You're a lucky man and your GF has good taste. :-) Wow is right on those older Loosen Rieslings. Ernst has been here quite a few times working on his Eroica project with Chateau St Michelle but I have not yet been fortunate enough to meet him. Hopefuly in the future.
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I like Ch. St. Michelle in the value category. I've had some 50's German wines that were incredible as long as the bottle was finished within an hour of opening.

Tokay is my favorite in the sweet whites, but this night pictured below was a fun one (taken at last years Passover).


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just another normal night with a 70 y'quem......
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Ya, just another night... Then we retired to the saloon with some port


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Yup, auslese level sugar and tons of sulfur keep these things for a while. I decant very young Prum to try and blow off the sulfur stank. I guess thats the price you pay for whites that can age so well.

You and me both brother. When the iron curtain fell and we started getting the 93s in Boston I was blown away. Seems like the quality is getting better every vintage since communism

Nice my friend. As a stranger in a strange land out here in the west without family, I spend Passover with a friend of mine's family each year. he has a very fine cellar, but collects top end small batch Kosher wine all year just for the Seders. Really fun drinking kosher Ch. Giscours and Léoville Poyferré etc. I look forward to it every year.

Cheers all

~Vitis
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Hey, moses, just noticed the years on the Noval Nacional and Noval. Those are interesting years. Didn't most houses not declare in 82 and 84? I only have 83s and 85s.

~Vitis
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Ya, they are all odd ball years hence us pairing them together that day. I think Nacional also has '83 which I've had a couple of times. The Sandeman was probably the last good year they did until '94. Noval/Nacional beat to their own drummer. If you can find the '80 Sandeman, buy all you can.
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Tokay is just getting super high premiums at auction. Just out of reach for me. Sauternes is still a buy if you don't buy Y'Quem.
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One of the shops around here just got a ton of Prum in- thinking about picking up one of each:

2006 Prum, J. J. Riesling Auslese Wehlener Sonnenuhr

2006 Prum, J. J. Riesling Auslese Zeltinger Sonnenuhr

Had the '05s a while back- really enjoyed them
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Good man Aldukes, very hard to wrong with Prum Auslese. If you're only buying one of each, you better have a lot patiance as these are going to start getting good in like 15years or so. Id think about getting 2of the same so at least you can try one in 5-8 years and know what youve got. These may be very sulfury if you open one now.

That being said, these are cream of the crop. I have had tons of Wehlener Sonnenuhr and it always pretty great. Top vineyard and big dog in the Mosel. I have not had too many Zeltingers and it seems harder to find Prums version. Theoretical could be a little riper and less mineraly but thats a guess. The vineyards are basicaly adjacent (as is Wehelen and Zeltingen)

PS: Sonnenuhr means "sundial" and there is a big clock about halfway down the vineyard slope.

Image

~Vitis
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All this Riesling talk is making me THIRSTY! (it's only 8:30am :-)) We're having a rare snowstorm in Seattle and it looks like I may be in for the day. If so, this 375 of 98 Molitor Graacher Himmelreich Auslese will be the afternoon sipper.

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Cheers :-)

~Vitis
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Looks like I might be able to get these in 375's- 2 of each is a good possibility
I wish I had a cellar. :-)
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!! nice !!, thats a great way to go
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Quick question: Has anyone ever been to one of those franchise wineries where you can buy a batch of wine? Any luck with those? Let me know.
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I haven't Danny, what are you trying to get though? is it several cases of wine that you buy before it is made?

BTW, nice cigar blog

~Vitis
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http://www.crushpadwine.com/

They have an adopt a barrel program
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Hmm, seems like alot of $$ to buy 25cases of wine you haven't tasted yet. At $19-36 a bottle Id rather but something with a bit of a track record. :-)

~Vitis
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Well you get to try the wine you're getting before hand. Once you select the blend you want you spread the yeast over the grape juice and they take care of the rest. It makes about 28-30 bottles of wine. When it is ready for bottling(6-12 weeks) you have a bottling party with your friends and you get to make custom labels. I got this gift for my GF, just wondering is anyone else has ever done this?
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Thanks for the kind words. I need to update it more often. Holidays are a busy time!
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Ahh, that sounds much better than a full barrel (25cs) This will be fun bottling with your friends and being involved in the process. A very nice gift from your GF. I go to bottling parties every year and we always have tons of fun .. and wine.

Enjoy

~Vitis
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