Tasting Notes

Fine Wine Review
by Claude Kolm, Issue Number 90 , Nov. 2002
on 2001 German Vintage

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The Fine Wine Review uses a 0 - 100 point scale broadly classifying along a continuum, with scores in the upper 90s for truly exceptional wines, wines scoring below 80 as poor and wines below 75 being unacceptable. As a second set of notations, A through F, the wines are examined for typicality of the wine and the expectations for that class or appellation of wine, A being outstanding, and F describing an unacceptable wine.

Quick access:
| von Buhl | Mönchhof | Gunderloch | Reinhold Haart | Hövel | Karthäuserhof | Künstler | Schloss Lieser | Milz-Laurentiushof | Pfeffingen | Wegeler Mosel | Wegeler Rheingau | Weins-Prüm | Robert Weil | Wirsching | Zilliken (Forstmeister Geltz) |

Mönchhof
Over the last several years, Robert Eymael has established himself as unsurpassed among producers at Ürzig and Erden.

2001 Mönchhof “Astor” Riesling Kabinett – This is perhaps the best Astor Kabinett yet. The wine is pure, deep, and nervy with penetration on the palate and a noble austerity. - 92 Points

2001 Mönchhof Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese – Is brilliant, showing spiced roses, nice acidity and notable length. - 94 Points

2001 Mönchhof Erdener Prälat Riesling Auslese – Has pure lime and mineral fruit, depth, ripeness and nervosity. It is a classic for those willing to cellar it for a decade or so. - 96 Points

Reinhold Haart
Were the estate larger than 5.45 hectares, I’m sure Reinhold Haart would be much better known. Instead, his wines are sought out by the most savvy Mosel fans.

2001 Reinhold Haart Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese – 89 points

2001 Reinhold Haart Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Auslese – is pure and rounder with peach and apricot fruit that is so typical of the vineyard. - 94 Points

von Hövel
This estate, year after year, provides excellent wines at most attractive prices.

2001 Oberemmeler Hütte Riesling Kabinett – Mineral lime aromas and flavors with great purity, and some hazelnut also showing on the nose. - 91 Points

2001 Oberemmeler Hütte Riesling Spätlese – Is dense, chewy, concentrated, and deep with great potential, but in need of some time for full expression. - 94 Points

Karthäuserhof

2001 Karthäuserhof Auslese Dry “S” - As I have often written, a dry Auslese is an extremely difficult wine to accomplish, especially in the Ruwer. Yet Tyrell has pulled it off with this Auslese Trocken “S”. The wine has perfumed aromas, followed by a dense, deep mouth with electric peach fruit and a great length. – 93 Points

2001 Karthäuserhof Estate Riesling Medium-Dry – 90 Points

2001 Karthäuserhof Riesling Kabinett – The Kabinett is concentrated and has racy fruit, but a touch of caramel on the nose and finish argues for drinking this wine in the next few years.
- 89 Points

2001 Karthäuserhof Riesling Spätlese – Is superb with pure mineral lime aromas and outstanding penetration. - 94 Points

2001 Karthäuserhof Auslese – 94 Points

Schloss Lieser

2001 Schloss Lieser Estate Riesling Medium-Dry – Thomas Haag’s estate halbtrocken is perfumed and stony in the nose, with lime fruit and delicacy on the palate. It is a forewarning that is a prodigious year at the estate. - 90 Points

2001 Schloss Lieser Estate Riesling Kabinett – Haag has really outdone himself with the Kabinett. The wine has beautiful, stony and mineral fruit of pinpoint precision in the nose and mouth, real penetration, and impeccable balance. - 93 Points

2001 Schloss Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Auslese – Features complex, pure, chewy plum and lime fruit with lovely balance. - 94 Points

Milz-Laurentiushof
These appear to be the best wines from Milz in several years.

2001 Neumagener Nusswingert Riesling Kabinett – Is floral with racy acidity and fine concentration.
- 92 Points

2001 Trittenheimer Leiterchen Riesling Spätlese – Is racy with brown sugar aromas and lemon flavors.
- 92 Points

2001 Trittenheimer Felsenkopf Riesling Spätlese – Will probably last longer. At the moment it appears to be the equal of the Trittenheimer Leiterchen with a slightly richer lemon fruit that is also racy, and melon flavors on the finish. - 92 Points

Wegeler (Mosel)
Norbert Breit continues to make brilliant wines here. You are asked to pay a lot, especially for the Bernkasteler Doctors, but in return you get wines that are the greatest Germany can produce in any given vintage.

2001 Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Kabinett – Is sweet, smoky, penetrating, and long with lime fruit and great concentration. - 93 Points

2001 Wegeler Estate Riesling Spätlese – Is penetrating and nervy in its lime, lemon fruit on the palate, and peach, and apricot fruit on the finish. - 94 Points

2001 Wegeler Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Spätlese – One of the greatest Spätlesen I’ve ever experienced: dense, pure, deep, layered lime fruit that demonstrates the greatness of the Bernkasteler Doctor vineyard which is too often poorly served by other producers. - 96 Points

Dr. F. Weins-Prüm
(do not confuse this estate with the much less good Dr. Weins-Prüm). A friend rightly pointed out a few months ago that it is this estate’s unfortunate lot to be the second best producer of Wehlener Sonnenuhr behind Joh. Jos. Prüm. And also a very small estate, I might add, so that not many people get to taste the wines. But once again, Bert Selbach, former banker, has come up with a host of beauties.

2001 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett – Shows Wehlener lime and vanilla aromas and flavors and is ripe on the palate. - 92 Points

2001 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese – Is pure brilliance. The wine is rich and concentrated with pure Wehlener Sonnenuhr lime and vanilla aromas and flavors. - 95 Points

2001 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese – Although I see my share of disappointing wines form the vineyard from other producers, Dr. F. Weins-Prüm Graacher Domprobst Spätlese never fails to show the greatness of that vineyard. The wine is relatively closed at the moment, but it does show the round, golden Domprobst fruit and plenty of potential for those willing to wait, perhaps 6-8 years.
- 93+ Points

2001 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese – Shows pure lemon / lime/ vanilla aromas and flavors typical of the vineyard, outstanding balance and elegance. - 94 Points.

Zilliken

2001 Saarburger Rausch Riesling Kabinett (AP #5 02) – Shows beautiful acidity and supporting filigreed apple fruit. Hard to keep away from this wine now, but 5 – 7 years in the cellar should be beneficial.
- 92 Points

2001 Saarburger Rausch Riesling Spätlese – Has pure lime aromas with perhaps some botrytis in the honeyed apple flavors, an outstanding balance. - 93 Points

Franz Künstler

2001 Hochheimer Hölle Riesling Kabinett Dry – Has lovely mineral aromas, and on the palate shows very pure Riesling fruit. - 90 Points

2001 Hochheimer Hölle Riesling Spätlese Dry – Is earthier with a touch of burnt sugar but even more impressive. - 91 Points

2001 Hochheimer Hölle Riesling Auslese Dry – Dry Auslese is very difficult to pull off, but Künstler is one of the few who consistently succeeds. Delightful for its lemon and sugar aromas and flavors and overall balance – not overpowering. - 92 Points

2001 Hochheimer Reichestal Riesling Kabinett – Is simply brilliant, with a smoky, ripe, exotic fruit nose, and a round, ripe mouth with a red and purple plums, raciness and balance. - 93 Points

2001 Hochheimer Kirchenstück Riesling Spätlese – Is racy with plum fruit, real soul, and depth. - 95 Points

2001 Hochheimer Kirchenstück Riesling Eiswein – The wine is pure, crystalline, and deep, but not showing terribly sweet right now because of the great acidity. It is perfectly balanced, though. - 97 Points

Wegeler (Rheingau)
With Oliver Haag, son of Wilhelm Haag of the Fritz Haag estate, working here, it is no surprise that there is outstanding quality.

2001 Wegeler Estate Riesling Medium-Dry – Perfumed, wild flower aromas, followed by a round, dense mouth with vegetal (not negative) flavors. Give this wine a year or two, and you should have a great bargain. - 90 Points

2001 Wegeler Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Spätlese – Although still quite closed, is layered with great length. Hold this wine 8-10 years, and you should have a beauty. - 94 Points

2001 Wegeler Geisenheimer Rothenberg Riesling Auslese – Is dense, ripe, and round with classic yellow plum fruit. With time, it should even be better. - 94+ Points

Robert Weil

2001 Robert Weil Estate Riesling Dry – Has very stony aromas, purity and clarity to its ripe, but stony fruit flavors, length, and no astringency. Here is a bargain from an estate where the more celebrated wines are not cheap. - 91 Points

2001 Robert Weil Estate Kabinett Riesling Medium-Dry – Has hazelnut aromas, followed by penetrating, nervous apricot pit fruit in the mouth. - 91 Points

2001 Robert Weil Estates Riesling Spätlese – Shows pure, deep, pure plum fruit, and is astonishingly fine.
- 94 Points

Gunderloch
Fritz Hasselbach, the brilliant winemaker and husband of owner of the estate describes 2001 as a good year, saying that he believes that 1992 was the finest year here. That not withstanding, he has a fabulous collection in 2001, supplying continuing justification for this as one of Germany’s greatest estates.

2001 Gunderloch Estate Riesling Dry – Is an amazing QbA. The peach aromas are followed by a body with excellent acidity and depth to the lovely, long, crystalline peach fruit. - 91 Points

2001 Gunderloch "Jean Baptiste" Riesling Kabinett – Is bottled partly in screwcaps to see if the American market will go for it. Let’s hope that it will. Relatively dry, the wine shows peach fruit that is generous and harmonious, and fills the mouth, but has the requisite nervosity to pull everything together. Admirable length. - 92 Points

2001 Gunderloch Nackenheimer Rothenberg Riesling Spätlese – Is the estate’s signature wine, and this is one of the great ones.  Just a baby for now, the wine has apricot fruit of great purity, depth, and balance – the factors of a great wine, but which one cannot put into words. - 96 Points

2001 Gunderloch Nackenheimer Rothenberg Riesling Auslese – At the next exalted level is the Nackenheimer Rothenberg Auslese.  The wine is similarly deep and pure with tightly wound apricot fruit. I’d treasure this beauty for 10-12 years before opening it. - 96 Points

2001 Gunderloch Nackenheimer Rothenberg Riesling Gold Cap Auslese (GKA) – As a fabulous as the regular Auslese is, the Nackenheimer Rothenberg GKA is even more stunning.  The wine is sweeter and more intense in its spicy apricot fruit than the foregoing, but without going over the top.
- 98 Points

von Buhl

2001 von Buhl "Maria Schneider Jazz" Riesling Spätlese Dry – Bears a special label in honor of the jazz arranger and composer who is a friend of both the importer and the estate. The wine’s fruit is shy now, but it should be worth waiting for as the acidity and balance otherwise are there. - 90 Points

2001 von Buhl Pechstein (Forst) Riesling “Grosses Gewächs” – Has lovely apple aromas, followed on the palate by purity of fruit and balance. I’d wait 2 – 4 years to start drinking this beauty. - 92 Points

2001 von Buhl Kirchenstück (Forst) Riesling “Grosses Gewächs” – From what is widely considered the greatest vineyard in the Pfalz (I am in that camp), is a paragon of purity with its mineral lime fruit.
- 93 Points

2001 von Buhl "Maria Schneider Jazz" Riesling Medium-Dry – The wine is floral in the nose with penetrating violet flavors and nervosity. I would drink this wine over the next few years, but during the period, it should give great pleasure. - 91 Points

2001 von Buhl “Armand” Riesling Kabinett – May be the finest that I have had from this estate. It is chewy, deep, and nervy, with a roundness and Pfalz earthy minerality, plus fine length.
- 93 Points

Pfeffingen
This may be the bargain estate of the vintage, as well as one of the finest. I can’t think of anywhere else that you can find a $12 Riesling as good as this trocken.

2001 Pfeffingen Estate Riesling Dry – The wine is rich and chewy with outstanding apricot and pit fruit. - 92 Points

2001 Pfeffingen Weilberg (Ungstein) Riesling “Grosses Gewächs” – Is round, balanced, stony, and penetrating. - 92 Points

2001 Pfeffingen “Pfeffo” Riesling Kabinett Medium-Dry – Has walnut aromas, and is dense, concentrated, and chewy, but closed on the palate. Wait 1 – 3 years for this wine. - 89+ Points

2001 Pfeffingen Ungsteiner Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese – Is firm with pure, clear, deep, earthy apricot. - 95 Points

2001 Pfeffingen Ungsteiner Herrenberg Scheurebe Spätlese – Shows roses and petroleum in the nose, good signs for a young Scheu. In the mouth, the wine is sweet but balanced with concentration and a chewy texture. - 94 Points

2001 Pfeffingen Ungsteiner Herrenberg Scheurebe Auslese – Is an incredible value. The wine has lime, mineral aromas, followed in the mouth by a pure, BA-like apricot / petrol fruit. Impressive now, it should really astound if served in 10 – 15 years. - 95 Points

Wirsching
One of the greatest Franconian estates, and excellent value.

2001 Wirsching Estate Silvaner dry– The Silvaner trocken has mineral aromas. In the mouth, it has a fine attack from the acidity, beautiful, clarity, and oily texture, and typical Sylvaner sourness. This is great Franconian Sylvaner that many other fine estate have not shown me in 2001.
- 90 Points

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