Germany: Ten Years After – 2004 Dry Riesling

In Germany, the annual tasting covered here is better known as the Bernhard Breuer Trophy, in memory of the visionary winemaker from Rüdesheim who brought dry and off-dry, back to critical attention in the early 1980s. While I had already been organizing this event for several years beforehand as a “Ten Years After” tasting to assess how the dry Rieslings from the previous decade were developing, I changed the name to honor one of Germany’s major wine personalities, who died unexpectedly at the age of only 57 on May 19, 2004.

I had long been looking forward to opening a serious collection of 2004s, as it was a vintage that I have always enjoyed. And I was anything but disappointed. More so than even in 2002, 2001 or 1998, this tasting proved that Riesling must be counted among the great dry wines of the world. Further, at a time when few of these wines are given the chance to age, the tasting showed how well they mature in bottle. Yes, as with Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, most producers here still make Rieslings that are intended to be little more than charming in their youth, but the concept of Grosses Gewächs (Grand Cru) has given others the confidence to bottle wines meant to be laid down. Of course, many of these wines were still known as Riesling Spätlese Trocken Grosses Gewächs at that time, but I have left out the Riesling Spätlese Trocken in the descriptions below, preferring to use the nomenclature that is standard today.

After the overblown 2003s, most producers were happy a decade ago with the lively fruit and invigorating acidity that were the backbone of the dry 2004 Rieslings in their youth. Yields were generally high, though, and only those estates that kept production in check and harvested late were able to obtain full physiological maturity. The resulting wines were perhaps not as consistently good across the board, but at their best they were certainly better than the 2003s and, as this tasting showed, capable of maturing with dignity.

All of the wines I tasted came from the respective estates’ own stocks. Although some—and in particular those from the Rheingau—have lost a touch of their youthful exuberance, perhaps in some cases due to poor storage, I rated quite a number of the others higher than I had a decade ago, at the time of their release. That does not happen often. Any consumer who had written off this vintage should rethink his or her options. I would like to have more of them in my cellar.

The barrel room at Weingut Wittmann

2004 Breuer Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg Riesling (Rheingau): Lively aromas of apricot, bosc pear and toasted almond. Still firm to the point of austerity, with an exotic peach flavor complemented by rich, salty minerality. While still youthfully closed, this displays superb length and polish. Without doubt the best dry Riesling from the Rheingau in 2004. 92.

2004 Dr. Bürklin-Wolf Forster Jesuitengarten Riesling GC (Pfalz): Fine aromas of white peach and sage, with a smoky earthiness. Glossy, dense apricot pit fruit with sweet herbal inflections animate the palate. Opulent and deep, with a spicy, juicy quality extending the impressively long finish. Another fine effort by this estate. When Bürklin-Wolf fires on all cylinders, few producers can top these wines. 91.

2004 Dr. Bürklin-Wolf Forster Kirchenstück Riesling GC (Pfalz): Ethereal, rich aromas of dried apricot, toasted hazelnut, herbs and bacon fat. Profoundly concentrated and unctuous, with deep, fleshy yellow fruit flavors leavened by an exhilarating juiciness. Impeccably balanced, decidedly elegant and formidably long on the aftertaste, this Riesling showed so much better than it had in its youth. It stood head and shoulders above the competition. 96.

2004 Dr. Bürklin-Wolf Forster Pechstein Riesling GC (Pfalz): Smoky aromas of peach pit, almond and clove. The ripe, crisp apricot flavor is kept quite firm by the wine's salty, mineral frame. The savory, very long finish brings nut oils into play. Elegant and sophisticated, this is Pechstein at its best. I saw it as almost at the same level of quality as the Kirchenstück ten years ago. But while Pechstein has retained its innate vibrancy and elegance, Kirchenstück has taken on a new dimension. 93.

2004 Christmann Deidesheimer Hohenmorgen Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Pfalz): Lively aromas of white peach and acacia blossom, with a hint of citrus. Offers excellent drive on the palate, showing a vibrant apricot pit flavor and almost chalky acidity. Still a touch austere, this dry Riesling boasts provocative depth and excellent length. Often underrated in its youth, the Hohenmorgen has emerged to show its true potential. 91.

2004 Christmann Gimmeldinger Mandelgarten Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Pfalz): Vibrant aromas of apricot, toasted almond and lemon oil. The nicely polished peach flavor and understated minerality are laced with smoky nut oil. Full-bodied yet graceful, this dry Riesling still shows nice length and is aging gracefully. 89.

2004 Christmann Königsbacher Idig Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Pfalz): Intense aromas of apricot pit, lemon zest and clove oil. The exuberant peach fruit and textural richness are driven by a salty minerality that lingers on the finish. With its unctuous richness, excellent depth, tantalizing spice character and uncommon length, this has generally been my favorite of the mature Idigs. 91+?

2004 Diel Dorsheimer Burgberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Nahe): Discreet aromas of tropical fruits, wisteria and grapefruit zest. Intense, full-bodied fruit still muscles its way over the palate, then gives way to a flinty minerality that masks the wine’s depth. Rich and highly concentrated on the finish. This dry Riesling was quite closed in its youth. While it has aged well, the current vintages from Caroline Diel are even better. 90.

2004 Diel Dorsheimer Pittermännchen Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Nahe): Slightly faded aromas of white peach, acacia blossom and sweet spices. Crisp, almost crunchy pear fruit, along with a subtle saltiness, still give this wine a certain vibrancy. Finishes pure and clean, with a lingering spicy character. Generally the most elegant of this estate’s dry Rieslings, it was probably fresher a few years ago. The Burgberg has held up noticeably better. 88.

2004 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Nahe): Rich berry fruit, lemon oil and smoked almond on the nose. Spicy peach on the palate, which displays creamy weight, velvety texture and bright minerality. An elegant crispness lingers on the finish. 92.

2004 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Lay Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Nahe): Vibrant aromas of spiced pear, sweet herbs and nut oils. Dense and silky in the mouth, with finely nuanced tropical fruit flavors perfectly balanced by salty minerality. Pure, savory, sophisticated and extremely long. A great dry Riesling, this was one of my favorites when it was released and is just now beginning to peak. I wish that I still had a few bottles in my cellar. 94.

2004 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Nahe): Stately aromas of white peach, hazelnut and sweet spices. This wine's crisp yet dense apricot fruit, along with its subtle saltiness, still provide it with a lively character. With excellent depth, it finishes pure and clean, with lingering spice character. The third of Werner Schönleber’s dry Rieslings in this tasting, it has always been the easiest to drink and is certainly now at its peak. 90.

2004 Geheimer Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan Forster Kirchenstück Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Pfalz): Subdued aromas of dried apricot, fig and cinnamon. Unctuous and impressively deep, with a succulent papaya flavor still dominating the palate. Wonderfully balanced wine, with an elegant spiciness providing a final flourish on the very long aftertaste. Aristocratic. 92.

2004 Johannishof Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Erstes Gewächs (Rheingau): Warming aromas of apricot pit, lemon oil and woodsmoke. The luscious tropical fruits still suffuse the palate in layers of flavor. Pure minerality, wonderful depth and enormous extract were the hallmarks of this wine in its youth. At that time, I thought it was one of the finest dry Rieslings of the vintage, but it has matured more quickly than many of its peers. Drink up. 89.

2004 Keller Westhofener Kirchspiel Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Rheinhessen): Vibrant aromas of white peach, sweet lime and persimmon. The crisp, clean structure belies the intense weight of invigorating, ethereal fruit. A fine smoky, salty minerality provides endless, elegant length. This is always the most feminine of Klaus Peter Keller’s dry Rieslings and the one that drank best in its youth. It is still my favorite. Like fine Pinot Noir, great dry Riesling is often seductive before bottling, appealing in its early years, and sometimes even more charming with age. 94.

2004 Keller Riesling G-Max (Rheinhessen): Expansive aromas of musky peach, lemon oil and passion fruit. The dense, explosive fruit is packed into an almost perfect acid structure that intrigues, charms and refreshes the palate. The complex finish is multilayered, still surprisingly youthful and astoundingly long. Ten years ago, I thought that this was the dry Riesling of the vintage. Was this a poor bottle? Or is this Riesling perhaps still in the throes of puberty? 93.

2004 Keller Dalsheimer Hubacker Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Rheinhessen): Subtle aromas of white peach, sweet lime and persimmon. Invigorating fruit shows very good drive in the mouth. The wine's salty minerality still masks its depth of fruit but adds complexity to the finish. After ten years in bottle, this Riesling no longer has the sheer exuberance that it showed in its youth, but has found an inner balance that makes it delicious to drink. 92.

2004 Keller Westhofener Morstein Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Rheinhessen): Opulent aromas of ripe apricot, dried herbs and smoke. The creamy texture and expansive flavor are still held in check by a discreet acid structure that will enable this Riesling to evolve further over the next few years. The most masculine Riesling from this estate, with smoked almond and a persistent spiciness lingering on the finish, the Morstein has nonetheless not quite evolved the way that I had expected. It was one of my favorites a decade ago, but today I find the subtlety of the Kirchspiel more exhilarating. With four dry Rieslings rating among the finest of the vintage, Klaus Peter Keller clearly emerged at this time as a force to be reckoned with. 92.

2004 Künstler Hochheimer Hölle Riesling Gold Capsule (Rheingau): Diffuse aromas of white peach, lemon zest and sweet herbs. The fruit extract is still quite austere but no longer lifted by the once-complex acidity. A wine of noticeable depth, but without the lively charm of its youth. 88.

2004 Laible Durbacher Plauelrain Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Baden): White peach, smoked meat and salted almond on the nose. Suave and velvety in texture, with mature apricot fruit that is no longer quite so lifted by the zesty acidity of its youth. The salty minerality on the finish long kept this wine alive, but it is now beginning to fade. 88.

2004 Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling (Rheingau): Aging aromas of yellow plum, cherry blossom and nut oil. Still rich and creamy in texture, with spice and lemon zest bringing a refreshing lift on the palate, but no longer as monolithic as it once was. Although a pleasure to drink, it does not have the depth of the old-vines bottling from the same site. 88.

2004 Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Alte Reben (Rheingau): Subtle aromas of papaya, brioche and bacon fat. A rich, dense passion fruit flavor is still perked up by minerality, but the wine is now a touch broad-shouldered. This distinguished, long wine was one of the stars of the vintage in its youth but is now showing the wrinkles of age. 89.

2004 Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg Riesling (Rheingau): Discreet aromas of white peach, lemon oil and oyster shell. The palate delivers pure fruit with subtle minerality, but without the austerity the wine showed in its youth. Finishes with nice length but not quite the verve of the old-vines bottling from the same site. 88.

2004 Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg Riesling Alte Reben (Rheingau): Peach pit, lemon oil and soy on the nose. Sweet yellow plum, toasted almond and salty minerality combine in a dense but somewhat herbal wine. Still quite poised on the finish, it has nonetheless lost some of its youthful charm. 89.

2004 Mosbacher Forster Pechstein Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Pfalz): Lively aromas of white peach, clove and mineral salts. Taut, spicy pit fruit flavors and brilliant acidity have long made this Riesling stand out in the Pfalz. Wonderfully deep and long but also quite ethereal, it was always my favorite among the 2004s from Mosbacher but is now beginning to show the first signs of age. Drink now. 90.

2004 Pfeffingen Ungsteiner Weilberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Pfalz): Ripe aromas of candied grapefruit, roasted almond and mineral salts. The rich, unctuous tropical fruit flavors now overshadow the wine’s smoky minerality. Dense and still quite long, but I had expected more from this dry Riesling, having marked it considerably higher a decade ago. 88.

2004 Rebholz Birkweiler Kastanienbusch Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Pfalz): Smoky aromas of apricot pit, quince and mineral salts. The rich, dense peach pit flavor is framed by a bright saline minerality that also adds complexity. Enormously deep wine with a refreshing spice character and stunning length. Still a touch austere, this was one of the finest dry Rieslings of the vintage in its youth. Back then it was still known as a ‘Spätlese Trocken’. 92+?

2004 Horst Sauer Eschendorfer Lump Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Franken): The once exuberant aromas of ripe apricot, sweet lime and herbal spices have begun to fade. Subtle fruit and creamy texture are still apparent, but the weight now trumps the wine’s fruit complexity. This was once my favorite dry Riesling from Franken but it’s now only a shadow of its former self. 86.

2004 Schäfer-Fröhlich Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Nahe): Delicate blackcurrant and lemon balm along with a floral nuance on the nose. Full and dense on the palate yet juicy and invigorating. A concentrated, long finish highlights the depth and minerality of this wine, whose potential I had slightly underrated a decade ago. 92.

2004 Schäfer-Fröhlich Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Nahe): Lively aromas of nectarine, honeysuckle and anise seed. Shows an almost chewy texture along with a minerality that’s like licking stone; the fruit and mineral elements are nicely interwoven. With its superb purity and complexity on the lingering finish, this Riesling is still very similar to the one I remember ten years ago. 91.

2004 Schloss Neuweier Neuweier Mauerberg Goldenes Loch Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Baden): Subtle aromas of white peach, persimmon and musk. The once juicy apricot flavor now shows more weight than clarity, but the citrussy acidity is still present. Like that of neighbor Andreas Laible, the two Rieslings from Baden have both seen better days. 85.

2004 Spreitzer Hattenheimer Wisselbrunnen Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Rheingau): Floral aromas mingle with white peach and a hint of oyster shell. The texture is delicately creamy, with the palate displaying an almost nutty flavor. The subtle but impressively long finish ends on an uplifting salty note. While still lively and elegant, this dry Riesling was probably better three years ago. 90.

2004 Von Volxem Kanzemer Altenberg Riesling Alte Reben (Saar): Rich, almost oily, on the palate, with an impressively bright, clear peach skin flavor. Offers an enticing juxtaposition of restrained residual sugar, bracing acidity and piquant minerality on the finish. A Riesling of rare breed, this may not be quite dry but that does nothing to diminish its character. 91.

2004 Von Volxem Wiltinger Gottesfuss Riesling Alte Reben (Saar): Aromas of tropical fruits, persimmon and smoky spices. Concentrated apricot fruit and subtle minerality still animate the palate. Rich and still rather complex on the finish, this wine was long reminiscent of an off-dry Riesling from the Pfalz but has not matured as well as the Altenberg. 88.

2004 Wegeler Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg Erstes Gewächs (Rheingau): Subtle aromas of apricot pit, persimmon and laurel. At once incredibly dense, crisp and clean, showing an expansive texture to the ripe peach fruit and a refreshing minerality on the back of the palate. Finishes weighty and intensely spicy. In its youth, this was one of the most stunning dry Rieslings of the vintage. While it’s still charming, I had expected it to be even better. 91.

2004 Wegeler Winkeler Jesuitengarten Riesling Erstes Gewächs (Rheingau): Withdrawn aromas of white peach, acacia blossom and lemon zest. Densely packed, with a fruit character verging on exotic, along with notes of oyster shell spiciness and a touch of hyacinth. In spite of its sheer weight, this wine danced across the palate in its youth, with a long, thirst-quenching finish. It may have been better a year or two ago, but it is still a pleasure to drink. 90.

2004 Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Erstes Gewächs (Rheingau): Subtle aromas of yellow plum, lemon oil and bay leaf. Discreet yellow fruit with stony minerality, but slowly losing some of its once-impressive grip. Full-bodied though not heavy, this dry Riesling still has a nicely spiced finish but no longer the vibrant exuberance of its youth. From experience, I had expected this wine to show better. 88.

2004 Wittmann Westhofener Kirchspiel Grosses Gewächs (Rheinhessen): Subdued aromas of apricot, vanilla and fennel. The supple tropical fruit flavors are characterized more by elegance than by depth, but the wine still possesses a fascinating complexity. Offers alluring spice on the seductive, long finish. This is the more feminine of these two grand crus from Wittmann and was certainly the more flattering wine to drink in its youth. That said, it has held up better than I had expected. 91.

2004 Wittmann Westhofener Morstein Riesling Grosses Gewächs (Rheinhessen): Deep aromas of wild peach and sweet lime, with a touch of cinnamon. The intense, deep fruit and perfectly balanced acidity combine to create a texture like velvet. The sheer weight and uplifting spice character linger impressively on the aftertaste. This has always been the more masculine of Wittmann’s grand crus and clearly the long-distance runner. Twice in recent vintages the winner of this competition, the 2004 captured the silver medal. 94.

Photo Credit: Weingut Wittmann

-- Joel B. Payne

Content

Engage

Vinous

Social