PRESS RECOGNITION and AWARDS

Wine Buying Guides and Wine Books recommeding MFR

Press recognition archive

Tastingnotes by Pierre-Antoine Rovani

21022 Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Kabinett, 2001 (89 pts.)
Lime-infused pears make up the aromatic profile of this Kabinett. A spicy, light to medium-bodied wine; it reveals excellent depth, purity and formidable nobility. Its highly detailed minerality dominates the palate as well as its admirably long finish.
Projected maturity 2003-2009.

21030 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett, 2001 (89 pts.)
Medium-bodied and satin-textured, it regales the palate with thick layers of apples, pears, and assorted exotic fruits. An extravagant wine, it is boisterous and fleshy.
Projected maturity: now-2008.

21066 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett, 2001 (90 pts.)
Reveals a nose of slate and minerals. It admirably combines outstanding richness with a zesty acidity. White peaches and Champagne currants can be found in its pure,refined, and long finishing personality.
Drink it over the next 7-8 years. Lime-infused.

21052 Veldenzer Elisenberg Riesling Auslese 2001 (95 pts.)
"Consumers should do whatever it takes to latch onto Richter's superlative 2001 Ausleses. Creamed anise, acacia, honeysuckle blossoms, and baby powder are found in the luxurlant aromatics of the 2001 Veldenzer Elisenberg Riesling Auslese. A succulent, concentrated, broad, huge wine, it conquers the palate with its pears. Medium-bodied and satin-textured, this beauty has the density of a Beerenauslese yet the charm of an Auslese, in addition, its hugely expressive, prodigious finish reveals even more waves of mineral-laced fruit.
Projected maturity: 2008-2020+

21020 Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Spätlese 2001 (91 pts.)
This Spätlese has a demure, yet sweet and ripe nose. A harmonius wine, it offers honeyed minerals, flowers, and red currants in its refined flavor profile as well as in its long pure finish. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2015

21012 Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Rielsing Spätlese 2001 (93 pts.)
Armed with gorgeous depth of fruit, a seamless character, as well as loads of richness, the herbal tea, flint, and tangy candied lime-scented 2001 Juffer Sonnenuhr is a top-notch Spätlese of Auslese concentration. White peaches, charmomile, verbena, and sugar coated limes can be found in its elegant, powerful personality as well as in its 45+ second finish.
It shouldbe consumed between 2006 and 2018.

21027 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 2001 (90 pts.)
Rich aromas of tangy pears and minerals can be discended in the nose of the 2001 Spätlese. medium-bodied, plump, lush, and satin-textured, it is a thick, expressive wine laden with soft layers of candied white fruits. Anticipated maturity 2004-2012.

21051 Veldenzer Elisenberg Riesling Spätlese 2001 (92 pts.)
The Veldenzer Elisenberg Spätlese offers a sultry nose of talcum powder, baked apples, and spiced pears. Big and rich, this medium-bodied wine is opulent, feminine, and more structured than the Wehlener Sonnenuhr. White chocolate, slate, minerals, currants, peaches, and an assortment of perfums make up its exotic flavor profile. Projected maturity: 2004-2014

21053 Mülheimer Helenenkloster Riesling Spätlese 2001 (90+ pts.)
Smoky minerals and super-ripe pears can be found in the nose of theis plump, thick 2001 Helenenkloster Spätlese. This wine bursts on the palate with oodles of richness. Chewy poached pears burst on the taster's palate, unleashingly sweet, velvety waves.

01011 Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese**, cask 68 2001(96 pts.)
It has awesome aromatic depth, displaying sweet, honeyed liquid minerals and hints of pineapple. On the palate, this stupendous Auslese has extraordinary breadth, clarity, and length. A massive yet balanced and harmonious wine, it admirably sports cammed with well-delinated yet immensely ripe pears and aplles. Slate, minerals, and traces of botrytised honey can be found in its superb finish. Drink this lush, pure wine between 2010 and 2022+.

10010 Graacher Dompropst Riesling Beerenauslese 2001 (96 pts.)
Apricots, spices, and peaches make up the nose of the 2001 Beerenauslese. Another massive offering from Richter, it's thick, plush personality is medium-bodied and oily textured. Jammy peaches, jellied apricots, and loads of smoky spices can be discerned in its sweet, concentrated character as well as in is lenghty finish. Projected maturity: 2010-2030.

01059 Mülheimer Helenenkloster Riesling Eiswein 2001 (99 pts.)
An awe-inspiring wine, the white-peach-scented 2001 Helenenkloster Eiswein has an unreal personality. It appears to have the weight of a Trockenbeerenauslese yet the balance and purity of an Eiswein. Red currants, peaches, tangerines, cherries, apricots, chamomile, pineapples, and raspberries are among its stunning panoply of flavors. Medium to full-bodied and oily-textured, this wine is thick yet razor sharp as well as syrupy yet balanced. It is a tour de force in winemaking!
Projected maturity: 2015-2035.

Noble Sweet wine of the year

Noble Sweet wine of the year:
2001 Mülheimer Helenenkloster Riesling Eiswein ** (100 pts.)

Tastings

Riesling Eiswein Mülheimer Helenenkloster 2000
Score: 93 pts., Price: $75
Lovely. Vibrant peach, lime and honey flavors mingle with the juicy texture in this elegant, snappy dessert white. It crams a lot of flavor into a slim frame. Very harmonious and expressive. Best from 2003 through 2012. (BS)

Riesling Auslese Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr 2000
Score: 91 pts., Price: $35
Beautiful expression of grape and soil. Intense and concentrated, this Riesling resonates with apricot, vanilla cream and slate flavors on a vibrant structure. Drink now through 2012. 120 cases made. (BS)

Riesling Richter Estate 2000
Score: 87 pts., Price: $13
Lovely QbA. Fresh, snappy and balanced, with peach, apple and mineral flavors ending with a mouthwatering tang. Drink now through 2005. 1,800 cases made. (BS)

1998 Auslese with its intriguing, supremely delicate finish

"The most elegant white wines in the world - it is no wonder wine lovers speak of Champagne and the Mosel valley in the same breath", says Giles MacDonogh.

"Dirk Richter, of Max Ferd. Richter in Mülheim, also makes tremendous wines in Brauneberg. He is one of the great gentlemen of the Mosel, with his ravishing 18th century house and formal French gardens, he is particularly well versed in the region's history. Much of it lies in his own cellars, with bottles going back a couple of centuries.

Mosel tradition is written all over the labels. These were designed in the 19th century and he is quite right to resist the efforts of marketing men to make him change them: German labels tell you everything you need to know. I wish Alsatian ones were so frank.

Richter's best wines are perhaps those from Brauneberg, from the Juffer Sonnenuhr. He calls them "feminine", and I would agree when it came to the 1998 Auslese with its intriguing, supremely delicate finish."

Tastings

Riesling Beerenauslese Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr 1999
Score: 91 pts., Price: $75
Botrytis marks this Riesling, from the lifted orange peel, honey and spice notes to the bracing acidity on the finish. A little awkward today, yet has the stuffing and structure. 100 cases made. (BS)

Riesling Auslese Veldenzer Elisenberg 1999
Score: 90 pts., Price: $25
Wonderful harmony and expression of site. Peach, floral and mineral notes anchor this dense, vibrant '99 auslese, whose core of slate holds it together from start to finish. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 175 cases made. (BS)

Riesling Spätlese Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr 1999
Score: 89 pts., Price: $22
A brisk, lean style, imparting stone and apple notes, with a citrus underpinning that emerges on the finish. Delicate and concentrated. 200 cases made. (BS)

Riesling Kabinett Graacher Himmelreich 1999
Score: 89 pts., Price: $17
Only the Mosel can do this. Sleek, exuding spice and stone flavors that mesh effortlessly with the vivid, delicate structure. 500 cases made. (BS)

Riesling Eiswein Mülheimer Helenenkloster 1999
Score: 88 pts., Price: $70
Lean and racy, but lacks the concentration of the best in this category. Moderate notes of apple and citrus. 75 cases made. (BS)

Riesling Kabinett Wehlener Sonnenuhr 1999
Score: 88 pts., Price: $17
A live-wire Riesling, delivering a sharp relief of citrus, floral and mineral flavors. Needs time to settle down. 300 cases made. (BS)

Riesling Spätlese Brauneberger Juffer 1999
Score: 88 pts., $20
Bracing acidity keeps the lime and slate flavors in focus, driving them to a satisfying conclusion. 300 cases made. (BS)

Riesling Auslese Brauneberger Juffer 1999
Score: 88 pts., Price: $25
Wiry and coiled tightly, this Riesling's apple and citrus flavors meld to a light, crystalline structure. Needs time. 200 cases made. (BS)

Riesling Spätlese Graacher Domprobst 1999
Score: 88 pts., Price: $20
Effusive in its lime, apple and mineral flavors, all very pure and well-constituted, with a firm, focused finish. 250 cases made. (BS)

Best Kabinett tasted from the Mosel

The wines of the 1998 vintage achieved up to 91 of 100 points awarding the Kabinett with the best Kabinett tasted from the Mosel. Detailed tastingnotes can be found under wines.

1998 vintage achieved up to 96 of 100 points

The wines of the 1998 vintage achieved up to 96 of 100 points. Detailed tastingnotes can be found under wines.

Wines with special qualities

The wines of the 1997 vintage achieved up to 89 of 100 points awarding the wines as "good to very good, wines with special qualities". Detailed tastingnotes can be found under wines.

Tastings

1997 Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Auslese
17 1/2 of 20, has a nose of crisp, slightly angular green apple, fig, pear, ripe melon, apple subtle pineapple, lychee and honeysuckle. It is beautifully balanced with ripe, flavors mirroring the aromas, with added notes of apricot and peach. The supple fruit core is a bit short in opulence but offers good depth and finesse - give it time.

1997 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett
17 of 20, has aromas and flavors of zippy, vibrant fruit, with mineral and spice nuances. It is round, mouthfilling and delicious, with fine, crisp acidity and a lingering finish.

1997 Mülheimer Sonnenlay Riesling Zeppelin
17 of 20, is lively, fruity and spicy, with scents and tastes of apple, pear, citrus and floral notes. It is balanced, clean and fresh, with crisp acidity and a very tasty finish.

1997 Graacher Dompopst Riesling Auslese

Jane MacQuitty selects the finest wines under 20:
1997 Graacher Dompopst Riesling Auslese

1997 Richter Estate Riesling

1997 Richter Estate Riesling
Recommended as a zesty, spicy white

1. Place in a blindtasting

1997 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese: 1. Place in a blindtasting

1967 Auslese, Juffer-Sonnenuhr

"Dirk Richter has helpful advice to offer about slate and how it effects what's in the glass."

wine tasted: 1967 Auslese, Juffer-Sonnenuhr
Beschreibung: "honeyed perfection: deep golden amber and viscous; heady and intense on the nose; all that a mature Mosel should be with singing orange marmalade acidity holding the palate firmly through to a lingering poised finish."

Die 97er Kollektion erinnert in ihrem Profil an die guten 93er und 95er Jahrgänge

Talk about off the Richter scale

Richter, 1997 Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Kabinett, was redolent of crisp apple and pear flavors. Very nice, indeed. A touch sweeter was the Richter,1997 Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Spätlese, pleasantly offdry and a good match for foods with some spice or heat to them.
My favourite was the 1996 Richter Mülheimer Helenenkloster Riesling Eiswein, a rich sweet (but not treacly) dessert wine with excellent acidity. Saving - if not the absolute best but certainly the most expensive - for last, we tasted the 1996 Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese - A very sweet wine that you don't serve with dessert; it is dessert! - Talk about off the Richter scale. And that's the truth - straight, no chaser. (Michael Lonsford)

94er Brauneberger Juffer - Sonnenuhr

... „Der heutige Chef Dirk Richter baut die Weine eher traditionell aus, achtet auf Haltbarkeit. Seine Gewächse öffnen sich meist erst nach zwei, drei Jahren. Seine 94er Spätlese (Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr), eigentlich eine Auslese, ist wohl reif, doch lebendig und voller Temperament. Wunderliche Bodentöne steigen aus dem Glas auf. Die Andeutung von Süße verstärkt die saftigen Pfirsich-Aromen. Kein Scherz: So etwas paßt gut zu Hummer und Languste." (Peter-Paul Falkenstein)

the 300 best German Estates

1996 Mülheimer Sonnenlay (Zeppelin-label)

German Wines: The 1996 Mülheimer Sonnenlay Qba (Zeppelin-label) offers aromas and flavours of zesty golden apple, melon and peach. It is balanced, with fine fruit expression, crisp acidity, lovely fruit and flavour and a crisp finish - very attractive and delicious.

Current press recognition