1995 Riesling Vinothek

Words nearly (!) failed when faced with Nikolaihof’s 1995 Riesling Vinothek, a Smaragd of 12.5% alcohol bottled after seventeen years in cask, and without question one of the most haunting Riesling wines of my experience. Frangipane, chamomile, freesia and rowan in the nose liquefy in a most extraordinary way on a silken palate to achieve an impression of virtually weightless floral perfume that glides all the way through to ... well, can you speak of “finish” when a wine doesn’t? Piquant nut oils and peach kernel along with a shadow-like shifting of subtly stony undertones lend counterpoint, enveloping richness, and further mystery to this amazing libation, bringing it, if you will – or at least, trying to bring it – down to earth. I won’t attempt to suggest how long this might continue on its magnificent way, though the closest precedent – Nikolaihof’s 1990 “Vinothek” bottling – isn’t fading. And this 1995 held up superbly for days after opening. “Despite the dry conditions, we always managed to get just enough rain,” says Nikolaus Saahs of 2012. The staunchly and long-standing biodynamic Nikolaihof prides itself on the extent to which this results in their harvesting well-ahead of their fellow Wachauer; but in 2012 it was virtually impossible to get significantly out ahead of the whole pack when many growers began picking by late September, and the Nikolaihof – in starting during the third week – were following their typical schedule. The earliest-released results – fewer than half of any Nikolaihof collection being bottled and released in the year following harvest – display the fruit-forwardness of their vintage, with less nuance or intrigue than is sometimes found already in very young Nikolaihof wines. As usual, I had my first opportunity to taste certain 2011s alongside the initial releases from 2012, and I re-tasted other 2011s in the course of last year, from which I predict that – in contrast with most Danubian Austrian estates – vintage 2012 here will prove outclassed by its immediate predecessor. Even by Nikolaihof standards, the array of late- and “Vinothek” (very long cask-aged) releases over the past couple of years has been extraordinary, and while they may be expensive, they deliver unparalleled intrigue and rarified pleasure that promise to persist in bottle for many more years. Importer: Terry Theise Estate Selections, imported by Michael Skurnik Wines, Inc., Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300