German Catalog 2006 USE THIS ONE.qxp - Michael Skurnik Wines

NAHE WINES
110
GJS-067 2005 Niederhäuser Rosenheck Riesling Kabinett Trocken
A lovely slate wine with a charming old-school touch of wood; it’s perfectly gently dry
(I hate `em when they’re all raspy), actually recalling Merz’s wine (but from better land)
or even some of Kerpen’s woodsier bottlings. Just yummy.
SOS: 0 (now to 5 years)
GJS-068 2005 Niederhäuser Felsensteyer Riesling Kabinett Halbtrocken
100% clean fruit (noteworthy in a botrytis vintage), and has also seen some wood; spontaneous
fermentation; a superfine spicy nose, malt and tea; palate is shimmery, dense
and juicy, with fine minty grip; it has a vegetable demi-glace sweetness; a wholly satisfying
wine.
SOMMELIER ALERT! SOS: 1 (now - 3 years, again 8-11 years)
GJS-070 2005 Niederhäuser Klamm Riesling Kabinett
He gave me samples from cask and bottle; the cask wine is very fluffy and salty, with
all the gushing charm of this Grand Cru (which grows on Rotliegend, similar to
Nierstein’s red-slope, giving smoky-maple and peach aromas); indeed this does show
that maple-smoke, with papaya and comice pear; the palate surprises with determined
grip and embedded rockiness, and resolves in a chestnutty finish that reminds me of
Formosa “brown” oolongs.
SOS: 2 (4-12 years)
GJS-073 2005 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese
I struggled a bit with this; it was young and turbulent and the fruit was trying (and not
yet succeeding) to force its way through botrytis, but there’s an earthy forest-floor burning-leaf
profile and the mid-palate was almost eucalyptus. I have a feeling this will
come along.
SOS: 1 (6-15 years)
GJS-071 2005 Norheimer Dellchen Riesling Auslese
124º Oechsle, 9 grams of acidity, so it’s a BA in sheep’s clothing; malt and chestnuthoney
heathery fragrance; palate is deep and cidery, with a coffee ice-cream nuance
and a HUGE malty finish. A lot of bang for the buck here.
SOS: 3 (8-21 years)
GJS-072H 2005 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling BA, 12/375ml +
170º; this is a massive syrup of wintergreen, morels, bacon, and yes it’s all that, odd as
it sounds; but there’s a chewy bone-rich solidity here, less power than purpose; too
early (maybe it’s always too early) for the adjective dance, but this feels as ancient as
a cathedral.
SOS: 4 (15-30 years)