Balthasar Ress, Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen Riesling Auslese, Rheingau

Some ullage, the cork was soaked, some seepage and some mould under the capsule. Beautiful, medium golden colour. Stone fruit, beeswax, honey, Darjeeling tea and ethereal notes on the nose and palate, with average length. Balanced and harmonious. This bottle was less well preserved than three prior bottles I have had, and hence less striking, but still nice to drink. I tried the wine with different cheeses. Hard goat milk cheeses generally did not work. Dry hard cow milk cheeses …

The cork was soaked, and there was some mould under the capsule. [The cork started to slide into the bottle as soon as I applied pressure, but my newly acquired Durand saved me and the cork came out more or less intact.] The wine was medium to dark amber-gold in colour and offered dried stone fruit, ripe peach, honey, caramel, Darjeeling tea and ethereal notes on the nose an palate, with good length. The wine was smooth and incredibly balanced, …

The cork was completely soaked, with black mold on its top. It started to slide into bottle as soon as I started working it, but I was able to carefully extract it with an Ah-so. The wine was intense gold in colour and offered apricot, ripe lemon, bruised apple, Nimm2, dark honey, spices, mild black tea, green tea, balm, mint and ethereal notes on the nose and palate, with well-integrated acidity and good to very good length, with an ethereal …

At the winery's tasting room. It took me some time to talk the poor guy behind the counter into opening the real stuff (I kept talking about my preference for aged, mature wines, he kept pouring 13s, 14s and 15s). From a newly opened bottle. Medium gold. Mesmerizing nose. Ethereal notes, balm, honey and mild tea. Light on its feet. Very harmonious and elegant.

Rich style. Very good. Honeyed and tropical. Good acidity. Very good but not into the profound level.