Alfred Merkelbach Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese #17

Chatham. This was really a Wow bottle. Still moderately sweet but balanced by acidity despite the relatively low-acid vintage. The exuberant attractive tropical fruit of earlier days is now all secondary fruit flavors, channeling apricot perhaps most prominently. Just a bit of brown spice adds complexity and pleasure. No botrytis. A great example of aged Auslese, loved by my wife and I but also immediately recognized as outstanding by more inexperienced drinkers. My last bottle alas, the other five consumed …

This has gone from a sweet relatively simple wine to one that is understated and even elegant. The acid is there, but just in balance, not at all prickly. It's not dry, but more so then a typical Kabinett from the last 5 vintages. The flavor profile is yellow fruits, minerals and just a whiff of brown spices, but its richness was like a good mature Chablis and it matched well with scallops sauteed in butter and lemon. Evolved but …

Sweet yellow fruits, starting to develop some secondary flavors. Deb and Jodie enjoyed it.

Mildly corked but potable, as so much fruit that enough came thru.