Vinous (95)

Like its Brücke counterpart, this Auslese reflects genuinely botrytis-free grapes, said Dönnhoff, but ones that were too numerous and too high in sugar to use elsewhere, “and certainly not in the Grosses Gewächs, which would then have ended up with 14% alcohol.” Sea breeze on the nose intimates the sweet-saline savor of raw scallop that emerges on this wine’s lusciously lingering, mouthwateringly umami-rich finish. White peach and quince preserves feature throughout, reinforced on the soothingly creamy palate by nougat-like nut essences. There is an animating, juicy fresh-fruit aspect as well, and a wonderful sense of both focus and transparency to stony and ore-like nuances.

Vinous (95)

From an old parcel in the Hermannshöhle whose vines are still single post-trained, this auctioned bottling (representing the contents of a 600-liter Halbstück) delivers a highly aromatic and luscious amalgam of white peach, pink grapefruit and Persian melon not unlike that familiar from its A.P. #12 counterpart. Suggestions of nut pastes complemented by candied citrus rind are also present. But this boasts a yet creamier texture, greater delicacy, and a more complex and mouthwatering mineral savor, allied to raw scallop-like sweetness and salinity.

Emerging from the esteemed vineyards of Saarburger Rausch, the Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Riesling Auslese 2009 offers an indulgent taste of superior German craftsmanship. Hand-harvested with meticulous precision, this outstanding wine reverberates with the expertise of the Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken estate, revered for its dedication to viticulture since 1742. This magnificent Riesling Auslese exudes the distinct terroir of Saar Valley, a unique composition of weathered grey slate and iron-rich soil, delivering an indelible minerality in every sip.

Characterised by an aromatic bouquet of ripe apricots, candied lemon peel, and subtle hints of honey, it possesses a remarkable ageing potential. Its vibrant acidity and persistent sweetness yield perfect harmony, making the Forstmeister Geltz Zilliken Saarburger Rausch Riesling Auslese 2009 a cherished addition to any discerning wine collector's selection.

James Suckling (96)

A super-filigree Mosel Auslese that impresses with fabulous delicacy and precision. So much vanilla-bean character, but also tropical-flower aromas. Beautifully integrated grape sweetness at the long, very refined finish. Drink or hold.

Jancis Robinson (17)

Marc Kent's field blend from vineyards over 50 years old comprising Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barroca and Rufete, aged 16 months in used French barriques. Deep purplish crimson. Pretty ripe and luscious on both nose and palate with smoother tannins than many Douro reds – there is still some tannin but it's very ripe. Lots of work involved in this feat? Yet it definitely tastes of the hot stones of the Douro. Well done! Really rather gorgeous already. Clean, fresh, appetising finish. A cheerful wine that comes out of the glass to metaphorically lick your face affectionately. Bravo!

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2021 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese is concentrated and fresh on the aromatic nose that is immediately present but also still reductive. Ripe stone fruit aromas intermingle with notes of crushed stones on a deep foundation of aromas from the soil and the fruit of old vines. On the palate, the 2021 is very fine but also intense, savory, saline and lush, leading to a long, intense and highly digestible finish with crunchy and cleansing slate features. Again, this is a fabulous Auslese from Prüm's iconic Sonnenuhr. 7% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in May 2023.

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2020 Riesling Graacher Himmelreich Auslese * (Golden Capsule) shows concentrated lemon fruit and crushed blue slate aromas with spicy notes. Just bottled in June, this Auslese is still pretty reductive, yet it shows its true elegance and finesse on the nose. Very elegant, fresh and salty on the palate, this is a savory, almost dry-finishing Auslese from the Graacher Himmelreich that is characterized by remarkably precise and sharp but ripe acidity that is intermingled with the saline taste and causes a salivating finish. Though still too young to full shine, this is a highly promising Auslese. 7.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine from AP 134 22 in July 2022.

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2021 Riesling Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spätlese (Golden Capsule) opens with a coolish nose with ethereal/herbal and delicate citrus fruit aromas as well as very fine slate notes. Juicy, quite dense and intense on the palate, this is a mouth-filling and textured Spätlese that is still somewhat greenish on the finish that has healthy phenolic grip and excellent aging potential. This is a Sonnenuhr Spätlese that shouldn't be served too early. There are complex talents in this 2021, but they need time to develop class and finesse. 7.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in May 2023.

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2020 Riesling Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spätlese (White Capsule) is clear, pure, intense and refined, spicy and flinty on the nose that shows fully ripe, yellow-golden Riesling fruit combined with flinty/savory slate aromas. Lush and dense yet crystalline and refined on the palate, this is an elegant, very intense and saline, concentrated and substantial Sonnenuhr Spätlese that is, analytically and also sensorially, certainly an Auslese that reveals a concentrated, lemon-fresh, savory and stimulating bitter finish with great substance and class. This 2020 is remarkably complex and tensioned, but it has stimulating, zesty salinity and serious tannin structure. This impressive dry (or dry styled?) Spätlese will need another five to 10 years to open up and unfold its finesse and layers that it will easily keep for 50+ years, if cellared properly. 11.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine from AP 72 21 in July 2022.

Wine Advocate (98+)

The 2018 Riesling Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Auslese *** (White Capsule) is beautifully clear, pure, fine and complex on the intense yet delicate and flinty bouquet that represents very fine slate soils and elegant, perfectly ripe and refined but concentrated (stone) fruit. Rich and intense yet fine and crystalline on the palate, this is a full-bodied, juicy and elegant Sonnenuhr Auslese with mouthfeel, elegance and finesse paired with power and concentration. The finish is pure, crystalline and precise as well as persistently salty and with a long, fresh and aromatic aftertaste. This 2018 is an impressive, sustainable ZSU that I highly recommend to cellar for at least a decade, or better, two. Tasted at the domain twice in September 2020.

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2020 Riesling Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Kabinett (Golden Capsule) opens with a deep, pure and complex bouquet with concentrated fruit and lemon aromas intermingled with delicate and coolish slate aromas. Full-bodied, crystalline and fresh on the palate, this is a pure, saline and terribly fresh but mouth-watering ZSU Kabinett with fine and precise acidity and a tight and tensioned finish that needs some years to refine. 7.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine from AP 33 21 in July 2022.

Matthew Jukes (19+)

The first words I wrote in my tasting book were, ‘best Chryseia to date’. This is an incredible wine with so much character and accuracy it is impressive. I have visited this property and felt the aura emanating from these historic vineyards. This wine manages to bottle these mysterious elements allowing them to embed themselves into the intense, majestic and deeply fruited body of the two Touriga grapes. While this will be a long-lived wine, there is no doubt that it will appeal to impatient palates, too, given its tremendous and immediate appeal. I feel that this famous wine label is finally showing its full potential, and it has joined the pantheon of truly great red wine styles of the world in the 2018 vintage.

Wine Advocate (96)

Vinified in stück and doppelstück (1,200- and 2,400-liter barrels, respectively) and aged on the full lees until the end of July, the 2020 Kiedrich Turmberg Riesling Trocken shows a fascinating, deep, intense and generous as well as complex and aristocratic bouquet of ripe yellow fruits and crushed dark stones. The Turmberg is darker-toned and deeper than the Klosterberg, maybe also even more complex and provided with substantial but elegant fruit. Full-bodied, refined and elegant on the palate, this is a lush, intense and expressive, seriously structured, very long, complex and tensioned Turmberg with a spectacularly long, multilayered and persistently salty finish. Seriously, the Turmberg has never been better than in 2020. For the first time since its re-activation in 2005, the Turmberg premier cru is on grand cru level. Its aftertaste is incredibly dense and compact but also salivating and provided with the energy and expression of a great wine. A Must Buy of the vintage and a Best Buy as well! Magnums preferred. Tasted at the domain in August 2021.

Jancis Robinson (16.5+)

Lightish crimson. Much more inviting on the nose compared with the Klingenberg. There's red fruit and a fresh stemmy note (60% whole bunch) that adds a lovely scent to the fruit. Peppery too. Light and a little sour-fruited on the palate, delicate tannins, taut and fresh and just a baby.

James Suckling (99)

The nose of this Spatlese makes me think of 18th century engravings of pear and white peach varieties, but that only hints at the enveloping and astonishingly fine fruit that follows on the palate. A masterpiece of finesse, precision and balance, but even that doesn’t say the most important thing, which is the breathtaking leafy freshness and stony clarity at the stunningly long finish. When will it ever stop? From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

Wine Enthusiast (97)

Inky purple in color, this youngest Taylor vintage Port boasts a floral, wonderfully open and appealing bouquet, backed by layers of rich fruit. What makes this wine extra special is the seductive texture—somewhere between creamy and syrupy—and ample length. Hold.

Vinous (98)

It has a greenish, tawny rim, quite deep at its mahogany core more than you would expect for a Port of this age. The nose is quite arresting, does not hang about, delivering a cornucopia of aromas: grilled walnuts, espresso, smoke, antique bureau and dried fig, all extremely well defined. Monitoring this over three or four hours, it gains intensity, hints of liquorice and menthol joining the chorus line, just the right amount of volatility. The palate is medium-bodied, slightly viscous on the entry, very spicy with sweet honey and brown sugar notes, completely offset by the combination of natural and volatile acids. Despite its age, this is a fiery Port with extraordinary lingering notes of Japanese shiso leaf, fig jam, damson and stem ginger, clean and poised with that volatility kicking towards the finish. This has wonderful sweetness, with 218g/L residual sugar that counters any oxidation. At around £4,000 per bottle, it is not inexpensive. But you are paying to drink history, knowing that it will never be released again. Of course, this 1896 is ready to be drunk now, but such is its concentration and vigour, that it could be cellared if you insist on your fortified wine being at least 125 years old.

Express your refined taste with the Weingut Weiser-Künstler GAISPFAD trocken 2016, a distinctively crisp white wine that embodies class. Nestled in Germany's Mosel wine region, the Weiser-Künstler estate is lauded for its commitment to quality viticulture and old-world winemaking techniques. Harnessing the power of 80-year-old vines, this Riesling is grown on Gaispfad's grey slate soil, yielding a wine renowned for its lively minerality, balanced acidity and crisp apple notes.

2016 was a vintage year for Weiser-Künstler, producing wines of superb complexity and tension. Punctuated by nuances of citrus and stone fruit, the Weingut Weiser-Künstler GAISPFAD trocken 2016 bestows a long, dry finish that bewitches the palate. Sealed with a traditional cork, it captures the authenticity of this small but distinctive Mosel estate, echoing the passion winemakers Alexandra Künstler and Konstantin Weiser hold for Riesling. Decant this treasure to tantalise your guests or pair it with robust seafood for an exceptional dining experience.