Iwan

9.4

There’s something about Emrich Schonleber. Unmistakably floral and tropical on the nose. Pineapple, apricot and Vanilla on the palate. This wine plays tricks on you. You keep expecting Auslese style sweetness, but it’s holding back. And the age of the Kabinett does the wine some favors too. — 4 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Getting my Schonleber on. Zingy acids. Rich but linear and precise. Love Auslese from them. — 11 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.1

Wish I could tell you that I tasted the TBA, but silly me (and CW) decided we'd wait until we've tasted all the drier wines before moving on to this... then poof! None left. Sigh. Heard that it's amazing though and the hammer price seems to indicate so - 1020€ 0.375L, 2750€ 0.75L, and 18000€ 1.5L. Insane!

As for the GG, that I did taste. Again, take my notes with a grain of salt given how brief the occasion was. Very fruit driven, ranging from yellow stone fruits to exotic fruits, both on the nose and palate. Nose is beautifully touched by herbal notes. Noticeable sweetness on the palate. Excellent acidity, but I felt the finish was somewhat muted by a touch of warmth in the finish. Needs time to bring more balance. I thought it was a good GG, but trumped by the 18' ADL that it was tasted with on both occasions. 200€ 0.75L

NB: The usual suspects (at least for me) delivered the best dry rieslings at the Nahe VDP auctions. Some brief notes and in order of my favourites:

1) Emrich-Schonleber 18' Auf der Lay: My wine of the auction. Such a beautiful nose - Stone fruits, citrus, just the right amount of greenness (fresh cut herbs and grass), and a real chalky feel. The palate is just so saline, intense, deep, and balanced. Amazing drive. Almost as good as the 17'! 270€ 1.5L and 720€ 3.0L

2) Philipp Kuhn 18' Philippsbrunnen: Wow wow! Surprise of this auction. Precise, elegant, juicy, and so mineral. The nose is airy and cool. Multi-layered palate with sufficient extract. Gentle power comes to mind with this wine. I absolutely adored it and definitely one of the best buys this auction. 105€ 0.75L

3) Keller 18' Pettenthal: What can I say? The terroir is just so strong (taste any producer producing Pettenthal and you'll know) and KP does a great job at turning up the dial to 150%! Admittedly, the doesn't have the electricity of the 17' :( 800€ 0.75L

4) Wagner-Stempel 18' EMT: Better than the 17' I feel, but definitely still on the austere side. Some noticeable phenolics on the palate, but the density and depth is just plain impressive. Excellent value if you ask me. 100€ 0.75L

Lastly, something needs to said about the Wittmann La Borne and Battenfeld-Spanier Zellertal Kreuzberg - I don't get why people are paying so much for these wines (270€ and 210€ respectively). — 5 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.7

"Power without weight" was the first thing that came to mind when I was blinded this wine. I knew it was a German Riesling from the bottle's shape, and I instantly gravitated towards two producers - Keller and Emrich Schonleber. You know... it's a gut feeling and few producers pull out wines quite like they do! Didn't quite get that it was a GG due to the wine's length initially, but I was certain it came from a Grosses Lage site due to the complexity (perhaps from younger vines - think Lenz or Westhofen).

Day 2 and this was an absolute showstopper! The elegance is confounding for a 2015, but it still flexes just enough power. The length has improved radically - long, airy, and incredibly saline. There's a rich creamy element on the palate, balanced by zesty goodness and razor sharp acidity. The nose is gorgeous - floral, ripe, and herbal. I seriously love this wine today, but really... It's one for the ages. — 6 years ago