Germany: Ten Years After - 2004 Riesling Spätlese

Each year I host a tasting that is now popularly known in Germany by its English name of “Ten Years After.” This past summer, the 2004 Riesling Spätleses that had received the highest scores in my annual guide a decade earlier were up to bat. Having all been stored at their respective wineries and submitted by the producers themselves, they were—theoretically, at least—in pristine condition. The object of the event was to see how the vintage had developed and to discern which wines had stood the test of time. Among the 39 wines that I had short-listed for this year’s event, only the 2004 Traiser Bastei Riesling Spätlese Gold Capsule from Dr. Peter Crusius on the Nahe was missing.

Two thousand four was dismissed ten years ago by many in the trade before they had seen, much less tasted, the full scope of the vintage. After the cool, wet summer there were, it is true, very few winemakers, not even Helmut Dönnhoff from the Nahe, who in late August had high hopes for the year. But those who took the necessary risks were, in the end, able to make wines of incredible personality. Fifty years ago such a vintage would have probably turned out to be at best mediocre, but a new generation of winemakers has taken vineyard management, the notion of late harvesting and the sheer will to make the finest wines possible to a height once unimaginable. Canopy management, crop thinning, the use of wild yeasts and, in particular, a willingness to take risks enabled them to make great Rieslings even under other difficult conditions.

Difficult, however, is perhaps too strong a word to describe 2004, for the unexpected Indian summer from the latter part of September until well into November is what often makes great vintages, albeit only for those who have low yields and harvest late. A large majority of the 2004 Rieslings were brought in far too early, and overcropped at that, because the estate owners were averse to taking risks or saw little hope that conditions would improve sufficiently to allow them to make much more of their grapes.

There were, as Oliver Haag from Fritz Haag in Brauneberg points out, few auslese, beerenauslese or trockenbeerenauslese wines of any note produced, but there were many excellent kabinetts and spätleses. When all was said and done, must weights for the finest 2004 Riesling Spätleses were very similar to those of the highly touted 2003 vintage. The difference was merely that the 2004s ripened during the autumn, and the 2003s during the late summer. Two thousand four was thus much less regular, but the best wines were pure, crisp and unblemished. For my own personal palate, they are more attractive, livelier and certainly more classically refreshing in style than those of the previous vintage.

As there was not much botrytis, winemakers were often ill-advised to wait too long for higher must weights that never materialized. There even came a point when the additional ripeness tarnished the allure of the fruit. Johannes Selbach told me that “as the autumn wore on, the berries turned brown and lost their clean fruit and bright acidity.” This is certainly why I have always preferred the lighter, more ethereal, but pure spätleses to many gold capsule ausleses in 2004. It also explains why most of the later-harvested auction wines, with the notable exception of the one from Schloss Lieser, did not shine in our “Ten Years After” tasting.

While a number of the 38 Rieslings that we opened had matured marvelously, I was nonetheless a little disappointed that many others appeared to have lost their youthful charm without gaining in stature. Yes, the three superb interpretations of the vintage from Joh. Jos. Prüm, Hermann Dönnhoff and Schloss Lieser are beyond reproach, but a number of others appeared soft, plump and prematurely past their prime. Like aging ball players, they had lost muscle, put on weight, and were no longer able to dance across the palate.

In particular, the majority of the 11 Rieslings from the Rheingau were not up to my expectations. Only the two from Leitz, above all the Berg Schlossberg, still shone in perfect form. The Rieslings from Nahe, on the other hand, were all first-class, exactly as they had been in their youth, with both Dönnhoff and Emrich-Schönleber finishing among my top ten.

Although I scored many of the wines lower than I had at release, there were a number that had improved with age, including those of Zilliken, Fritz Haag and Willi Schaefer. That said, the three medalists stood heads and shoulders above all of the other spätleses in a class of their own.

View of Weingut Joh. Jos. Prüm from across the Moselle

2004 Dönnhoff Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Spätlese Gold Capsule (Nahe): Pale gold. Ripe apple, lime and forest floor scents mingle with a hint of spicy botrytis. Rich, unctuous tropical fruit flavors pervade the palate. Finishes with creamy depth, smoky spices and a touch of caramel. An auslese in its richness and depth; Helmut Dönnhoff labeled it as spätlese with the nickname Halbmond (or half moon). While it’s still a serious Riesling, I prefer the two more refreshingly classical interpretations above, from the Hermannshöhle and Kirschheck sites. 91.

2004 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese (Nahe): Enticing aromas of papaya, sweet herbs and spearmint. Intense but refined cherry fruit rises from the mid-palate, accompanied by brilliant acidity. The riveting finish is complex, spicy and animated, dancing across the palate. An elegant spätlese in its youth, this Riesling has slowly emerged as one of the finest of the vintage. 95.

2004 Dönnhoff Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese (Nahe): Subtle, nuanced aromas of honeysuckle, pear, pineapple and lime. Pure and polished on the palate, delivering a velvety peach flavor and refined minerality. Finishes delicate and long. I slightly underrated this wine at release; it has matured nicely. 92.

2004 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Frühlingsplätzchen Rutsch Riesling Spätlese (Nahe): Subtle but slightly leesy aromas of white peach, passion fruit and nut oil. The sweet papaya fruit and velvety texture remain delicate in spite of the wine's juicy richness. A salty minerality spices the slightly herbaceous finish. This Riesling was very much what I had expected from my original notes. 90.

2004 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Spätlese (Nahe): Noble aromas of white peach, pungent herbs and lemon zest. The creamy, sweet berry fruit washes over the palate, supported by an intense minerality that gives the wine elegance. Finishes clear, precise and long, with excellent balance. With more spice than sweetness, this was always—and remains—one of the finest spätleses of the vintage. 93.

2004 Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese #7 (Mosel): Enticing aromas of pineapple, peach and vanilla. The luscious papaya fruit is carried by an elegant framework of acidity and underlying slate. At once delicate and concentrated, with notes of toasted hazelnut and caramel on the long, vibrant finish. One of the finest Mosel spätleses of the vintage, this Riesling is just beginning to open and is certainly destined to be long-lived. 92.

2004 Reinhold Haart Wintricher Ohligsberg Riesling Spätlese (Mosel): Distinctive bouquet combines passion fruit, toasted hazelnut and a hint of green clove. Mature peach fruit and subtle minerality provide this wine with character, but it is beginning to show its age. Still dense and nicely spiced, although one of my colleagues described it as “rusty.” We opened two bottles, but neither had the tension or nerve that I remember from its youth. 91.

2004 Schloss Johannisberg Schloss Johannisberger Riesling Spätlese (Rheingau): Slightly cheesy aromas of peach, melon and pineapple. Broad, sweet stone fruit with a creamy texture and a trace of bacon fat. Soft and luscious on the finish, but without the grace or elegance that the Rieslings from this estate generally exhibit. 86.

2004 Johannishof Johannisberger Klaus Riesling Spätlese (Rheingau): Pale golden yellow. Nectarine, old cheese and vanilla on the nose. The wine’s original luscious concentrated fruit has grown hollow and dry with age. 84.

2004 Keller Dalsheimer Hubacker Riesling Spätlese Gold Capsule (Rheinhessen): Pale gold. Mature aromas of yellow plum, quince and acacia honey, with an apparent whiff of botrytis. The succulent tropical fruit flavors and well-integrated acidity remain light on the palate so that the sheer weight of this spätlese is not at first apparent. Still juicy, but without the overarching vibrancy that I remember from its youth, it finishes a touch hollow. 89.

2004 Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck (Rheingau): Floral aromas combined with guava, cinnamon and nut oil hint at the wild fermentation. With their bacony tang, the luscious tropical fruit flavors come across as lively rather than sweet. Succulent, refreshing and long on the nicely herbal finish, this light-footed spätlese has matured nicely. 91.

2004 Leitz Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg Riesling Spätlese (Rheingau): Pale golden yellow. Ethereal aromas of papaya, white chocolate and mint leaves waft are complicated by a hint of spicy botrytis. Impressively rich and creamy, with honey-glazed exotic fruit flavors and a sublime slate minerality. In spite of its sheer size, this Riesling is exceptionally well balanced and stunningly long. A show-stopper in its youth, this was one of my early candidates for the finest spätlese of the vintage. Although still first-class, it does not quite have the elegance or pedigree of the three medalists. 93.

2004 Schloss Lieser Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese (Mosel): Leesy aromas of nectarine, white peach and lime. Generous, creamy apricot fruit with massive extract remains lively owing to the wine’s steely acidity. Mineral salts linger persistently on the resinous, slightly herbaceous finish. This was one of the vintage’s finer spätleses in its youth, but a slightly bitter note marred our pleasure with this bottle. 90.

2004 Schloss Lieser Lieser Niederberg Helden Riesling Spätlese #6 Auction Wine (Mosel): Ripe apricot, mango and a hint of honey on the alluring nose. The lush, sweet peach pit and subtle spice flavors are nicely highlighted by the wine’s slate component. Well-balanced, extremely elegant and showing superb length, this is a lively Riesling with real class, and one of the few late-harvested auction wines of such purity. 95.

2004 Milz Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Spätlese (Mosel): Herbaceous aromas of baked apple, walnut and mustard seed. The papaya flavor and oily texture have become rather one-dimensional with age. Barely a shadow of the Riesling that I remember. 85.

2004 Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese (Mosel): Opulent bouquet of gooseberry and nut oil, with a subtle floral nuance. On the palate, the creamy papaya fruit is counterpointed by juicy citrus acidity and slate. The lingering finish offers an amalgamation of spice and mineral salts. Markus Molitor’s spätleses are always rich and comparatively sweet. If you prefer bolder interpretations of Riesling, this is probably a style you would like. 92.

2004 Egon Müller Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese #15 (Saar): Refined, floral nose hints at strawberry, apricot pit and lemon oil. The velvety, subtly creamy tropical fruit flavors remain elegant in spite of the wine’s botrytis element. Although I suspect that this was not a perfect bottle, this Riesling nonetheless showed better than I had noted at the estate years ago, finishing juicy, spicy and vibrant. The auction wine, #13, was better at the outset, but it was not available for this tasting. 91.

2004 Prinz Hallgartener Jungfer Riesling Spätlese (Rheingau): Aromas of candied pear and lemon oil. Glossy, sweet fruit displays depth without any excess weight, but this Riesling appears now to be little other than residual sugar and acidity. The second bottle was slightly better, but hardly what I remember. 84.

2004 J.J. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese #13 (Mosel): Elegant aromas of Bing cherry, cassis, apple blossom and roasted hazelnut. Sweet and creamy yet delicate on the palate, with floral suggestions complicating the flavors of sweet herbs and vanilla. Lemon curd and slate animate the compelling finish of this elegant Riesling. Crisp, clean and pure! 93.

2004 J.J. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese #15 (Mosel): Sublime aromas of blackcurrant, passion fruit and mango are lifted by fine floral elements. The luscious peach pit fruit and silky texture are framed by finely chiseled minerality. Dense but airy, this is an almost perfect spätlese. Finishes with a stately character, excellent length and the unmistakable wild-fermentation signature of Dr. Manfred Prüm. This was one of the stars of the vintage when it was released and remains so today. 95.

2004 Ress Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen Riesling Spätlese (Rheingau): Pale golden yellow. Rather phenolic aromas with a touch of spearmint. While this Riesling was never terribly serious or complex, it has now lost all its charms. The last few vintages from this estate are much better. 82.

2004 Sankt Urbanshof Leiwener Laurentiushof Riesling Spätlese (Mosel): Withdrawn aromas of apricot and quince, lifted by a floral element. The complex tropical fruit flavors are complicated by a touch of licorice and a good shot of slate. The precarious balance of sweetness and acidity, now leaning towards the former, masks this wine’s concentration. Still rich and full, this Riesling offers excellent length and the potential for further development. 91.

2004 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese #16 Auction Wine (Mosel): An elusive floral aroma complicates rich apricot, green lime and vanilla on the nose. Offers a satin-like texture, with subtle tropical fruit flavors brightened by a nice charge of acidity. Nut oils and slate define the elegant finish. Still quite young after all these years, this delicate Riesling has certainly improved with age. 92.

2004 Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spätlese #18 (Nahe): Heady aromas of melon, herbal tea, pineapple and sweet lime. Velvety passion fruit and mineral salts unfold to show an almost sensuous tactile quality. Well-balanced and elegant on the nonetheless slightly leesy aftertaste, this spätlese now appears more off-dry than sweet. 91.

2004 Schönborn Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Spätlese Gold Capsule (Rheingau): Pale gold. Odd scents of musk, lily and cinnamon waft over the brown-spice botrytis. Rich, almost creamy spätlese with a distinctly velvety texture. In spite of its honeyed sweetness, this aging Riesling appears a bit artificial, as if brightened by a shot of eiswein, and a far cry from how I scored it in its youth. 87.

2004 Schönborn Hattenheimer Pfaffenberg Spätlese Lothar Franz (Rheingau): Herbs, lemon candy and a note of mothballs on the nose. The still-sweet but now artificial fruit has grown old and hollow and lost all appeal. As I had given this wine 91 points ten years ago, I was rather shocked. I would like to believe it was the bottle but, after the recent scandal surrounding this estate and the mediocre quality of their other Riesling in this tasting, I am afraid it is the wine. 83.

2004 Spreitzer Ostricher Lennchen Riesling Spätlese 303 (Rheingau): Aromas of caramelized peach, mango and bread crust, plus a touch of cinnamon. Delicately creamy tropical fruits ooze over the palate. This Riesling shows more juicy sweetness than salty minerality and is now revealing the first signs of age. 88.

2004 Staatsweingut Steinberger Riesling Spätlese (Rheingau): Herbaceous aromas of white peach, pear drop and sassafras. Still toasty and creamy, but now more old than merely old-fashioned. 84.

2004 Dr. Thanisch Bernkasteler Doktor Riesling Spätlese (Mosel): Opulent aromas of apricot and quince, lifted by a floral element. Rich and velvety but nicely leavened by supporting acids. Ripe peach, a hint of botrytis, mineral salts and nut oils join on the finish, which no longer has the refreshing nerve of its youth. 89.

2004 Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese (Mosel): The nose offers white peach, quince, caramel and lemon oil. Rich apricot fruit is nicely framed by the still-lively acidity. Balanced and persistent but also a touch dull. 87.

2004 Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Riesling Spätlese Gold Capsule (Mosel): Mature aromas of white peach, ripe apricot and green tea, lifted by a hint of spicy botrytis. The palate offers rich, creamy, sweet tropical fruit flavors over a solid framework of minerality. An auslese in depth, complexity and concentration, this spätlese remains just bright and vibrant enough on the spicy finish, but is beginning to lose its grip. As with a number of the other auction wines, I had marked it slightly higher in its youth. 91.

2004 Vollenweider Wolfer Goldgrube Padauer Riesling Spätlese (Mosel): Apricot pit, lime zest and clove on a slightly imprecise nose. The creamy texture is held aloft by mango and nutmeg. No longer as bright and lively as it was in its youth, this may well be a poor bottle, as it is the spätlese from Vollenweider that I had expected to show the best. 87.

2004 Von Othegraven Kanzemer Altenberg Riesling Spätlese Auction Wine (Saar): Pale golden yellow color. Ripe aromas of dried apricot, plum pudding, apple blossom and almond paste, with a hint of botrytis. Supple, rich and creamy in texture, with notes of peach, cinnamon and vanilla. Finishes dense but a touch dull, without the refreshing elegance of its youth. 89.

2004 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhaus Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese (Ruwer): Golden yellow. Nectarine and sweet floral aromas are laced with smoky and leesy nuances. Bittersweet nuttiness and a hint of lemon zest on the palate. The creamy quality is held in check by the wine’s slightly pungent acidity. A touch broad-shouldered and now beginning to fade. 87.

2004 Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberger Riesling Spätlese (Rheingau): Delicate floral nose hints at yellow plum, quince and vanilla. Offers a honeyed richness, but the firm mineral foundation provides lift and a touch of complexity. A salty crispness keeps the palate fresh. A classically luscious late-harvest Riesling from the Rheingau, but more an auslese than a spätlese and not what we generally expect from this magnificent estate. 90.

2004 Wittmann Westhofener Morstein Riesling Spätlese (Rheinhessen): Opulent aromas of passion fruit, linden blossom and wild spice. The suave, sweet tropical fruit marries nicely with the wine's salty minerality; despite its creamy depth, this spätlese remains remarkably light. Serious yet softly seductive on the finish, showing what one colleague called a “southern accent.” 90.

2004 Zilliken Saarburger Rauch Riesling Spätlese #2 Auction Wine (Saar): Pale golden yellow. Lively aromas of pear, honeysuckle and sweet spices. Refined and ripe, with a papaya flavor lifted by slate minerality. Well-balanced, with an animated, lingering, slightly sweet finish, this is more an auslese with a shot of eiswein. 89.

2004 Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Riesling Spätlese #4 (Saar): Lively floral nose, with ripe apricot, lemon blossom, baked apple and toasted almond aromas adding complexity. Subtly creamy tropical fruit flavors offer a rather delicate texture and tangy acidity. With its compact, slightly spicy finish this spätlese is showing—as is often the case with Rieslings from Hans-Joachim Zilliken—much better today than it did in its youth. 93.

Photo Credit: Weingut Joh. Jos. Prüm

--Joel B. Payne

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