Apricots*. And that is what this wine smells like.
Riesling Spatlese Graacher Domprobst 2006, Willi Schaefer
A very floral, fruity nose, lots of apricots, with peach and lime hints. It is also very slatey and smokey, extremely mineral. This smells rather complex and highly attractive. The palate is really light and elegant, with extreme refinement and is suitcase-full of style. It has good sweetness, but is not overly so. The acidity is just beautiful, very present and refreshing, but not painful. It has good length, too, and is prickling with slatey minerality. This is a highly enjoyable wine that is in the full-flow of youthful exuberance. It is quite, quite beautiful. Really good stuff, to drink over the next six months or in six years time, but whenever you drink it, you’ll smile.
*My American reader may not understand this joke. A cot is what Americans refer to as a crib. And there was me thinking a crib was what a rap star calls his/her (rarely her, let us be honest) abode.
Great winemaker, great vineyard, and Willi did very well in this vintage. I had a bottle of his 06 Domprobst Auslese (I think AP#10) at the new year and it was absolutely amazing. Thick, intense, but brilliantly defined, balanced and fine. You can still buy the #11 at Howard Ripley, and I just don’t think you can get better wine for the money.