Trick and treat (23 Lassak and 21 Koehler-Ruprecht)

R

Rahsaan

Rahsaan
I was very excited to open the 2023 Lassak Hambach Riesling as it's a rare wine (906 bottles produced) and thought it could be a natural wine that hit my registers (so said the German retailer). Unfortunately, the promising clear juicy gulpable fruit was supplemented with tangy sour slightly-plasticky natural notes that veered away from my pleasure zone.

But no fear. After that trick, I popped a treat with the 2021 Koehler-Ruprecht Saumagen Spätlese Riesling Trocken and classic elegance was returned to my palate. Firm 2021 fruit but with some lovely depth. I've been drinking several bottles of the 21 Kabinett Trocken, that have gotten fuller over time, but this is clearly a more refined wine. Good fruit but also good Pfalz KR bitter bite. Substance, elegance, composure: all good dinner companion traits.
 
Ha! Yes, I hear the Lemberger is perhaps more special. But the Riesling was supposed to be Not Shabby, and with 50+ year old vines. Maybe just not made for my palate.
 
Same trick happened this week, as I started with my last bottle of 2015 Heymann-Löwenstein Uhlen R Riesling GG, which did not impress as much as earlier bottles. It used to have lovely crisp coiled tension that spoke of potential. Now it is a bit loose for my tastes, showing some pungent flavors and funky rs that is less present in recent vintages. I'll probably never know if this is just a stage or a slow decline away from my palate.

But I'm more excited about recent vintage HL and was happy to open 2016 Alzinger Ried Steinertal Riesling Smaragd as an alternative. A ripe powerful wine that may not be my favorite vintage expression, but it has such lovely detailed Alzinger elegance. Layers and precision to the structure, vibrant, great with dinner, bravo.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
I ... was happy to open 2016 Alzinger Ried Steinertal Riesling Smaragd as an alternative. A ripe powerful wine that may not be my favorite vintage expression, but it has such lovely detailed Alzinger elegance. Layers and precision to the structure, vibrant, great with dinner, bravo.
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Thanks for this. I have a handful that I have been waiting a decade to open because I don't like them too brawny. This may still be too young Smaragd for my tastes, but will take one for a spin tonight.
 
Yes, probably will be too young and brawny, but if you're up for it! It was my last bottle and I was fine with that. Can't age everything.
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
Yes, probably will be too young and brawny, but if you're up for it! It was my last bottle and I was fine with that. Can't age everything.
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You can’t??? My bottles of ‘78 Beaujolais Nouveau would beg to differ.

Mark Lipton
 
Ha! I guess I meant that I can't age everything. Space limitations, priorities, etc.

But yes, I'm sure the '78 BN will get into form eventually. Why not wait!
 
In all seriousness, this may be one of the few benefits of living in flyover country. Actually, it starts with being able to afford and buy a Victorian home (non-fixer-upper even) as a penniless ex-postdoc, and then turning a coal cellar into a sub-grade wine cellar. We have the space there for 2-3000 bottles, should we have the resources and desire to buy that many. As it is, I look at what we do have and wonder whether we can find the time to open them all. First world problems, I know.

Mark Lipton
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
Yes, probably will be too young and brawny, but if you're up for it! It was my last bottle and I was fine with that. Can't age everything.
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It was quite as you described it, layered, vibrant, precise. There was a touch of smaragd brawn, but in the context of Riesling (unlike, perhaps Grúner at a comparable point), that felt additive.
 
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