1971 Staatsweingut Eltville Rauenthaler Langenstück Riesling Spätlese
BY NEAL MARTIN |
My adoration for any bottle of wine born the same year as myself is well-known. I sound like a broken record proselytizing the 1971 vintage. But then a bottle sashays along and vindicates my opinion, reconfirming that this is such a trove of outstanding bottles, arguably none more so than Germany. This example was generously provided by a friend, Mark Savage MW, at a Riesling/Syrah-themed dinner at The Good Earth in Wandsworth, a highly recommended Chinese restaurant. In halcyon days, German wines had equal cachet as Bordeaux, prices often on par with the top Grand Cru Classés. Received wisdom is that 1971 is the best German vintage of the decade, arguably one of the great 20th-century vintages for Riesling that shine as bright as the day they were born.
My adoration for any bottle of wine born the same year as myself is well-known. I sound like a broken record proselytizing the 1971 vintage. But then a bottle sashays along and vindicates my opinion, reconfirming that this is such a trove of outstanding bottles, arguably none more so than Germany.
