I HAVE BEEN MISSING OUT!!! I should have started tasting German Rieslings earlier!!! This was great...

Straw colored, this wine had a "funky" petroleum smell at the start. After about 30 mins, it blew off to reveal sweet apricot and peach notes, supported by hints of mineral and stone. The mouthfeel is wonderful. The wine finishes w/ hints of sweet grapefruit, and lasts for minutes. WOW... 93-95 points.

Completely agree with both your comments and notes. I bought a case of the 2001 Gunderloch Auslese. Without doubt, my favourite Riesling to date. Highdesertwines has a tasting note from our recent offline. Easily 94-96 pointer. I'm glad I still have 7-8 left. I suspect they have at least 10 more years of enjoyment.

Thanks for the TN.

I found that petroleum smell on my last bottle a little while ago, but it wasn't there on earlier bottles. I guess that is part of the aging process?

Great stuff anyway you look at it. I am looking forward to charting the progress of my last 5 bottles (number 6 met an untimely demise on a concrete floor).

I think the 2001 was better than either the 2002 Gunderloch Spatlese or the 2003 Gunderloch Spatlese.

VM

Nomar Catuli

We opened one of these this weekend with a friend. I have had this wine 3 times thus far and it is one of my favorite 2001 spatleses. The wine was still very good, but the finish is greatly diminished from both other times I have had this. It was still very sweet with refreshing acidity - a very tasty wine. But it just wasn't as "WOW" as we've tasted before. Whereas the other 2 times the finish stayed with you for 15 seconds, this dissappeared quite quickly and you were just left with "sweet".

I've heard the 2001s are going to sleep. I would have to agree based on this bottle. I probably won't touch the rest I've put down for a while.

Thanks for the update. I was thinking about opening one of these for some friends on New Year's eve. It sounds like I'll open something else.

Otis opened this at his annual CDP this year. This was showing much better than when I last had it in May 2004 at the Las Vegas Grand Tour. Creamy apple, tropical fruit and spice notes. 91 points.

VM