What is there not to like about this wine?! This is one of Kracher's Grand Cuvee blends of Chardonnay and Welchsriesling. Rich, golden-amber, almost copper color with candied apricot, honey, vanilla, and clove aromas. The palate mirrors the nose perfectly and is wonderfully dense, yet agile with a very clean, even refreshing finish. I LOVE THIS STUFF.

Comparing it to the '02 Quarts de Chaume and the '99 Delesvaux Coteau du Layon I've had recently, the '02 QdC had the most exciting acidity and verve, the '99 CdL had the most voluptuous mouthfeel and complicated aroma, and the '98 Kracher was the cleanest and best balanced IMHO. My friend who views Sauternes as the epitome of dessert wines liked the Quarts de Chaume the best, but I would prefer the Kracher, if I could only have one. A great choice for the end of a serious, heavy meal. If this wine could somehow add a little funkiness to the nose and a longer finish, this would be a perfect wine to me. As it is, I'd call it 97-8. These are supposed to age, but it's absolutely fantastic now!

stickman,

I am starting to like your palate

I like the Kracher Chards the best of their wines.

Have you tried their 2000 vintage yet?

wine+art,

Maybe it's a Texas thing; I used to live in Houston.

I haven't tried any 2000s yet (still waiting to be shipped, actually). I've had the 1999 #10, but it's a pure Welchsriesling, and the profile is much more focused, vertical, and not as honeyed as the Grand Cuvee.

When I started buying Kracher, I thought all the #10s were the same wine, so I've got a mini-vertical of #10. Obviously, they're not the same from year-to-year, so I'm still determining what I like most in Kracher's line-up. ...Then again, I've liked EVERYTHING I've tried from Kracher.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by stickman:
wine+art,

I used to live in Houston.

So sorry to hear

I tried another one of these after Christmas. The color is now firmly in the realm of copper/amber. This bottle showed a little less acidity but was very, very smooth, with the usual apricot/honey profile and a very long finish. I started thinking that this wine had peaked until I tried this the second day, and it seemed more complex in the depth of fruit and again got a hint of clove. Clean and refreshing, as always. ~97

I'm on the fence as to whether these improve much with significant age. The color would suggest that they are changing much faster than a sauternes or the like, but the flavor/aromatic profile seems to stay pretty consistent. With the amount of sugar and acidity in these wines, I can't imagine them going bad; I'm just not sure that they improve. Nonetheless, this is gorgeous stuff!

My first Kracher #10.
The tasting profile quite similar to stickman's notes above.
After taking an intial sip, and loving it, I decided to pour this on vanilla ice cream
Otherworldly. (KSC98)

Gorgeous coppery color, and the nose was bursting with apricot and cooking spices, but the palate is notably more subdued than previous bottles. I actually preferred this wine with more of its youthful exuberance. IMHO, there is no reason to hold these. Drink now.

quote:

Originally posted by stickman:
I actually preferred this wine with more of its youthful exuberance. IMHO, there is no reason to hold these. Drink now.

I'm with you, stickman. I finished my '98/99s last year, and hope to eliminate '00/01s this year. The marshmallow/burnt sugar flavors that emerge in force are nice, but not as nice as the fruit that they replace IMO.

I've got 2 or 3 cases of assorted Krachers up to 2005, but don't think I'll be buying much any more. It will be interesting to see how the loss of Alois affects their products, too.

quote:

Originally posted by Seaquam:
The marshmallow/burnt sugar flavors that emerge in force are nice, but not as nice as the fruit that they replace IMO.

Well said. The best of the '02s seem to have even more energy than the standard Kracher releases, so maybe they'll age a bit better, but like you, I love the fruit so much when they're 5-8 years old, I've arrived at the point where I'll only let a bottle or two age past that point, just for exploration's sake. I've still got two more '98 #10s, and they just got moved up the "to-drink" list.

Stickman,

Why not stop by Beaver Creek the 1st week in October with one of those #10s and I will open something interesting. My wife and I will be in Beaver Creek with another couple for a week of vacation.

IW

'Sounds good to me. Let's be in touch when the time approaches. My schedule is always a bit difficult because I work on weekends, but if you're open to Sundays and Mondays, it gets easier. Just let me know, and I'd be happy to bring a Kracher (and maybe something else). Can I bring my sweetie (person, not wine)?

Stickman,

Absolutely bring your sweetie. It looks like right now we are leaning towards being their from 10/1(Thursday) to the following Wednesday. Sunday or Monday should not be a problem. Email me at justinhome at msn dot com and we will figure something out. How far do you live from Beaver Creek?

IW

quote:

justinhome

Incoming. You can erase your email address, if you like.