Recently, I had the urge to clean. I started with the baseboards, and then started moving furniture. When I got to the bar, I realized I couldn’t move it without cleaning it off. We have a fully stocked bar at home. Vodka, gin, scotch, bourbon, cordials, we have it all. However, we don’t drink mixed drinks very often. So, I decided to pare down and organize.
While doing that cleaning, I discovered several bottles of Riesling that I inherited from my grandfather. For those of you who don’t know me, I was brought into the wine world by my grandfather. He was a connoisseur who truly loved wine – from Bordeaux to white Burgundy to fine sherry and port, and most importantly, good German Riesling. While I grew up enjoying the Germans with him, for the most part, I got away from them when I got into the wine industry. Instead, I was discovering Spanish wines, great Rhones, and values from the central coast of California.
When Grandpa died in 2003, I very much missed sharing my wine discoveries with him, but I also inherited a lot of wonderful wine. There was a lot of German Riesling. And, although I shared it with other oenophiles, I couldn’t go through it all. I found some bottles from before I was born that didn’t quite make it – the bottles were leaking and the corks disintegrated. I decided to get rid of them, although it was hard. And then, when I was opening one, I got a whiff as I started to pour it out. It was lovely, and I stopped. It was a Weingut Rheingrafenhof Bacchus Spatese 1993. The color was so dark golden, it looked like apple juice. But the bouquet, the taste, it was as fresh as it can be.
Let me backtrack for a moment. I am not a fan of sweet wine, I don’t care for sweet drinks in general- no sweet tea, fruit juice, or even Caramel Macchiatos, but I wanted to give this wine a chance. So, I put it in the fridge and waited to revisit it. It didn’t disappoint. The bouquet was all about honeysuckle, dried apricots and tobacco. The palate was full of dried apples, raw honey, cigar box, peaches, and a wonderful, vibrant streak of acidity that impresses for a wine that is 18 years old. The finish lingers with fresh fig, and just a touch of tangerine. It is almost certain you won’t be able to find this wine. I had a tough time even finding current vintages, but this review is to remind – or let you know – how wonderful aged Riesling can be. The grape itself has amazing structure and acidity, and in the hands of a skilled vigneron, it can have a very long life.
I still have some long-lived bottles from my grandfather. I am reminded that I can’t wait to share them with people who are interested in giving this noble grape a chance.
