5/6/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Another absolutely delicious bottle of wine from the uber talented and charismatic Lukas Hammelmann. This wine is so alive and fresh with tons of verve and pulsating with energy. Like a bowl of citrus with notes of lemons, tangerines and sweet grapefruit. With air comes delicious notes of piquant apples and soft herbs in a wine that is hard to sip and not gulp.
As expected, I had very little willpower and this was my last bottle of this racy 2021 Kabinett from the man showing us that great wine can come from unexpected places.

5/6/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

This was my first experience with the Rieslings of Gunderloch and I opened this with some significant anticipation. A wine of class and elegance, but this showed a bit more maturity than expected. The palate was creamy with subtleties of smoke, spice, candied lemon , and tea leaf. The fruit character was a delicious combination of bruised apples and mineral laced stone fruits. There was a beautiful depth to this wine. I found myself wondering if this particular bottle was simply in a moment in time where it showed age or a sign of things to come. have another bottle that will give me another chance to see what this wine is all about.
A great introduction to the wines of Gunderloch and I look forward to drinking more of these classic wines in the future.

4/18/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

This was my second bottle of this absolutely brilliant wine. It was so much fun to see the faces of people around the table who were experiencing the magic of Wolfram's wines for the first time. Kaleidoscopic with layer of notes that not only make you think, but provide immense pleasure. Nuanced, layered, and pure. Showing place and personality in a way that I have yet to find an equal. Gorgeous wine!

4/18/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

An absolutely beautiful wine that showed just how special Burgundian varietals can be in German hands. It was pure class, crystalline, understated, complex, and utterly delicious.

4/23/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Similar note as my previous bottle, I need to keep my hands off of these and try to save some! So good.

4/27/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

This was absolutely singing on this particular night. Bright red berries, plums, spice box, and fine integrated tannins. This was pretty, harmonious, and absolutely delicious.

4/26/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

I have been thinking of my friends in the Saar a lot lately, but none more than Lars Carlberg and the father and son duo Erich and Johannes Weber. The frost damage there has been significant these last few days and they are left picking up the pieces of what was looking like a very promising vintage. There is still plenty of time to make special wines in 2024, but the quantities will be severely reduced and logistical complications will surely arise.
All that being said, I wanted to open something special and spend the evening enjoying the wine and thinking happy thoughts of my friends. What better wine than one of the truly signature wines from their lineup, Mutter Anna. Especially after our incredible vertical tasting in January with David Schildknecht of this bottling with wines straight from his own collection, this was a wine that frankly I needed to sit with and enjoy.
This was everything that I hoped it would be and more. Classic Mutter Anna with notes of crushed seashells, smoke, and lime zest on a palate that was so salty that it was like licking rock. The purity was insane, like mineral water that was infused with ginger, apple skins, and fresh herbs. This was both delicate and emotionally deep and soulful. The fresh acidity was so resolved and integrated that the wine was able to stay unbelievably clear and transparent. The finish though, that finish, it was lingering and contemplative with filigreed nuances of lime salt that coated the palate in the most satisfying way. A wow wine, but not in its power or energy, but rather in its thoughtfulness, beauty, and honesty.

4/14/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

This was an absolutely beautiful young wine, which comes from limestone rich soils and is a blend of 75% Chardonnay and 25% Weissburgunder.
Incredibly classy with chalky minerality on a crystalline frame that showcased notes of lemons and pears.
There was a touch of that waxy fruit character you get from Weissburgunder and then comes the tangy youthful Chardonnay to give it tons of energy. Seriously, this is pure class, with a textural mouthfeel but refined elegance. I absolutely loved the interplay between fresh pears and apples while getting hints of the candied versions of each fruit as well.
I enjoyed this bottle with some grilled kumquat and ginger glazed salmon and the pairing was delicious! What a pairing and a great night.
The collaboration between father and son is not only so exciting to watch, but also brings much joy.

4/14/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

This young bottle of Riesling took a little coaxing to open up, but once it had some air it really was something special. I had no doubt that this would be a wine to spend an evening with and it was enjoyed over about 4 hours. What Lukas is doing is nothing short of incredible. His wines are like nothing else and he is doing it in a place that you would never expect. Magic is happening in this little corner of the Pfalz.
Initially quite tight with haunting aromas of smoke and a palate that was like drinking liquid rock.
With air, this insanely pure wine really showed its class. The palate burst with juicy lip smacking apples with notes of lemon oil and shone like sunshine that was chiseled from pure stone.
Layers of nuance, wonderfully transparent, and so so delicious. Another wow wine to enjoy on the journey with the immensely talented Lukas Hammelmann.

4/12/2024 - CADomer wrote:

Sadly this was my last bottle and it was completely oxidized and not enjoyable…

4/10/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

This is one of my favorite bottlings from one of my favorite producers. I was excited to open a bottle from the 2022 vintage to get a feel for how this tiny terraced block from the great Thörnicher Ritsch shows in this particular vintage.
These wines defy conventional wisdom and can be open in the refrigerator for weeks without losing a step. I opened this wine and drank a third of the bottle, popped it back in the refrigerator and then came back it 16 days later. On day one this was racy, tangy, and smokey on a tightly wound and very youthful frame. But then my first taste after being open for over two weeks was absolutely WOW! So incredibly delicious with a myriad of fruit in the vessel of purity that was like mineral water. Piquant apples that seemed to evolve into nectarines and maybe even a hint of plums. Bergamot that gave way to juicy tangelos. All this while being so saline and pure that I couldn’t help but be taken back to being on the monolith that is Ritsch. Absolutely gorgeous with a flutter of sweet herbs and balsamic botanical notes.
Insanely pure, honest, deep yet filigreed, and ultimately so incredibly drinkable.

3/31/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Beautiful, delicious, and slightly more restrained than previous vintages. Enjoyed this with Easter dinner and it was such a great addition to our celebration. Fresh apples and light melons with an edge of gooseberry on the bright and zippy palate.

3/30/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Drank this beauty over two nights. It was fairly tight on night one with a simple pop and pour. So, I saved the second half of the bottle for the next night and it was beautiful. Delicious and perfumed fruit that made this absolutely irresistible.

3/22/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

This is not the first time that I have had this wine from the 2022 vintage and at our annual vintage tasting it stood out for its elegance and purity. On this night, over 2 months later, it really showed why this bottling is so special. Intoxicating aromas of candied limes and delicate wildflowers that draw you into a palate that showed a myriad of flavors and was deeply soulful yet practically weightless.
Absolutely delicious notes of empire apples, piquant citrus zest, ginger spiced whipped cream, and mouthwatering prickly acidity all on a frame that was long and so fine. Hauntingly savory mineral undertones interwoven into the tangy fruit that left me begging for more. This had that impossible balance between being completely penetrating while at the same time elusive as you try to grasp everything that you are experiencing.
An absolute wow wine that is honestly as good as Kabinett gets in my mind. Delicate, playful, complex, and a true joy to drink.

3/24/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Rich and golden with unctuous orchard fruit and a viscous mouthfeel. There is nice minerality and a flutter of florality. This is definitely a wine expressing a warmer vintage than other vintages that really shine for the bottling. Good, but not as great as cooler vintages.

3/16/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

This was absolutely beautiful and such an exciting bottle for the direction of German Pinot Noir.
This was bright and fresh while being complex and nuanced. Delicious notes of red berries, blood oranges and pomegranate with undertones of earth and wild herbs.
A wine that really struck me for the purity and freshness that it delivered. Bottles like this can’t help but make me very excited about the energy in the German wine scene and what lies ahead in what appears to be a very bright future.

3/23/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Dark with wild berries in a beautifully weighted and elegant Pinot. This was fairly shy to start, but with a couple hours of air really shone. There was an absolutely beautiful floral and candied fruit note on the nose on the last glass that made me wish for more.

3/21/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Another fantastic bottle from rising star, Max Kilburg. Absolutely delicious; giving you all of that beautiful fruit you expect from Goldtröpfchen, the surprising elegance of 2022, and with that special touch that Max gives his wonderful wines.
This tasty wine burst from the glass with piquant nectarines and mandarin oranges in a wine that was both zippy and full of tangy fruit while simultaneously being light footed, elegant and so fresh.
I saved half the bottle and finished it seven days later. The wine showed fruit that was more exotic and round, but even with the added weight this was still so nice. This stayed balanced with the acidity feeling more resolved as it countered the unctuous and lip smacking fruit filled finish. This was pure pleasure and so fun to drink.

3/13/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

This was most certainly a wine that I was very excited to open and enjoy. I made a plan to drink this over a few nights and it took every ounce of will power to just have half of the bottle on night one. This was classic Keller and it sang very true to the spirit of Kirchspiel.
It was playful with a burst of fruit up front yet had an elegant and fresh finish. Utterly delicious notes of tangy peach and tingling spice with a wonderfully zippy and sweet slice of lime that is absolutely lip smacking.
Finishing this after 3 days, I was struck with the simple fact that this was flat out crazy good. A flutter of fine smoke on the nose was followed by a bounty of orchard fruits. The palate was full of rich and spicy stone fruit, cooling mint, and candied oranges. There was some grip and weight but everything remained perfectly balanced.
A wow wine that was both fantastically delicious now and also so layered and deep that it will reward those that have the fortitude to age in their cellar for years to come.

3/10/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Another beautiful bottle from this talented winemaker coming from the village Nittel in the Obermosel. The ceiling is very high for the young Jonas Dostert. I am so happy to have the opportunity, through his wines, to experience his growth, development, and successes as he shines a continually brighter light on this quiet corner of the Mosel.
This was my second bottle of this wine and I was again struck by the beautiful and refined mineral purity that gave this such subtle yet deep resonance. Notes of orchard fruits, tonic, and a pretty edge of ripe apples all made this thoughtful and totally delicious.

3/9/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

This delicious Nebbiolo from Carema was elegant and perfumed. Both youthful and deep at the same time. Striking nose of baking spice and bright fruit. The palate was saline and mineral with delicious sweet blackberries. Can't wait to see where this goes with some age.

3/10/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Very nice, but not quite as dynamic as my last bottle for some reason. Looking forward to my next bottle. Such a great example of Carricante.

3/6/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

This was flat out delicious and a wine that took all of my limited willpower to slow down and take notes. It was just a pure joy to drink.
Bursting from the glass with notes of the sweet herbaceous kaffir lime leaf and white nectarines. The palate was beautifully mineral and pure with striking elegance. Mouthwatering notes of delicately spiced and piquant nectarines and was so light footed while have a long and satisfying finish full of wonderfully tangy candied grapefruit.
Palm has really become one of my favorite bottlings in this incredible lineup of wines, year in and year out.

3/4/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

This was a much better showing than my previous bottle. It took a lot of air to get there, but this really was beautiful. Classic Monprivato with bright red fruit and floral perfume. Wonderfully elegant and pure with great balance. Very excited that this wine seems to be going in the right direction.

3/1/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

This is the last bottling for me to try in the trio of wines made in collaboration by two young and highly talented winemakers, in Felix Keller and Philipp Giegerich in the noble effort to celebrate the old vines on the steeply terraced vineyard of Klingenberger Schlossberg in the Franken. After being wowed by the Portugieser and the Riesling, I couldn’t have been more excited to see how the Sylvaner would showcase this special site. This was bottle number 168 of 250 and it was as beautiful as it is rare. I am so happy to have an extra bottle of each of these in the cellar to let them age and enjoy down the road.
This immediately showed a density and richness of fruit that told me that this was coming from old vines grown on sandstone soil warmed by the sun. The palate had a glossy mouthfeel that seemed to become lighter with air.
This was deep, savory, and absolutely delicious with beautiful notes of flint and sweet smoke. The palate was like mineral water infused with luscious fruit and a touch of spice. With air this was absolutely singing.
Even more than the other two wines made by these two friends, I could feel the love in this wine. An emotional and soulful wine that shows the incredible heights Sylvaner can reach in the right hands while showcasing the best sites.

3/2/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

This was youthful and incredibly energetic with notes of delicious tangy peach and mouthwatering spice. As is typically the case with this bottling, it is slightly more giving than the Palmberg bottling and had a ripeness of fruit in the approach. But was wonderfully elegant and fresh with a great zippy finish.
I saved half the bottle and finished after 5 days. This was even more energetic with vibrantly spiced apples and a deep undertone of slate.
This wine is so easy to drink now, definitely hide them away if you have any hope to save some for later.

3/3/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

This was electric and tightly wound. The nose was beautiful with sweet spices, florality, and a hint of smoke. The palate was like a block of stone being chiseled into by fresh quince and lemons. There was a softer edge of sweet herbs that helped to make this quite fine. So linear and racy at this point. Drinking this over 5 days didn’t do anything to soften the edges of this very young wine. Much patience needed here.

2/25/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

What a treat this was! Absolutely beautiful wine that was full of class and a total joy to drink.
The nose was wonderfully perfumed with stone fruits and cherry blossoms. The palate was incredibly balanced with a delicious inner sweetness of fruit. Initial notes of Rainier Cherry and pastry led into ripe pears and a finish of tangy citrus.
The wines from the dynamic duo of Alex Götze and Christoph Wolber continue to impress me deeply. This was like a symphony of complimentary notes creating so many layers which add complexity and pure pleasure.

2/25/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

I was excited to drink a bottle of this new parcel from Ludes in the monument that is Thörnicher Ritsch.
An electric wine with a fascinating combination of lemon lime, smokey flint and savory herbal notes. The palate evolved into notes of piquant Empire apples with a zing of ginger spice on a frame with the purity of mineral water.
After half the bottle I screwed the cap back on the put it in the refrigerator to revisit later. After 12 days, I opened this back up and it hadn’t budged an inch! So racy, flinty, and herbaceous with a long lip smacking finish that was like fresh squeezed lemon juice on wet slate.
This is pure, beautiful, and built to last. I can’t wait to see this wine again in 10+ years. I have no doubt it will be shockingly fresh and delicious.

2/25/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

The nose was a bit more restrained on this bottle, compared to my previous bottle. But the palate was delicious, waxy, and salty. Was wonderful at the dinner table.

2/24/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

After 3 years since my last bottle, I was looking forward to checking in on this wine. I enjoyed it with some homemade Fusilli alla Norcina.
The bottle was very tight to start, even after being slow-o’d for 7 hours prior to dinner. It really took another 2 hours of drinking during dinner and the last couple glasses were showing very well.
Bright red fruit and spice upfront with a depth of dark fruit that came with air. Wonderfully pure and delicious, but definitely in a slightly ‘closed’ phase. I will wait another few years before opening another bottle, but would recommend if you open one soon that you give it a lot of air.

2/19/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

This was one of the wines that really stood out to me when we visited Lukas back in December of 2022. It was absolutely electric that day and I had the immediate thought that it will be something very special, if you just have the patience to let it come together and shine. I bought multiple bottles as soon as I had the chance, so I thought I would open my first bottle just to see if the lightning bolt that I experienced that day in Zeiskam was as I remembered it.
The wine was just as unyielding and crackling with electricity as it was 14 months ago. There is something so unique and exciting about this wine. A mind bending combination of smoke, pungent herbs and flint with a palate that is like fresh squeezed lemon juice over chiseled rock. The wine vibrates with energy in the glass and requires you to hold on tight as you try to harness its youthful verve.
I saved a third of the bottle a week to see if air was able to tame it in any way. After a week open in the refrigerator it had barely budged. Smokey, flinty, and showed some resolution that softened the high tones slightly with some added texture. This wine is so serious and has persistent pulsating acidity. I will not touch another bottle of this for at least another 6-8 years. The wine deserves (and needs!) that time. Time to find a dark hidden corner in the cellar for my remaining bottles.

2/16/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Drank with family as part of my son's birthday celebration. Wasn't able to take detailed notes, but this wine evaporated from everyone's glasses faster than they could believe.
Absolutely delicious with an incredible balance between intensity and lightness. Orchard fruits on layers on minerality and great verve.

2/16/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Drank with family while celebrating my son's birthday. Didn't get to take detailed notes, but really enjoyed this wine.
Beautiful balance between lip smacking fruit and great zippy acidity. Racy lemon lime notes with a finish of tangy peaches.

2/18/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Shared with family for my son's birthday and wasn't able to take detailed notes.
Bright, tangy and delicious. This burst from the glass with herbaceous flowers and piquant apples.

2/15/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Bright cranberry, blood oranges and wild berries in the this youthful and fresh wine. I think this will continue to show well for at least another 5 years.

2/15/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Beautiful wine that was still fresh and pure. I really enjoyed the clarity of fruit and a really cool expression of S&B.

2/9/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

The second of the two ‘Myth’ wines made by the Hannemann brothers that honor their family and the mythical history of the vineyard site in which they have a monopoly. As l mentioned in my post about the ‘Bonifatius’ bottling, this also comes from 70+ year old vines that were planted by Christian and Martin’s great-grandfather in the unique Melaphyr volcanic rock. The historic family label and tiny production add to the aura of this bottling and make it all the more exciting to open.
This wine saw almost 5 days of skin contact and was left on the lees for 20 months. Similar to the complexity found in the Bonifatius, this was layered, fascinating and beautiful.
I enjoyed this wine over 3 days and was overjoyed by how the wine evolved and showed so many wonderful elements. Initially the palate showed slightly spiced stone fruit in a soft and easy approach and slightly tangy finish. The nose was the star of the show on night one with intoxicating aromas of Rainier cherries and pastry with elements of caramelized fruit and candied oranges.
By day three this really started to show beautiful purity, like fresh apple infused mineral water on the palate with a zesty finish of bergamot. The nose stayed in line with the first night and kept that pastry sweetness and brightness of fresh apples.
This wine was really special and like the ‘Bonifatius’ wine, truly showed the importance of these two wines in the Heiliginblut lineup. So delicious and multi-dimensional with layers of history, terroir, and soul.

2/3/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

I brought this 3-liter Bocksbeutal to share at the Vom Boden ‘Hockes & Moselles’ party at Easy Does It on Saturday. In a setting like that it is almost impossible to take any real notes, so I will share my general impressions. This was racy and pure with a level of freshness that catches your attention. Mineral and deep while pulsating with energy and verve. Luckily because of the sheer size of the bottle I was able to come back to this wine a few times during the evening and each time I was so happy to see that it was able to cut through all the noise to speak. This was a ton of fun to share and what a perfect celebration of what is exciting in German wine right now.
Continuing that theme, it was amazing to taste and see so many different and amazing wines in the Vom Boden portfolio. The level of quality and sheer brilliance of the wines is incredible to experience and the festive atmosphere seemed to match the energy of the wines being tasted. There were so many stars that I can’t begin to list them here. But I will say that the people that make up the vom Boden team are amazing. I am thankful to have been able to spend them time with them all and can’t wait to do it again soon!
Plus, Easy Does It throws one heck of a party!

1/28/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Another beautiful and crystalline bottle of Sylvaner from the extremely talented Paul Weltner. I love the purity of this bottling and the 2021 shows that in spades. The palate is really the star of the show with liquid minerals that coat the palate in the lightest yet persistent way. There are layers of nuance and different shades that show themselves through notes of herbs, ash, salinity, and bright tart fruit.
Wines like this is why I love Sylvaner and make me believe that when made well it can be a star.

1/28/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

One of the two ‘Myth’ wines made by the young and talented brother duo of Christian and Martin Hannemann to honor their family and the mythical history of the special site of which they have a monopoly. 70+ year old Riesling vines that were planted in the dark volcanic rock Melaphyr by Hannemann’s great-grandfather. For this bottling, and their ‘Attila’ Silvaner, they use the family’s oldest label dating back to 1925. The tiny production of approximately 500 bottles of this special wine not only honors their great-grandfather, but also continues what was doing 70 years ago. I was so excited to get some of these two special ‘Myth’ wines and after this experience am all the more looking forward to opening the ‘Attila.’
As is the case with some of their wines, this had nearly a day of skin contact before being left on the lees for 20 months. Even more than any of their other wines, this was so multi-dimensional and complex that I couldn’t help but come back to the glass again and again. Beautiful notes of orange zest, baking spice, brioche and rainier cherries on the nose. The palate was both deep and fresh with wonderful balance, while also showing texture but was so clean and pure at the same time. There were delicious notes of spiced bergamot, kumquat infused whipped cream, and pears.
This is the best Riesling that I have had from this talented pair of brothers and I can’t wait to see how this develops in the bottle. The future is very bright.

1/29/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

What is there to say? This is pure joy in bottled form. I am sure that Miran is going to be upset with me for posting about this wine, but I feel like sharing joy is important to do. Prickly acidity in the most playful way with gooseberries and all together in the most utterly delicious nectar that disappears in the glass so fast that evaporation doesn’t even seem like the culprit.

1/21/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

I was very excited about opening a bottle of this wine, as the 2021 version of the Gackes Unten was one of my wines of the vintage. I enjoyed this bottle over 4 days, but to be honest that wasn’t even close to enough time to see any meaningful evolution to the wine. I would venture to say that you need to have it open in your refrigerator for two weeks before seeing any signs of what is to come with bottle age.
That all being said, this wine was absolutely beautiful in a wonderful play between impossible lightness and deep soulful resonance.
This beautifully balanced and delicious wine showed a lovely mix of saline minerality, bergamot that ultimately leaned towards blood oranges, and delicately smoked herbs. There is some of that easiness that 2022 brings, but as with the wines from Julian and Hermann Ludes, the racy acidity and core of minerality speaks more clearly. The filigreed palate finishes with candied grapefruit in a long lip smacking crescendo.

1/16/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

This surprised me with how ripe and glycerin it was. I think that I really just need to wait on my other bottles. Weltner is such a great producer and I feel like I just opened this too young.

1/13/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Drank at 312 Fish Market with a group of friends. This was again an absolutely beautiful bottle of Riesling. I need to open the next bottle at home so I can spend the evening with it.

1/14/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Drank at the RieslingKenner Falkenstein after party and wasn't able to take notes. This was still very much alive. It showed notes of bruised apples, caramel, and wet slate. It lacked a little of the freshness that I was hoping for, but still quite nice.

1/13/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Drank at 312 Fish Market with a group of friends. This needed air, but was really good. By the end of the dinner, this was singing. I have no doubt that my next bottle with have a higher rating. Racy and bright with a dense and slightly clinched core. I love Lukas' wines and this was another beauty.

1/13/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Drank this at 312 Fish Market and it paired very nicely with sushi. Bright, fresh, and good acidity. Some nice red berries on the palate, but felt a touch of wood too. I hope this integrates with a bit more age.

1/14/2024 - CADomer Likes this wine:

Drank as part of the RieslingKenner Falkenstein after party, so I didn't get to take notes. This was crazy delicious and people loved it. Bright fruit and incredible elegance. I love this wine.

12/17/2023 - CADomer Likes this wine:

This was nice, but felt pretty ripe. That surprised me, knowing the classical style of Costanti. I have a few more bottles, so we will see if this bottle was just in a showy place. Still delicious, just not exactly what I was expecting.