I've mentioned this before, but I simply can't get over the ease at which one can pick up excellent provenance aged wines for good prices in California. It provides the impatient wine lover with an immediate outlet for experiencing what usually takes fortitude. But, I suppose that is the American way.
The nose on this was very petrolly, but also incredibly deep. I also detected vanilla and a little peach. This has a significant mid-palate that may have been tempered with age. By that I mean the sweetness levels are significantly less than what I'd expect for a full blown non-trocken (dry) Spatlese. The wine is layered and nuanced and slightly effervescent with grapefruit, peach and nectarine predominating. Also, at 7.5% ABV, you can down a whole bottle, which I did with some excellent Thai food. Diel, like Donnhoff, resides in the Nahe region of Germany, and I can say that I am building a very strong appreciation for rieslings from that particular pin on the map.
Very Good+
$40 at K&L
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Schlossgut Diel Dorsheimer Goldloch Riesling Spatlese 1997
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4 comments:
Ah--us Americans and our impatience!
I was thinking about that the other day: for instance, what if I bought an '07 Burgundy or something and wanted to cellar it away for 10 more years? I'll be drinking that in 2019, by which point I'll be 36!!! It's a bit depressing. (I mean this all in a flippant manner, of course. I'm determined to buy a wine fridge next semester so I can start up a small collection!)
Joon S.
http://vinicultured.com
With the economic situation a lot of people are selling their cellars right now, which is depressing prices on older wines. You can get some great aged stuff for under $40. which while pricy, is cheap comparatively.
Once you get the wine fridge, it all begins... :D
I remember when my current roommate and I--when we were Resident Assistants at Berkeley--decided to go in on a bottle of wine (at the Vino! on Solano--you might have been there or might go there) one evening. I didn't have any cash on me, so he paid and I offered to reimburse him for half the cost.
The total cost? $11.
Is it a bad thing that $40 for a great bottle of wine seems like a huge bargain?
(And where are these cellar sales taking place? Sounds awesome!)
Yep I remember those days too. The day that $40 is a bargain is the day you start spending too much on wine ;).
One place to look is Benchmark Wines in Napa. They deal entirely with collections. A lot of their stuff is really high end but you can get good bargains too. But that is mostly for California wine and high end French wines, with a dabbling of some really good aussie stuff too. Otherwise you can always look for auctions, or at winebid.
I haven't been to Vino! on solano, but I did check out Solano Wine Cellars' wine bar, which was quite good.
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