Howard Ripley Germany 2008 tasting

Last Thursday I tasted 50+ german wines at Howard Ripley tasting, I have dealt with Sebastian Thomas there for years now and it was a pleasure to be able to make it - even if I had to cycle across town due to the tube strikes!

The tasting was with the odd exception (one 2007 Riesling and a few Blauburgunders - Pinot Noir under another name) all 2008 German Rieslings. This is a style of wine I love and drink regularly but...I'm sure in common with a lot of people I don't know the regions, producers or vineyards that well. I just know I like them....

I won't list all the wines and notes as it would be very monotonous, not to mention long. I will pick out my favorites and most noteworthy:

Pinot Noir/Blauburgunder:

2007 Malanser Blauburgunder Reserva, Peter Wegelin (Bunder Herrschaft, Switzerland) - 16+, beautifully fresh lightness of touch with red fruits, a little oak but in a classy way...balanced.

2007 Pinot Noir, Thomas Studach (Bunder Herrschaft, Switzerland) - 16-17, Very classy, halway between NZ and Burgundy in style.

Dry Rieslings, I didn't taste many as I knew it was all going to be quite an onslaught:

2008 Maximin Grunhauser Abstberg 'Superior', C. von Schubert (Ruwer) - 16-17, Slightly reductive (no bad thing), lovely fruit from this good producer.

Traditional Wines:

2008 Maximin Grunhauser Abstberg Kabinett, C .von Schubert (Ruwer) - 16++, from the sam vineyard as the above, alreday showing a Petrol character, rich and decadent.

2008 Brauneberger Juffer Kabinett, Fritz Haag (Mosel) - 16, Quite high residual sugar for a Kabinett, promises to be a delightful early drinker.

2008 Oberhauser Listenberg Kabinett, Hermann Donnhoff (Nahe) - 15-16+, Lovely texture and good richness.

2008 Robert Weil Kabinett, Robert Weil (Rheingau) - 16+, Classy, good balance.

2008 Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Spatlese, Karthauserhof (Ruwer) - 16-17, Good fresh Riesling fruit, good palate, good freshness and length, impressive.

2008 Schlossbockelheimer Kupfergrube Spatlese, Herman Donnhoff (Nahe) - 16-17, Claass, lovely fruit character, good minerality.

2008 Kiedrich Grafenberg Spatlese, Robert Weil (Rheingau) - 16++, Rich, almost Auslese in taste profile, a bargain.

2008 Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Spatlese Auktion Goldkapsel, Schloss Lieser (Mosel) -17,  Only available at the Auction in Germany but interesting to taste, beautiful texture, great length.

2008 Lieser Niederberg Helden Auslese, Schloss Lieser (Mosel) - 16+, Slightly reductive, petrol showed a touch, good on the palate.

2008 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese, Selbach-Oster (Mosel) - 16++, Richness, good minerality...stones? Very nice.

2008 Erdener Pralat Auslese, Dr Loosen (Mosel) - 17+, Cloudy and in many ways unfinished, very impressive though, almost a spitz, great acidity and floral too.

2008 Graacher Domprost Auslese No11 Auktion, Willi Schafer (Mosel) - 17++, Great combination of freshness and acidity but with density too, really classy and long.

Into the realms of the very expensive and very rich!!

2008 Westhofener Morstein Auslese***, Keller (Rheinhessen)

Nuts!! a gramn first for me to taste nuts, noble rot and lemon - spectacular.

2008 Westhofener Kirchspiel Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) (Rheinhessen) - 17-18, Very late harvest in style, very true to TBA, some nuttiness very vicious...fascinating.

Two Eisweins - not really my thing to be honest!! Very sore teeth...the acidity really does it's thing!! 

Tomorrow we have Olivier Leriche of Domaine D'Arlot in Nuits-Saint-Georges coming into the office to present his wines should be great!!