2016 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Auslese #11

The AP #11 Auslese is one of three from the Domprobst in the 2016 vintage. The wine is beautifully pure and refined on the nose, wafting from the glass in a fine blend of pear, white cherry, a lovely underpinning of slate, lime blossoms, a touch of violet and a topnote of bee pollen. On the palate the wine is precise, full and absolutely seamless, delivering a lovely blend of perfectly ripe fruit and slate, with bright, ripe acids, outstanding focus and grip and a very long, very pure and promising finish. This is still very early days for this lovely Auslese, which will need a full decade or more in the cellar to really start to stir. 2026-2065. View From The Cellar 93.

Honeydew and muskmelons are joined by Golden Delicious apple and mango on a headily ripe nose and an impressively rich, luscious, creamy, glycerol-slicked palate. Yet delicacy and buoyancy, common denominators of the present collection, are alluringly evident. The soothing, superbly sustained finish introduces a hint of caramel that points to the presence of botrytis. Vinous Media 93