Rhini Blauer Spätburgunder

Ridiculous Rhini! What a nose. Red cherries and berries galore. You can smell the density. Gorgeous soil and limestone tones. Unreal expansiveness and so so aromatic. Just a crazy nose that has so much breadth. The clarity, purity and pinosity are off the charts. Palate is tangy and tense and as usual at chez Ziereisen it needs mega air but the structural architecture is there. A very red fruited expression of Pinot which seems to be the new direction this estate’s Pinots are going in which I am here for. Lovely bitter herbals on the nose now. Great freshness and acidity but needs to fill out. It will. I’ll be back. Fruit getting sweeter with air that classic hidden Rhini structure. Now with air the nose is super spicy and complex . Herbal and spicey. Fruit is so much sweeter and is like a squeegee on the palate and clings to the palate. So clean on the backend. Huge quality change on day 2. Nose is denser and cleaner with rich cherry fruits, pine resin, black forest vibes and spice. Wow. A 9.7 nose today. Palate is elegant and dense with that unreal Rhini elegant yet substantial structure and crazy complexity. Big but very very fine tannins. 9.5 to 9.6 overnight.

Young.

Haven’t had in a little over 2 years. Wowza nose. Soppy mid season cherries. Amazing limestone. Some herbs and black and red flowers. So so aromatic. Like a fresh soup of Pinot Noir. Wow. Palate has ripe cherries and is showing much younger than the nose. Lack a skoche of focus but has startling purity, freshness and vivid red cherry fruit slathered in limestone. Awesome length and lovely cherry fruit skin character. Needs a few hours to come together and it will. Will be back.

So stunning out of the gates. Sappy, high toned red cherries. Wet earth. Bright. Super mid season red cherries. Dusty. Floral. So pretty. Palate is juicy but comes out of the bottle slight angular, but wonderful purity and length. Superb precision and focus. Amazing length on the back end and the fruit is just amazing. Wow the angularity goes away after 5 minutes and it gets luscious and the acid is just so on point. Lovely texture and hint of sweetness. This is just stunning. HPZ can do no wrong!

The classicism and energy of 14 has not been repeated since. Maybe 2021?

Yes baby. Wowzers. Sick nose. Just exuberant, intense, so floral and fruity. Like wow. Some herbal notes. Chestnuts and roses. Just so deep. So expressive. Gorgeous minerals. Sappy and juicy. So tangy, fresh, deep, incisive, clean and young. But wow long and elite structure. Huge fruit that has top notch clarity. Sour cherries. Like wow sour cherries. Rhini is so slept on. The shortstop of the Ziereisen Pinot lineup. This is the best Rhini I’ve ever had. Bonkers. So elegant and pure. Red Riesling and beyond. This is amazing.

Stunning nose. Deep and ripe cherry. Almost a liquor but so energetic. Spice and feral as well. Gorgeous. Palate is spectacular juicy. Elegant and pretty wine with a silken but substantial structure. Very juicy and so clear. Lithe tannins are very high quality. Long. Really terrific showing. Will grow with air and I’ll add to my note.

After 24 hours this got insane. 9.4 to 9.5. All Ziereisen needs 24 hours open.

I love this vintage for Pinot at Ziereisen. Just classic. Like 14 red Burgs. Stunning nose. So deep and refined. Earthy and mineral with lovely delicate cherry fruit. Delicate spices round it out. What a nose. Palate is glorious. Elegant and has a nimble yet serious structure. Needs an hour of air. At least. Balance is extraordinary. Sweet sappy fruit and amazing layering and purity. Ripe, toothsome tannins and amazing freshness. Stunning expression of Pinot. Such depth. Easily will go 10/15 years.

This is the level below the 2 Jaspis bottlings and represents the best value in the lineup of Pinots. Ethereal nose. Red fruited to the max, resinous, earthy, bright cranberry. An earthy perfume. Serious deep aromas. Like how fresh flowers are aromatic. 2014 is flames here. Palate is just terrific. In the Red Riesling school. Nimble yet densely fruited with extraordinary balance and purity. Big structure. Lovely tannins and freshness. Ideally needs an hour to breathe and the fruit to really shine. The fruit is stunning here and so lip-smacking and pure. Super long finish. Superb.

Tight, uncoiling only with a day of slow ox in bottle. But then this is delicious. Fantastic upper register floral nose, red plum and cherry and a fresh pastry dough on the palate. A bit austere now — all the fruit dries out a bit on the finish. But with the right food it hits the spot.

Just all around really balanced and drinkeable. The nose isn’t as seductive as some of the other Ziereisen bottlings, but this shows all the pristine balance of his winemaking and vineyard work. Deep pretty red fruits on the palate.