plenty of acidity, but it still seems pretty tight and could use some more time for development. No detectable sweetness at all and comes across very dry.
‘22 Kilburg Ohligsberg Trocken: Much more acidic than the Goldtropfchen; almost jagged at this point, but plenty of slatey goodness with a hint of citrus to keep this interesting. Very energetic and lively. This could use more time to calm down, but it’s still very enjoyable in its current, angular state.
‘22 Kilburg Goldtropfchen Kabinett: Both Kabinetts are showing the best right now, with the Goldtropfchen a little fruitier and rounder, the residual sugar providing good balance to the acidity. Chuggable liquid drops of gold, indeed.
‘22 Kilburg Ohligsberg Kabinett: This feels a little livelier than the Goldtropfchen and a little more restrained and mineral on the palate. Great aromatic nose with a palate that has intense acidity that is rounded out just so with the residual sugar. The tension on this wine is in a great place right now and is just so joyous to drink.
‘22 Kilburg Goldtropfchen Spatlese: Richer and softer on the palate, though the acidity is still strong and provides a needed edge on the palate. While riper than its Kabinett counterpart, the sweetness is better-balanced by the acidity here than in the Ohligsberg Spatlese. Very good, but this probably needs more time to have the sweetness recede a bit.
‘22 Kilburg Ohligsberg Spatlese: This feels slightly sweeter on the palate and slightly softer than the Goldtropfchen. Not flabby by any means, but it doesn’t quite have the liveliness and intensity of its Kabinett and Trocken counterparts.
‘22 Stein Alfer Holle 1900: This was 12.5% alcohol and designated a Spatlese. Perhaps there was a smidge of residual sugar here, but this tastes very dry and savory, balanced with good, lively acidity. Sleek, energetic, light-on-its-feet, but what really stood out was the complexity. A hint of green fruit, wet slate, almond, a little bitter herbs, and a touch of appealing funk. An intense, flavorful wine that somehow just hovers over the palate with delicacy and grace. My favorite Riesling of the night.
'15 Nikolaihof Riesling Steiner Hund Reserve: This has an incredibly aromatic nose of stone fruit, citrus, and floral notes. The palate, on the other hand, is not quite as good: rich, intense, round, and fruit-forward. It’s not ponderous or heavy-handed (the acidity is adequate), but could use some more complexity. It’s an enjoyable wine, but perhaps too young (and coming across now as a touch too ripe).
'20 Wasenhaus Spatburgunder Bellen: The nose is very different from what I typically get from red Burgundy: the aroma is more lifted, reminding me of brambly red and purple fruit tinged with some green and herbal notes. The palate has lightness and finesse, with translucent red fruit woven together with those green notes, inflected with earthy tones. It’s an interesting wine, very complex, not 100% sure whether it’s my thing, but very different from most other Pinot Noirs I’ve had. I’m curious to try more (if I can find it).
'19 Chandon de Briailles Pernand Vergelesses Ile de Vergelesses 1er Cru: Intensely dark-fruited and earthy nose that just screams red Burgundy. Equally dense and deep on the palate; ripe and dark-fruited but with pretty-good acidity and lift. It’s very approachable right now, and is quite enjoyable and pleasurable, but it lacks complexity and doesn’t invite intense reflection. A very interesting contrast to the Wasenhaus.
'54 Domaine La Sobilane Rivesaltes: I did not realize until I did some research that this wine is technically a fortified red. In the glass, I distinctly remember it having a dark-amber hue. So, I assumed it was something like a fortified Muscat, but apparently this is made out of Grenache Noir (amazing what 70 years of age can do to a wine). This is an intense, big wine, but I don’t get any heat from the alcohol, and the flavors are a welcoming blend of caramel, vanilla, baking spices, and a slight nuttiness. Tastes more like a Madeira or an old, very big Sauternes, than a Port to me. Nice way to end the meal.
