Von Hovel Spatlese drinking window??

Pete,

I have some general guidelines that I use for when to check in on German Rieslings. They are very general, and thus easy to take exception with, but here goes:

Kabinett: 0-2 years from vintage or after 5-7 years from vintage
Spatlese: 0-2 years from vintage or after 7-10 years from vintage
Auslese: 0-2 years from vintage or after 10-12 years from vintage
BA/TBA: Any time I please
Eiswein: young, young, young - I don't want to miss that piercing, pure fruit (I prefer my Eiswein without botrytis), so I don't age many.

Since I haven't even thought about my '95 Grunhaus Kabinetts (until now), it's clear I violate these guidelines all the time.
 
originally posted by David M. Bueker:
Pete,

I have some general guidelines that I use for when to check in on German Rieslings. They are very general, and thus easy to take exception with, but here goes:

Kabinett: 0-2 years from vintage or after 5-7 years from vintage
Spatlese: 0-2 years from vintage or after 7-10 years from vintage
Auslese: 0-2 years from vintage or after 10-12 years from vintage
BA/TBA: Any time I please
Eiswein: young, young, young - I don't want to miss that piercing, pure fruit (I prefer my Eiswein without botrytis), so I don't age many.

Since I haven't even thought about my '95 Grunhaus Kabinetts (until now), it's clear I violate these guidelines all the time.
Click to expand...

Helmut D said to me -- and this was in '04, so who knows if he's changed his mind -- for his spatlesen that, in general, for most vintages, he likes them young (2 years old or less) and then after 10 years. As Jay and Maureen said, not in between. As with almost any other vinous topic, I am sure there are exceptions.
 
So in the middle (less desirable) years, presumably the wine doesn't drop off the charts qualitatively...again, presumably, it might drop down from excellent to good during that time period before returning to excellent status.

. . . . . Pete
 
originally posted by Peter Creasey:

So in the middle (less desirable) years, presumably the wine doesn't drop off the charts qualitatively...again, presumably, it might drop down from excellent to good during that time period before returning to excellent status.

. . . . . Pete
Click to expand...
You don't think Riesling can close?
 
Agreed. It's not a matter of excellent, good, or quality in general. It's a matter of how enjoyable it will be in that state.

That said, the sugar in many of these German wines makes the shutdown period less severe than for other wines, in my experience. Although 'less severe' still doesn't necessarily mean enjoyable.
 
0-1 or 20+. The creamy stage is great fun.

This is for MSR - I don't drink enough from the other regions to be confident.
 
The creamy stage kicks in a heck of a lot sooner than Yixin is implying IMO. Of course he has guaranteed perfect provenance in magnum, so the timing is likely skewed.
 
The '71 Auslesen are creamy now, and were about 5-7 years back. Compare with the '75, which always had a slightly harder edge (and still do), or the '76s, which tasted creamy much earlier on in their lives, but never had the airiness and probably never will. '79, which is the vintage I've had the most of, is more likely to end up like the '75s except for good examples from JJ Prum and Grunhaus. For me it's a textural sensation, when the acid and sugar have melded together completely. I've had the same experiences (in far lower quantity) with Austrian rieslings (but not Gruner), and some Alsatians (older Hugels in particular).

It's incredibly tough to describe, but an analogue is fruit-based gelato. You're tasting the raw ingredients in infant Riesling, and they can be so thrilling (think wild strawberries, warm from the sun, or the succulence of a just-picked peach, or the intense fragrance of a lemon, paired with great milk/cream). If the proportions are right, you see the promise (but just that) of something more than the sum of the constituents. Then you heat and mix the ingredients, and it starts coming together (especially for custard-based recipes), but it isn't seamless yet. Then you incorporate air, and cool, and give it some time, and all of a sudden it's a vivid rendition of all of the ingredients, with an amazing mouthfeel. That last stage is what I love in Riesling, and hopefully what I'll be drinking over the rest of my life.
 
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