Wine Advocate (97)

The 2019 Riesling Auslese Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle is crystalline and flinty on the precise, ethereal and bright nose that represents the terroir of the Hermannshöhle beautifully and irresistibly. On the palate, this is a highly finessed, filigreed, playful and delicate Auslese with stimulating piquancy and salinity on the weightless and frisky but elegant finish. This is a fascinating Auslese with great detail and precision. Personally, I even prefer this clear and bright version (AP 17 20) to the richer, sweeter and more concentrated one that will be auctioned (AP 19 20) and possibly has the greater aging potential. However, both will live longer than I will anyway. Tasted in May 2020.

James Suckling (99)

What a nose! This smells like essence of peach with a delicate, floral-honey overtone. Seems to vibrate on the palate, thanks to the staggering minerality and totally vibrant acidity. Extremely complex and energetic finish that goes on and on. Very limited production. From organically grown grapes with Fair'n Green certification. Drink or hold.

Vinous (95)

From an old parcel in the Hermannshöhle whose vines are still single post-trained, this auctioned bottling (representing the contents of a 600-liter Halbstück) delivers a highly aromatic and luscious amalgam of white peach, pink grapefruit and Persian melon not unlike that familiar from its A.P. #12 counterpart. Suggestions of nut pastes complemented by candied citrus rind are also present. But this boasts a yet creamier texture, greater delicacy, and a more complex and mouthwatering mineral savor, allied to raw scallop-like sweetness and salinity.

James Suckling (100)

Hit me with a flower! This starts very delicately with an incredibly subtle nose of fresh and dried flowers. Then comes the enormously concentrated yet totally filigree palate, which dazzles the senses with its thousand nuances and almost endless, super-silky finish. Decades of aging potential. From organically grown grapes with Fair'n Green certification. Drink or hold.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 2018 Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Auslese is perfectly clear and fresh but still intense and concentrated on the spicy and complex nose. Lush and piquant on the palate, this is a fresh, stunningly pure and playful Brücke that is singing and dancing on the knife's edge. Fabulous in its purity, tension and finesse. Nevertheless, there is the ripeness you can expect from an Auslese. Tasted in July 2019.

James Suckling (98)

So pure, cool and refined on the nose and a spectacular interplay of ripeness and crystalline brilliance on the palate. Super crisp, super long finish that's so delicate. From organically grown grapes with Fair'n Green certification. Wait, if you can, for this to really open up in 2023 or 2024. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (97)

If you dream of the great German rieslings of the 1970s and 1980s, then this is a wine for you, even though it is riper and more concentrated than those icons of the past. In spite of the abundant generosity, this has a very long, distinctly cool finish. From organically grown grapes with Fair'n Green certification. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (97)

Wonderful white-peach, mandarin and orange-blossom nose that also has something dark and “earthy” behind all the charm. So much depth and energy that it makes your bones rattle! Staggering intensity at the vibrant, lemony finish. The grape sweetness is there, but way in the background. From organically grown grapes with Fair'n Green certification. Drink or hold.

Wine Spectator (97)

This young Port has superb grip. A mouthpuckering monster with masses of fruit and tannins, it has wonderful ripe, grapey aromas that carry through to the palate. Truly one of the great Dows. Best after 2010. 13,000 cases made.

Wine Spectator (99)

Powerful, refined and luscious, with a surplus of dark plum, kirsch and cassis flavors that are unctuous and long. Shows plenty of grip, presenting a long, full finish, filled with Asian spice and raspberry tart accents. Rich and chocolaty. One for the ages. Best from 2030 through 2060. 5,000 cases made. -KM

Wine Spectator (98)

This packs a lot of fun, with a wallop of blackberry, fig, boysenberry and açai berry compote flavors working together, laced with a mouthwatering licorice snap note and driven by a fresh, well-detailed finish. A roasted apple wood accent is integrated as well, lending textural contrast through the vivacious finish. Best from 2030 through 2055. 350 cases made

Wine Spectator (98)

This packs a lot of fun, with a wallop of blackberry, fig, boysenberry and açai berry compote flavors working together, laced with a mouthwatering licorice snap note and driven by a fresh, well-detailed finish. A roasted apple wood accent is integrated as well, lending textural contrast through the vivacious finish. Best from 2030 through 2055. 350 cases made

Vinous (98)

The 2017 Dow’s Vintage Port showed a slight reduction and required more time to really open in the glass. Typical of Dow’s it has a more backward and introspective bouquet compared to its peers, scents of blackberry, clove, wild mint, cassis and vanilla, gradually gaining more intensity with aeration. The palate is simply glorious. It is built around a compelling tannic frame that seems finer than any Dow’s I have encountered apart from the ethereal 2011. There is so much energy coiled up in this Port, a sense of symmetry that is enthralling and yet you just know that it needs to be cellared for 15-20 years for it to reveal its full potential. For serious Port-lovers. One of the vintages most cerebral offerings. Total production is 5,250 cases.

Vinous (98)

The 2017 Dow’s Vintage Port showed a slight reduction and required more time to really open in the glass. Typical of Dow’s it has a more backward and introspective bouquet compared to its peers, scents of blackberry, clove, wild mint, cassis and vanilla, gradually gaining more intensity with aeration. The palate is simply glorious. It is built around a compelling tannic frame that seems finer than any Dow’s I have encountered apart from the ethereal 2011. There is so much energy coiled up in this Port, a sense of symmetry that is enthralling and yet you just know that it needs to be cellared for 15-20 years for it to reveal its full potential. For serious Port-lovers. One of the vintages most cerebral offerings. Total production is 5,250 cases.

Wine Advocate (95+)

The 2019 Erdener Prälat Riesling Auslese (Gold Capsule) is concentrated, fresh and pure on the intense and complex nose that reveals a delicate and crystalline slate aroma. Lush and piquant on the palate, this is a highly delicate, finessed and stimulatingly salty Auslese with precise and perfectly ripe, elegant fruit. A fabulous Prälat, tasted from AP 59 20 in September 2020. 9% alcohol.

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2019 Erdener Treppchen Riesling GG Alte Reben comes from two very old plots adjacent the Prälat (the upper part of the former original Treppchen and the lower Herzlay) that have never been replanted since long before World War I. It shows a clear, intense yet subtle and deep, highly complex but also refined bouquet of very fine red slate and herbal aromas as well as perfectly clear and elegant Riesling fruits. Silky textured, highly finessed and perfectly balanced on the palate, this is a very intense and juicy, enormously long and concentrated yet finessed and mouthwatering Treppchen with the crystalline grip of broken slate and the intensity and complexity of biblical vines in a great terroir. The 2019 Treppchen is arguably the finest dry wine I have ever tasted from Ernie Loosen. Highly recommended. Tasted at the domain in September 2020.

Wine Advocate (94+)

The 2019 Graacher Domprobst Riesling GG is coolish and slatey on the darker-toned, aromatic, slightly flinty and very elegant nose that reveals perfectly ripe apricot and more lush stone fruit aromas with notes of slate oil. Finely classy on the the first attack, this is a filigreed yet substantial, tensioned and enormously long and salty Dompobst with a kiss of sweetness that should be entirely integrated after 5 or so years of bottle aging. Tasted at the domain in September 2020.

Wine Advocate (96+)

From volcanic soils, the 2019 Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling GG Alte Reben is beautifully clear, fresh and subtle on the precise and highly finessed bouquet of slate, iodine and herbal scents. The warm and elegant Riesling fruit intertwined with very fine herbal notes represents the very best of this exceptional grand cru in its original, much smaller size. Almost entirely sourced from the Urglück, this is a lush and intense, enormously powerful yet restrained and slatey Würzgarten GG with crystalline acidity that leads to a long, intense and still slightly astringent finish with refreshing lemon features. This wine is still developing and has the potential to become another giant of the vintage. Tasted at the domain in September 2020.

Wine Advocate (96)

From vines planted in 1911 or earlier in the Laichen lieu-dit, Loosen's 2019 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling GG Alte Reben is sylphlike, highly delicate and fine in its multilayered, fruity, floral and crunchy/flinty bouquet that reveals very fine slate aromas and even salty notes. Absolutely fabulous! Silky textured, lush and generous yet highly finessed, this is an intense yet subtle, pure and minerally fresh Riesling from one of the Mosel's finest vineyard. The finish is long, fresh, piquant and sustainably structured as well as salty. Irresistible. Tasted at the domain in September 2020.

Vinous (90)

Cheesy post-fermentative notes mingle with sweaty and musky scents to give the nose an intriguing cast, but one that many tasters will not find enticing. With that come overripe pear and faded lily perfume. The palate is glossy and lush though naturally alcoholically light, with inner-mouth perfume accentuating the decadent impression conveyed by the wine’s pear and quince fruit. The unabashedly sweet finish is impressive for sheer persistence, but lacks the freshness delivered by the corresponding Spätlese A.P. #3 or the salinity exhibited by the Spätlese A.P. #4. This reminds me of what I consider the more typical Thanisch Doctor Spätlesen and Auslesen of a decade or two ago: wines that gained definition and enhanced complexity with bottle age, but in their youth showed decadently overripe and surprisingly soft.

Vinous (91)

The cooling mint and incisive nips of cress observed in some other Thanisch bottlings from this vintage are, rather surprisingly, also present in a Doctor wine, as is downright refreshing primary juiciness. That said, the opulently ripe fruit character – tending toward honeydew and Persian melons – as well as musky narcissus scents and textural richness on a glycerol-slicked palate are all typical Doctor. The sustained finish, modest in sweetness, perpetuates a combination of caress with stimulation and of richness with refreshment.

Vinous (90)

Ripe quince and Golden Delicious apple are wreathed in musky narcissus and tinged with pungency of bruised apple skin on a nose that foreshadows the almost decadently ripe fruit and inner-mouth perfume, but also the counterpoint of chew and piquancy, that emerges on the polished, buoyant palate. Fresh lime injects welcome juiciness and animation to a lusciously lingering finish where high residual sugar is held in check. Interestingly for a vintage in which many growers found it challenging to capture ripeness at a must weight appropriate to Kabinett, the volume of this bottling slightly exceeds the aggregate volume of the present collection’s two Doctor Spätlesen.

Vinous (90)

Persian melon and pear tinged with spearmint on the nose translate into succulence on a subtly creamy, sorbet-like palate. The soothingly sustained finish is coolingly mint-laced. Will greater complexity or a mineral dimension emerge with time in bottle?

Immerse yourself in the exquisite finesse of Dr Thanisch Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Spatlese Auktion 2008, a gem hailing from the prestigious Mosel region of Germany. This single vineyard Riesling, crafted by the distinguished Thanisch estate that has commendably maintained centuries-old traditions, represents pure hedonistic pleasure for the discerning palate.

The Dr Thanisch Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Spatlese Auktion 2008 emanates a captivating bouquet of exotic fruits, layered with notes of honey and refined minerality. Its perfectly balanced sweetness and acidity tantalise the palate, ensuring a prolonged finish of sublime complexity.

Aged in traditional large oak foudres, this remarkable wine showcases the brilliance of the legendary Bernkasteler Doctor vineyard's slate-rich soils. Elegant and alluring, the Dr Thanisch Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Spatlese Auktion 2008 is a testament to the extraordinary harmony of time, terroir, and craftsmanship. A sublime classic that amplifies the timeless allure of quality German Riesling.

The Dr Thanisch Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Spatlese Auktion 2011 is a quintessence of premium Mosel winemaking techniques. Exquisitely hailing from the prestigious Doctor vineyard in Bernkastel, it epitomises Dr. Thanisch's commitment to capturing the essence of terroir in every bottle. The distinct slate soil imbues the grapes with a remarkable mineral complexity, whilst the 'Spatlese' denomination illustrates a late harvest selection, emphasising the enticing balance of intensity and delicate sweetness.

The riesling grapes undergo meticulous hand-picking, followed by a gentle pressing process, ensuring only the highest quality juices are fermented in traditional century old Fuder barrels. One is assailed by charming notes of ripe apricot, apple, and exotic fruits harmoniously melded with a sophisticated minerality and riveting acidity. The Dr Thanisch Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Spatlese Auktion 2011 exemplifies an unrivalled vintage, enabling wine connoisseurs to indulge in a sensory journey of Mosel grandeur.

Vinous (92+)

Apricot pit, lime zest and clove on the beguiling nose. The delicate nectarine fruit and creamy texture are held aloft by nutmeg and mineral salts. Bright and lively wine, with a slatey element providing spice on a long, enticing finish. This in my favorite Riesling in this year's line-up.

Vinous (92+)

Apricot pit, lime zest and clove on the beguiling nose. The delicate nectarine fruit and creamy texture are held aloft by nutmeg and mineral salts. Bright and lively wine, with a slatey element providing spice on a long, enticing finish. This in my favorite Riesling in this year's line-up.

From the revered vineyards of Mosel, Germany, the Dr Thanisch Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Spatlese Auktion 2016 is an enchanting manifestation of rich heritage and exceptional winemaking craft. Crafted by the esteemed Dr. Thanisch estate, famous for their unwavering commitment to quality and exclusivity, this captivating Riesling is sourced from their esteemed "Doctor" vineyard, an illustrious site steeped in wine history. The 2016 vintage is enticingly fruit-rich, offering a bouquet of ripe apricots, tangerines, and a hint of mineral imparted by their unique blue Devonian slate soil.

Grown under optimal conditions, these late-harvest 'Spatlese' grapes yield a wine paramount in complexity and longevity. With meticulous vinification, the resultant Riesling captivates the palette with strikingly balanced flavors of concentrated fruit and razor-sharp acidity. Experience the divine allure of Dr Thanisch Bernkasteler Doctor Riesling Spatlese Auktion 2016—a true embodiment of German wine elegance.

Vinous (94)

The 2019 Girl Next Door is pure Syrah with 50% whole bunch. It has a fresh bouquet of raspberry preserve, wild strawberry, cracked white pepper and cloves, all beautifully defined and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fine acidity and superb structure and density toward the finish, which will clearly require 24 months to open up. One of Duncan Savage’s best this vintage.