Muller-Catoir, Mussbacher Eselshaut Rieslaner Auslese, Pfalz

And so another Hans Gunter Schwarz wine passes into memory. But wow what a memory. My immediate thought was that the Rieslaner had been dosed with 25% Scheurebe, the grapefruit and sage aromas were that strong. An hour later and a few degrees warmer, and the scritchy, feral Rieslaner personality asserted itself. Orange zest with a dash of horseradish, honey laced with ginger, each sip enticingly sweet, but also with a spicy finish. Sad that this one is gone, but …

1996 vintage

Showing nice aged Riesling notes of quince, dried mango, and bruised apple. Well balanced and still has some time ahead.

1996 vintage

A fireworks display. A whirlwind of exotic tropical fruits, orange peel, grapefruit, and higher toned spicy and burnished notes all coming together on a lightweight frame. There's moderate sweetness matched by that tremendous '96 acidity - this has amazing cut and focus, but it's also impeccably balanced with remarkable length. Thrilling wine.

1996 vintage

Vanilla, Mirabelles, beeswax, green apple, nice acidity with the sweetness already fading. Great at this stage!

1996 vintage

Oily, floral and nice notes of peach. Lost nearly all its sweetness but still very much alive. Very nice!

1996 vintage

Color: Oh no, is this bad or is a light brown normal? Oh, it's normal. Moving on to the nose... Nose: what the hell is that? No seriously, what is that? Mustard? Tomatoes? Horseradish? What IS that? Asparagus, black eyed peas, prunes, soy sauce... This is not like any wine I have ever smelled. Some part of me is telling me that it isn't even a wine, and yet I can't stop smelling it. Palate: acidity -- ouch! Every minor …

1996 vintage

One of the most exotic, flamboyant and downright thrilling sweet wines I've ever come across. There's a remarkable fragrance; high toned and incredibly intense with spicy chilli, mustard and horseradish-like elements combining with sweeter honeyed, apricot and butterscotch elements, and in the mouth it's a high wire act of intense sweetness and amazing acidity. There's amazing depth, complexity and persistence to the flavours here, and it's a really captivating, thrilling wine.

1996 vintage

showing mature flavors apricot and peach flavors coming through.

1996 vintage

Various Wines @ Salil's (Vernon, CT) : This is more like it. This has the raciness and nervous energy that Riesling demands. Very lifted and pure, with orange rind, grapefruit and lemons. Lovely balance, length and precision. This has the "yum" factor.

1996 vintage

Another winner from Catoir. Powerful ripe peach and grapefruit flavours tinged with exotic spicy notes and a touch of maturing smokiness on a frame that's got plenty of power and ripeness, but also incredible precision and cut with no shortage of acidity.

1996 vintage

Doesn't show the wild smokiness and meatiness of the last bottle I had; this is a powerhouse of dried fruits, golden raisins and apricots seasoned with honey and fiery Rieslaner spice. Very sweet (in Beerenauslese territory), but very well balanced with impressive acids and length.

1996 vintage

Julefrokost 2010 (Casa Smidt) : Nose: Powerful sweetness, dried pineapple and a little apricot. Palate: Acidic pineapple, medium depth, solid acidity, okay long aftertaste, apricots. Quite complex and interesting!!

1996 vintage

Hard to put this into words. I've come across very few wines (white or red) with this sort of expansive, all-encompassing flavour profile - the aromatics have everything from smoked pork (!) and chilli pepper to honeyed fruit and autumnal forestal scents, pretty much every type of flavour imaginable in a wine seems to be in here. Phenomenal intensity and richness (David mentioned it's 120 Oechsle, so in the BA range), but it's not particularly sweet thanks to age and …

1996 vintage

At Georg Lauer's. Very dark color, and ecrtrainly some caramelization, but still alive and enjoyable.

1996 vintage

Darkish color. Wonderful sweet fruit with apricots and spices balanced by bracing acidity. Drinking very well now.

1996 vintage

Bright orange-gold in colour with a crazy nose of butterscotch, apricots, peaches, honey, mustard and red chillies. Slightly viscous in the mouth with explosive flavours of tropical fruits and apricots drenched in honey and all sorts of exotic spices. Despite the size and sweetness of this wine (which feels like a BA at the very least), there's blazing acidity underneath keeping it all in balance. Incredibly long finish. Awesome.

1996 vintage

Tangy and intense, lovely poise, rich rather than sweet. I couldn't have told that this was not riesling. Beautiful wine.

1996 vintage

Rich, smooth, balanced brilliance.

1996 vintage

Rich and concentrated, medium-dry, fabulous acidity, complex, honeyed fruit and herbs, very good length. Impressive but actually quite massive.

1996 vintage

Unctuous, moderately sweet. A little bitter at first from botrytis.

1996 vintage

Deep, golden color. Man, is this wine thick! Perhaps the thickest wine I've ever had. Pours like motor oil. Almost has to be pushed into the mouth. Incredible attack of sweet (very sweet) fruit. Peach, tropical fruits, and minerals. At first it seemed a bit cloying, but the whiplash of acids saved the day. Wonderful tangy finish. My first experience with this producer, and it was a pleasureable one.

1996 vintage

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Muller-Catoir, Mussbacher Eselshaut Rieslaner Auslese, Pfalz

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