2002 Riesling Kabinett "Herrenberg" (M. Grunhaus)
This charming Kabinett seems round and expansive, but there is that tell-tale hit of lemon-lime lingering on the finish, indicating some crispness to come. There is not much intensity apparent, but there is that zing. It is succulent and delicious, fruity not sweet, and it comes into very nice balance with some air. 88 points.

1995 Riesling Auslese ** "Zeltinger Sonnenuhr" (Selbach-Oster)
Lovely, fresh, youthful and sunny, this wine is off dry but not particularly unctuous for its pradikat--but very pleasing. The purity of fruit and precision are impressive, and the finish is flavorful and lingering. From 375ml. 92 points.

2001 Riesling Spatlese "Oestricher Lenchen" (Spreitzer)
I was afraid this beauty would be shut down hard, as so many '01s are, but it actually seems young and open. I wouldn't be surprised to see it close down yet, because there is a lot of STUFF lurking underneath the friendly demeanor of this wine. And it's pretty friendly at the moment. It is lively enough, with a touch of lemon on the finish, but the sugar and the fruit integrate beautifully to make this exceptionally appealing in an off-dry, but not too sugary, style. It has a nice finish, and expands in the glass with air and warmth, too. I'm not sure it has as much upside as I once thought, but it is awfully nice. 92 points.

2003 Riesling Auslese *** "Urziger Wurzgarten" (J.J. Christoffel)
Plump, primary, sweet and lush, this three star is a creature of its vintage, youthful and hardly seeming to have aged a day. Yet, I was pleased that it acquired some balance and harmony with air, giving a good preview of what may come with a decade or so in the cellar. There's a lot here to like, the only thing missing at the moment being some intensity.  93 points.

1990 Riesling Spatlese "Urziger Wurzgarten" (J.J. Christoffel)
This certainly seems mature. The fruit has that burnished feel, and there a touches of oxidation around the edges. Yet, it is also vibrant and powerful at times, showing off that lovely finish you get when a wine with just enough acidity comes into balance with a wine that has just enough sugar. It manages to expand in the glass, and shows surprising depth and a certain roundness in the mid-palate, too. The more I sat with this, the more I liked it. 93 points.
 

2004 Riesling Spatlese "Scharzhofberger" (Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt)
Opening rich and lush, with acid on the end, this seems on the sweeter end of the spectrum, and the less structured end. The particularly good news, however, is that the wine shows more acid and better integration of components with air, the fruit mingling beautifully with the acidity, which emerges to provide some verve and support. The wine becomes relatively more austere--a VERY relative term for this wine. This still tastes very young and has not really begun to close down, but in a decade it is certainly going to seem to be a very different wine. 91 points.
 

1997 Rieslaner Auslese Mußbacher Eselshaut (Muller-Catoir)
This lovely Rieslaner is drinking beautifully at the moment. It opens lush, sweet but not cloying, with remarkable depth of fruit that projects a feeling of decadent richness. Despite that, and with some air, the wine shows fine balance, and the acidity cuts through its thickness. I could say this is a great time to drink this--the wine is wide open and showing exceptionally well. Yet, it is also very youthful, without nary a hint of aging wine. Considering that it is 11 years old, that is quite something. It has easily another decade to go--more likely, two. 93 points.

1998 Riesling Spatlese "Abtsberg" (Von Schubert - M. Grunhaus)
This opens a bit restrained and reticent, with lemon-lime notes on the finish. But there is a pungent, powerful nose, giving a hint of what is to come. The wine expands and evolves, showing youthful energy. It is lively and crisp, and the acid provides it intensity and verve. Focused and sharp, I'm not sure this is really ready to drink, but it should be an exceptional Spatlese in a few years.  92 points.

2006 Riesling Spatlese "Erdener Treppchen" (J.J. Christoffel)
This vineyard usually produces lighter, more delicate wines than Christoffel's Urz Wurz efforts, but at its current age and in this vintage, this wine seems lush and rich, showing a sugary finish and sensual texture. As it airs out, the mid-palate thins a bit, but the fruity demeanor mingling with the sugar make this a guilty pleasure in infanticide. Luscious and lingering, it is a wine that will be a pleasure to drink young before it closes down. 90 points.
 

1990 Riesling Kabinett "Geisenheimer Monchspfad" (Schumann-Nagler)

This interesting Kabinett is remarkably rich, dry but tinged with some apricot notes. It is tangy and succulent, with bright acidty driving home the fruit. Although dry, it is still relatively fruity for its age and status, and has held quite well. A very nice performance. 87 points.

2003 Riesling Spatlese "Oberhauser Brucke" (Donnhoff)
Open for a few hours, this never seemed to develop into anything beyond pleasant, lacking the acidic definition one normally expects. It is a rather light and reticent 2003, relatively speaking, which might be considered a good thing, but it lacks the intensity and seems overly simple. With air, I was relieved to see some minerality cutting through the simple fruit. It will be interesting to see if this takes on any character with age, or if the acidity comes to the fore and lends the wine any intensity or focus. As it is, this will leave many underwhelmed at the moment. 88+ points.

1983 Riesling Auslese "Berkasteler Doctor" (Deinhard)
This is sturdy and monolithic, and completely dry. It has a feeling of solidity, but there is no fruit flavor left, it all having dried out. It is mostly acid and a certain brooding demeanor. There is little here to still appreciate. The color was dark amber. This was served from a 375ml. 80 points.

1990 Riesling Auslese "Hochheimer Holle" (Franz Kunstler)
This Auslese has a touch of caramel, as its most prominent feature is the burst of sugar still surviving on the finish. It is othewise well on the way to drying out, and indeed, as the wine sits and airs out, you discover that the first few sips were the best, and it is all downhill after that, the fruit losing flavor and the wine drying out quickly.  The color was forbiddingly dark. This was served from 375ml. 84 points.

1990 Riesling Auslese "Wachenheimer Rechbachel" "R" (Dr. Burklin-Wolf)

This seems light and delicate, just a little fruity, with a certain tropical, perky note. There is also an odd nuance on the nose, a dirty gym socks aroma, that is there, but not strong enough destroy the wine. Other than that, nothing really stands out, as the wine seems foursquare and a bit simple. This was served from 375ml. 85 points.

1989 Riesling Spatlese Trocken "Oberhauser Brucke" (Donnhoff)

Dry, austere and steely, this has acidity levels that make the mouth water, and with air the acidity seems to dominate the wine even more. I liked this a bit when poured and for a short while after, but it ultimately seemed a bit shrill and lacking in charm. The acidity will no doubt preserve it for some time, but I find it hard to believe it will improve, so drink up. 85 points.

1988 Riesling Spatlese "Trarbacher Schlossberg" (Reutter Kunz)
This shows some age in a thinning mid-palate with some burnished notes around the edges, but it has held beautifully, providing a bright, luscious finish, laced with some sugary notes. It is off-dry--most of the obvious sugar is gone--but there is still some and it shows traces of sweetness on the end. It is mouth coating, bright and lively when it finally warms up and opens up. 88 points.

1991 Riesling Auslese "Oberhauser Brucke" (Donnhoff)
This is a beauty, and has aged brilliantly, even served from a 375ml. It is round, unctuous and ripe on the finish, bursting with flavor and controlled sweetness. The finish is lovely and lingering. The wine's texture coats your mouth sensually and makes it feel coated and covered. This still seems rather youthful and has years and years to go, especially if you like them on the older side. This shows little evidence of age. 94 points.