Vintage Retrospective: 2007, 2008, 2009 Rhine & Mosel, Riesling

In 2007, Apple released the first iPhone. In 2008, Obama was elected into office. In 2009, Twilight premiered in cinemas. More importantly, these years produced some excellent vintages for Riesling . With almost a decade of age, we decided to check in on how these wines are doing now with updates from the Vinous Vintage Chart. 2007 Riesling: 93 points, Drink or Hold "Record-early budbreak and flowering followed by mid-summer heat meant cool August and September weather proved beneficial, and by the time Riesling was picked under largely sunny October and early November skies, up to 150 days had passed since flowering! Must weights were by no means exaggerated; yet, for the first time most top growers could remember, they finished-up picking even though forecasted excellent weather continued. These Rieslings display delectable floral-fruit-mineral interaction, buoyancy, transparency to nuance, and on occasion seductive botrytis." 2008 Riesling: 92 points, Drink or Hold "While this growing season started out late, it caught up via a warm late spring and early summer. As in 2007, a cool and sporadically rainy August proved beneficial and autumn rewarded patient growers with mouthwatering Rieslings highly aromatic, delightfully delicate, and dynamic. Less-warm sites or early picking resulted in some that show a green edge reminiscent of certain 2002s. (But growers who de-acidify made a mistake.)" 2009 Riesling: 90 points, Drink "A small crop due to spun-out flowering received a cool and well-watered summer, but the eventual effect of continually decent if not unusually warm or sunny autumn weather was must weights whose elevation surprised growers. So too, frequently, did an inexplicable lack of nooks and crannies, interactive complexity or striking personalities. "Perhaps the grapes were too perfect," suggested one top grower. A modest amount of botrytis was generally noble, though late-picked BAs and TBAs can be soft and diffuse. Three successive bitterly-cold December nights served for memorable Eiswein."

Weingut Knoll

Ried Kellerberg Dürnsteiner Riesling 2009

Ceccherini Cristiano

9.5

Marvellous
Being Kellerberg the most aromatic expression of the Wachau area it had found a lovely balance with the minerality that has come out
So dawn good and easy to drink that disappeared in no time😜 — 6 years ago

Sylvain, Keith and 9 others liked this

Trimbach

Cuvée Frédéric Emile Alsace Riesling

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

My Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps. You know what they say, “bring the heat, bring the sweet!”

On the nose; mellowed petroleum, grapefruit pith, very ripe pineapple, more green & some golden apple, white citrus, golden raisins, stone fruit, hint of slivered almonds, soft minerals and yellow lilies with white spring flowers.

The body is full, thick and rich. It’s acidity rounded, softer and really beautiful. Stone fruits; apricots, peaches & yellow nectarines. Ripe green melon, grapefruit pith, very ripe pineapple, more green & some golden apple, white citrus, golden raisins, hint of slivered almonds, far less petroleum on the palate than the nose, soft chalky minerals and yellow lilies with white spring flowers. Delicious on its own and a good pair with Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps. Coravined glass for pairing.

Interesting this sold previously for $143 on Delectable. I didn’t pay anything close to that upon release. $55+ currently on Wine Searcher. I paid around $27 at release.

Coravin bottle from from 13 weeks ago when we made lettuce wraps. I copied over my notes from 13 weeks ago. It hasn’t lost a step. It’s only gotten even softer & a bit creamier.

Photos of, Trimbach, my Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps, Trimbach family and one of their Vineyards on a day with an amazing sunset. — 6 years ago

Ryan, Shay and 28 others liked this

Shay A

I love these wines. Local wine shop has it around $55-60 I believe.

David T

@Ryan Vento Its in a good spot. Delicious! Cheers!

David T

@Shay A Glad I bought it when I did but, $55 is still a fair price for how its drinking.

Martin Müllen

Trarbacher Huhnerberg Spätlese* trocken Mosel Riesling 2009

Matthew Cohen

9.3

Wow. Green Apple 09 richness. Great acidity. Mineral. Bought from Fass Selections. — 6 years ago

with Lyle

Lyle, Lynn and 10 others liked this

Lyle Fass

So so so good

9.3

Weingut Clemens Busch

Marienburg Rothenpfad Erste Lage Großes Gewächs Riesling 2008

Peter van den Besselaar

9.3

Vintage 2018 / Beautiful minerality — 6 years ago

Bob, Riddley and 10 others liked this

Jeroen Koenen

What a great producer this is...
Visited the estate again with my brother last week... fantastic line up...!

Peter van den Besselaar

@Jeroen Koenen @David Koenen that means a lot of happy hours in the next ten, fifteen years 😉👍

Markus Molitor

Edition Number 7 Bernkasteler Lay Spätlese Trocken Riesling 2007

Stas Medvedev

9.3

🏅 Rating 93/100 (4,3🌟)

Fine Rieslings Night

Straw yellow gold color. Superb wine full of young energy. Ideal balance of ripe fruit sweetness and crisp acidity. All sorts of orchard stone fruits and flowers, honey. Great depth and infinite potential!

This Special Edition comes directly from the cellar of the wine maker. It has been released in the market in a tiny quantity after spending 10 years in the bottle.

Strong buy call! Get a case and forget it for a few more years to treat yourself. — 6 years ago

Stas, Shawn and 2 others liked this

Domaine Zind Humbrecht

Brand (Turckheim) Grand Cru Riesling 2008

Conrad Green

9.1

Very complete. Lucious middle. Poised and delicious. Quality. — 6 years ago

with Gregg

Severn, Tom and 4 others liked this

Weinhaus Ranke

Forster Elster Spätlese Trocken Riesling 2008

Willem Jan Withagen

8.9

Very nice with chinese food. Golden color. Lots of tropical fruit. Ripe pineaple, mango. Cream. Blend nose. — 6 years ago

Peter, Matt and 2 others liked this

Neagles Rock

Clare Valley Riesling 2008

Bob McDonald

9.4

My 6th and last of this delicious Clare Valley Riesling. Notes of Quince and Paraffin. On the palate mouthfilling Quince Notes with some moreish bitterness. Medium minus acids. Lovely aged Riesling from one of Australia’s best Districts for the varietal. — 6 years ago

Ira, Alex and 7 others liked this

Schloss Schönborn

Erbacher Marcobrunn Kabinett Riesling 2007

Tom Elliot

Founder Northwest Wines

9.1

Not an unusual sight. An older cork finished German wine that leaked and stained the label. In this case an 11 year old 375ml. Also not unusual for this occurrence, the wine was perfectly fine - in fact, outstanding! It was explained to me many years ago that German wine law required full 375 or 750ml, etc. to be filled to that level and that other countries filled 10ml less. When you fill right up to the cork you’re risking leakage even when non-damaging temperatures get slightly warmer than cool for just a short period of time. Today, the great majority of German wines are bottled under screw cap so this is hardly an issue nowadays. Still, when you find a German leaker, don’t assume it’s spoiled. Most likely it’s not and it’s a shame when these irreplaceable wines are not popped and given a chance to shine. — 6 years ago

Scott and Stas liked this

Van Volxem

Saar Riesling 2009

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.3

In the zone! — 6 years ago

Neal, Douglas and 6 others liked this