20 years later

In der Nase sehr feine, klare Botrytiswürze, zart nach Dörrobst und Vanille, etwas Blutorangen, am Gaumen saftig und dicht, Pfirsichkonfit, sehr gute Länge, trotz des Restzuckers sehr gute Balance, kann so nur im Seewinkel wachsen, schöne Länge, großes Potential, herrlicher Fruchtnachhall. #11 Welschriesling Trockenbeerenauslese Nouvelle Vague smells of butterscotch, singed pineapple, honey, brown spices, truffle, nut oils and a myriad of complex, high-toned esters for which, if there are names, aren’t coming to my mind. On the palate, we have here, an Esszencia-like combination of viscosity with lightness of touch, clarity and delicacy of flavors; a restrained impression of sweetness; and layers of fresh, dried, jellied and subtly caramelized pit and citrus fruits. Something this pure and rich, this deadly subtle, seems both to take you further than you ever imagined possible with mere grapes, and yet to bring you back to the essence of the grapes, as they grew and hung. Kracher thinks he “picked them at the perfect moment,” and I would not disagree. 99/100 The Wine Advocate / David Schildknecht 99/100 The Wine Advocate / David Schildknecht

Entsprechend dem Weingesetz ist das kein Wein, sondern ein teilweise vergorener Traubenmost, fehlt daher in allzu piniblen Weinführern. In der Nase rauchige Botrytis, feine Würze, aber auch Steinobstkonfit, etwas Tropenfruchtexotik, Blüten, am Gaumen saftig und mit über 400 g Restzucker naturgemäß süß, wirkt aber balanciert, dank einer entsprechenden Säure. Ewiges Leben garantiert. 2002 #12 is a libation of Scheurebe and (20%) Welscheriesling that never achieved the 5% alcohol to officially become “wine.” It smells of honey, white raisin, and above all peach and apricot essence. It is virtually gelatinous and, amazingly, not at all cloyingly sweet on the palate, on the contrary its rapier penetration of a finish is only possible thanks to a level of acidity that pushes residual sugar off the radar screen and leaves this taster totally enervated. But there’s no point hoping to get turned on by my poor prose: you just need to taste this. 98/100 The Wine Advocate / David Schildknecht

Zartes Steinobst in der Nase, etwas Blütenhonig, Orangenschalen klingen an, am Gaumen kompakt, sehr angenehmer Bienenhonigtouch, lebendig duchgestaltet, ein Langstreckenläufer mit Marillenfinish. #9 Chardonnay Trockenbeerenauslese Nouvelle Vague smells of apple jelly, mango, blood orange, and honey. The palate displays candied apple, honey and tropical fruits, very creamy yet with formidable substance and a doughy, chewy texture, not to mention clearly enough acidity (since it does not taste at all cloying). Notes of caramel tinge the fruits as the wine heads into the home stretch (and it’s a long stretch). 92/100 The Wine Advocate / David Schildknecht

Sehr feine fruchtige Aromen in der Nase, zart nach Blütenhonig und Zitronenschalen, am Gaumen leicht und ausgewogen, sehr klassischer Typus, unverwechselbar Seewinkel, präzise und elegant, feine Frucht im Rückgeschmack. #3 Welschriesling Zwischen den Seen smells of pineapple, must, and sage, with an almost hidden hint of mushroom. Thick and creamy on the palate, yet shot through with bracing citricity, it weaves a relatively noble hint of sauteed mushrooms, even truffle, into its sweet flavors. In the long finish, featuring candied pineapple and sorghum, marrow and mushroom, the fine acids and sheer density successfully buffer the enormous sweetness. 91/100 The Wine Advocate / David Schildknecht

In der Nase gleich unverkennbar, feine Würze von Traubenkernen, florale Nuancen, etwas Sandelholz und Eibisch, am Gaumen gewisse Ähnlichkeiten mit Traminer, nur intensiver, etwas Weihrauch im Nachhall, elegant, stoffig, vielschichtig. #4 Muscat Ottonel Zwischen den Seen smells of yellow plum jam and sage flower. The thick palate displays compressed, tiny-berry concentration of yellow raisin and yellow plums, and continues to be suffused by an intense, resinous, sweet sage oil character. A welcome fresher sense of plummy fruit emerges in the finish. 87/100 The Wine Advocate / David Schildknecht

In der Nase deutliche Noten von Grapefruitschalen und Mandarinen, zart rauchig-mineralische Anklänge, am Gaumen seidig und süß, feine vegetale Würze, zitronige Struktur, unkomlizierter und zugänglicher Süßweintypus. #5 Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese Zwischen den Seen displays vividly Scheurebe-typical aromas of sage, peppermint, grapefruit and honey. Startlingly bright and juicy on entry, this builds strength and powers to intense, scintillating flavors of grapefruit, candied citrus rinds, honey and high-toned sweet herbal distillates joined less by the typical cassis than by a lovely note of Maine blueberries. The feel is creamy yet at the same time the wine remains invigoratingly sharp. The endlessly reverberating finish pulls out all the stops from a rich, nut oil-flavored, malty low register through the range of vivid citrus and blue fruit to high-toned distilled berry and herb notes. #5, Kracher explains, was racked early and then rushed, reductively, into bottle. You might say it’s Scheurebe with a look over his shoulder at (long-time Muller-Catoir winemaker) Hans-Gunter Schwarz. 97/100 The Wine Advocate / David Schildknecht

In der Nase etwas verhaltener als der Vorgänger, dafür mehr Honignoten, feine Kräuteraromen, etwas Kletzen, am Gaumen stoffig, Spuren von Blutorangen und Dörrobst, saftig und anhaltend, delikater Nachhall, sehr gutes Lagerpotential. #6 Scheurebe Trockenbeerenauslese Zwischen den Seen offers quite a contrast to the #5, sublimating the obvious Scheurebe varietal character. Peach jam, lemon, honey, pure botrytis and mysteriously high-toned esters shimmer from the glass. The palate is bright and clear, impressively polished, creamy and viscous. There is an almost statuesque character to the wine, yet it is upliftingly bright and elegant. (We have descended from around 9.5% alcohol in the four previous wines to 8.5% here.) The peach jam obtains counterpoint from bitter suggestions of peach kernel. Layering of lemon flavors – candied, fresh, zesty pip – also offer complex counterpoint. Still, the overall effect here is not so blazingly bright and dynamic as in #5, yet there is a sedate underlying richness and peachy, nutty depth that leads to enormous length and intriguing hints as to where this will go in the future. #6, Kracher explains, was allowed the sort of leisurely evolution in tank and exposure to skin, lee 95/100 The Wine Advocate / David Schildknecht

(for 375 ml.; 8.5% alcohol, 371 g/l residual sugar, 7 g/l acidity) Deep yellow-gold. Highly complex aromas and flavors of stone fruits, coconut, blossom honey, orange zest, wild mushroom and vanilla bean. The palate is compact and creamy, retaining focus thanks to vibrant acidity. Finishes with a flavor of apricot jam, with the well-integrated sweetness adding a suggestion of fresh honey. A long-distance runner that will require time to develop. Drink 2010 to 2030. 92/100 Vinous/Peter Moser