2002 Nikolaihof Steinriesler
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Tasting notes
Raised for 13 years in a 5,000-liter oak cask, the intensely yellow-colored 2002 Riesling Steinriesler (read the story behind Steinriesler in David Schildknecht's notes on the 1999 in Wine Advocate Issue 212, April 2014), opens with bitter flavors like an herb liqueur. However, it quickly develops lovely, pure, and refreshing white fruit and lemon aromas on the deep and densely structured nose. Pure and fresh, with a moderate alcohol volume of 12%, this is a medium-bodied and elegant, but tension-filled and tightly-woven Riesling with lots of character. It's not just much fresher than you would expect, but it is really fresh and firm, with grip, elegance and lots of character (and some austerity in the finish). Although a unique style is really adorable, the long aging does not make the wine greater than it was when it came into the vat. It's a very gastronomic Riesling for experienced wine lovers that do not go for scores but for delectation.
Critic scores
Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
David Schildknecht, Vinous
More reviews and scores
The third such Riesling Vom Stein of Federspiel weight to be given an élevage formerly reserved for Smaragd-weight “Vinothek” offerings, this was only bottled in April 2015. There are refinements and complexities of aromatics, flavor and texture here that go far beyond those found today in the lovely “regular” 2002 Federspiel Vom Stein (tasted alongside and also covered in this report). Moreover, this wine tastes fresher, which may seem less surprising if one thinks for a moment about the difference in size between a bottle and a cask. Moss, lichen, forest floor and flor mingled on the nose with fresh apple and plum. Caressingly silken and buoyant, this spreads a midpalate carpet of incredibly intricate and subtle design as well as irresistible juiciness. A soaringly sustained finish introduces smoky, crystalline and stony elements along with a mouthwateringly saline savor reminiscent of clam juice. (The name “Steinriesler”—strangely but truly coined by yours truly—alludes to a 19th-century name for Riesling that survived as an affectionate nickname well into the 20th. I happened to spot “Riesler” on some very old Nikolaihof price lists they shared with me at precisely the time when the Saahs family was trying to decide what to call their first extremely-extended- élevage Federspiel.)