TN Dirler Riesling GC Kessler 2000

Hello, One of the frist wines we bought at the very good and hghly recommended winery Dirler-Cadé in Bergholtz, a few kilometers from Guebwiller, was this. I do believe I made a taste note, or rather, at note of of the whole tasting in 2002 (and I found it, Mr Google is still my friend) ... " with Saering the more flowery, Kessler mineral, and Spiegel herbal. Of these, the two first had both enormous concentration ..." Well. For some reason, perhaps rank stupidity, we already opened one of the bottles after only half a year or so - v uninteresting, bit of fizz, slight sweetness ... but Xina had found a bottle during an excavation of the cellar and put in the fridge. Self thought long and ahrd and decided on foie gras with a fruity chutney, parma ham chips, and pistacios, as a starter, followed by shellfish with garlic butter on fresh corn (maize to the UKians). After a glbutt of Muscat 2004 from our old faithful, Francois Baur (this turned out a bit too high in acidity, and too low in Muscat generosity, which is curious as they normally produce abundantly Muscaty Muscats) as an aperitif, we went to the main wine and starter. c Still fairly light in color. PAle straw. n Now, here is a wine ... the petrol-diesel is sniffable even from the bottle. AFter pouring, it is wonderful in its richness - a petrol station with a fruityard of yellow plums behind - dveloping over time, adding honey, and violets and heather blossom. p Very rich, with a strong but never aggressive acidity, at first appearing bone dry, with a good if not downright generous structure, then, developing with heather blossom, walnuts (French), butter, and in fact a slight dash of residual sugar.

Overall impression: This wine, my friends, this wine contends with the best Alsatians of which I have ever had the pleasure to partake. You would have to compare it with a ZH Gwz GC Steinert 1992 I had in 2004 to find a comparable richness an dcomplexity. It worked very well with the foie gras, but less so with the shellfish (there, a buttery Chardonnay would have been more appropriate, or a Chenin Blanc form Loire). A wine that will last a long time yet, even though it drinks beautifully now. To my memory, this wine cost less tahn EU 20. A steal, ladies and getles all. A steal.

MIke, do you still have those (or was it only one?) bottles I gave you in 2003? Because if you do, you can keep them for several years, yet.

Cheers

Nils Gustaf

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