Attended a retailer tasting a couple of days ago with Robert Weil's new Riesling releases (and some bonus wines) being poured by the importer. Some really amazing wines - if it weren't for the price, I'd be buying a lot more of them...
Robert Weil Spatburgunder Weissherbst Kabinett trocken 2007 This is apparently a small production (think they said 40 or so cases) wine made from Pinot Noir grapes with no skin contact that's not really released commercially - but just something extra slipped into the tasting. Almost clear in colour with an intensely floral nose and a nice mineral/white fruit flavour profile on the palate. Very light and elegant, liked this a lot.
Robert Weil Estate Riesling 2006 There was some sulphur clouding the nose here - some reductive notes with apple, floral and mineral aromas underneath. Much more clarity on the palate with nice apple and pear notes, good acidity and a clean finish. Decent QbA (although there seem to be far better ones out there for the price).
Then the really good stuff... Robert Weil Kiedricher Grafenberg Riesling Erstes Gewachs 2005 This had an amazing aromatic profile - slate, crushed rocks, some citrus/stonefruits, an unusual cured meat/sausage-like note and a very faint hint of reduction that added a bit more complexity to it. Tremendous power and focus in the mouth with amazing minerality, more citrus and stonefruit flavours and lots of acidity. Long, incredibly clean finish. First of the 'wow's - and this is one wine that I'd love to sit down and experience over a good dinner.
Robert Weil Kiedricher Grafenberg Riesling Spatlese 2004 I'd brought a bottle of this to a wine dinner recently and given it some air-time, and the wine showed much better then than it did here. Here it seemed a little quiet on the nose (compared to the dinner, where it was almost explosive in its intensity) with nice honey, apple, yellow plum, peach and mineral notes - but was very open on the palate, showing the really bright tropical fruit/mineral/apple/ slightly honeyed flavour profile that I love in these wines with lots of power, balance and a long finish.
Robert Weil Kiedricher Grafenberg Riesling Spatlese 2006 A little lighter in colour than the 04, and very similar in flavour profile except that the stony mineral character stood out a lot more in this. The mouthfeel was amazing - silky smooth, full throttle intensity of flavour with lots of acidity and again very long and clean on the finish.
Robert Weil Kiedricher Grafenberg Riesling Auslese 2006 Baby beerenauslese here. The nose is explosive but very primary with lots of mango, pineapple, honey, some hints of caramel, apple and mineral notes underneath. Very similar flavour profile on the palate but what stands out is the texture - this is HUGE, slightly viscous, very full and intense and still balanced perfectly with plenty of acidity. The finish just goes on and on - lasts over a minute. Tremendous.
Salil