Markus Molitor Zeltinger Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese 2001: An appealing depth of colour, and aromatically we have scents of very sherbetty fruit, partly zesty citrus, partly reminiscent of exotic stone fruit, moving away from white peach towards the mango end of the spectrum. It has great intensity, and that sherbetty-minerally-rocky edge lends it an extra very welcome dimension. The previously noted sulphur is nowhere to be seen. The palate is appropriately rich and fleshy, but with appropriate acidity, backed up by a pithy and zesty fruit character, but more than anything it has a firm, scratching, minerally presence. A rich, full-bodied and imposing style which eases confidently into a bold, sweet, lip-smacking finish. A very appealing wine, perhaps stronger on orange and tropical fruit than filigree elegance, but nevertheless nicely imbued with minerally character, gritty structure and an admirable length. 17/20 AP number: 2 576 609 05 02

Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 2001: A good depth of hue here. The nose is pure and unsullied, full of precise lime fruit, with mixed citrus notes, bright and fresh apples and some sweet peachy elements. It is all very primary and fresh still, despite this wine's ten years; I don't see anything here to suggest maturity, no petrol or mealy elements, just young, fun, lightly sherbetty fruit. Lovely depth on the palate, although it still has a bright and almost floral character in keeping with the youthful aromatics. Lightly fleshy, but pure and citrusy with it, with an appropriate fleshy residual. A nice citric cut coming through in the finish, with a slatey-sherbetty bite here. There's also even a little carbon dioxide spritz left here, with a few bubbles gathering on the inside of the glass to match this impression on the palate; an important factor in this wine's Peter Pan appearance, perhaps? Delicious wine, just brimming with great long-term potential. 18/20 AP number: 2 577 050 7 02

Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese Fuder 10 2001: This is the first of my bottles; how did I manage to leave them so long? What is most striking here is the purity, definition and expression of the wine. It is by no means a quiet or retiring style, and yet neither is it remotely vulgar or obvious. The nose sings of sweet but crunchy eating apples, along with citrus peel and underneath a smoky, slight reductive character, with very faint rubber and mineral elements which - in the case of the former - is sufficiently subtle to still be very appealing. There is also a fleeting glimpse of pineapple which is a little unexpected. Beautifully composed on the palate, fleshy and very much an auslese, but with all the bright vigour we should find, almost sherbetty intensity of minerality along with some pithy orange elements, blackcurrants, and a little seam of slightly bitter phenolics. Later on, there is a note of caramel-toffee twist behind the lime intensity. In the finish, it is sweet, long, refreshing and just full of zip. Great substance here too. Delicious and just loaded with potential for the years ahead; it should be - this tastes as fresh as if it were made yesterday. And just 7.5% too. 18.5/20 AP number: 2 577 050 10 02

Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling Spätlese 2001: A good colour in the glass but it is aromatically and then most certainly on the palate that this wine really impresses. It bears scents of vibrant lime and mealy, petrol-tinged fruit, but it remains more vivacious than evolved. And the palate is just so lovely, with explosive volcanic-sherbetty minerality that scratches across all the surfaces of my mouth such is its deep intensity. It seems to be imbued with essence of rock, powdered down and added to the wine in the vat maybe, supported by a sweet richness and delightfully grippy-pithy lime, red-skinned apple and mango fruit. Brilliant acidity too, as you might expect. Although you might not think it possible, in the finish the thick seam of minerals comes to dominate even more, lingering on and on long after the fruit has faded, This is truly remarkable wine. 18.5/20 AP number: 4 379 904 306 02

Gunderloch Nackenheim Rothenberg Riesling Auslese 2001: A vibrant golden hue to this wine. An open and expressive nose, honeyed fruit, taking on a slightly sweeter, more tropical style than the predominant citrus, although this does come in from behind, with notes of satsuma zest and limes. Fabulous weight, with impressive juicy citrus acidity at its core, with a very exuberant, rich, honeyed fruit character on the palate, cut through with an amazing minerality. Great acidity too, precise although quite well hidden within the voluptuous weight of fruit, coming more to the fore at the end, along with that seam of minerals, which lingers on and on through the finish. Incredibly long. Mouth-watering, citrus-juicy, but there is also a fine mealy richness interwoven with the succulent fruit, giving the wine a firm savoury vein which complements the minerally weight. It seems more gritty here, and there is perhaps a touch of petrol too. But this is still a wine of dense, fruit-laden minerality. Excellent. 18/20 AP number: 4 379 904 307 02

Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett 2001: Perhaps a little more colour here than when tasted last year. The nose is enticing, with a fine exotic tropical fruit depth here, with a complex intensity that brings an almost chewy, mealy sense to the fruit profile. This doesn't seem so purely bright now, but is rich as well. although it still has all those apple, lime and flower petal characteristics. A beautifully fleshy start to the palate, perhaps a little too rich for some lovers of true kabinetts who might prefer a more laser-like cut. This exotic character carries through onto the palate, with pineapple, honeydew melon, candied lemon and also shifting towards a petrol element as well. Also a touch of honeyed sweetness in the end, which is soft and very long, Elegant, seductive and remarkably deep. 18/20 AP number: 2 576 511 12 02

Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese 2001: A clear green-tinged hue, and with the suggestion of a spritz, as there are quite a few residual carbon dioxide bubbles clinging to the inside of the glass here. A lovely purity on the nose, very expressive and yet bright, fresh and defined, with lime fruit and blackcurrant leaf. There is a suggestion of mineral crunch to it, but the previously noted sulphur has now dissipated. The palate has heart-stopping definition; what I really love about Prüm is that the wines combine weight with grand definition and vivacious, minerally, sherbetty, acid framed lift; this spätlese is no exception. It has such vigour and lift on the palate, and yet this is communicated with delicacy rather than power or form. No longer awkward, instead beautifully defined and rich. This is very fine indeed. Approachable now such is its mealy sherbetty delight, but as I have noted previously it should go for years and years. Fantastic wine. 18.5/20 AP number: 2 576 511 15 02

Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 2001: A clear green-tinged hue, and just like the spätlese this shows a light application of carbon dioxide bubbles around the inner surface of the glass. Unfortunately it still reeks of typical Prüm sulphur at this stage, with struck match and mothball characteristics dominating at present. I described it as a ‘faint tinge’ in 2007 but perhaps I was being kind; it certainly isn’t faint here. There is still a bright, vivacious minerality underneath it though, along with little notes of seashell and seaside ‘ozone’. Lovely weight, although it feels light-footed and gentle and harmonious. Not intensely sweet, not overtly sweeter than the spätlese in fact, although there is a beautifully fleshy polish on the palate with a very harmonious structure. Lovely vibrancy on the finish, which is fresh and long. It still needs time, this one; and it will drink well for decades I am certain. 18.5/20 AP number: 2 576 511 19 02

Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Kabinett 2001: One of those bottles which has undeniably leaked, with the cork fully soaked and with a sticky crusting beneath and around the capsule, and yet the condition of the wine within is beautiful. A fairly richly coloured, shimmering straw hue with a tinge of green in the glass, the aromatics are precise and powerful, with zesty lime pie laid over a fine minerally backbone, with some faint elements suggestive of petrol. Nicely substantive at the start on the palate before revealing a spiky structure, prior to a remarkable softening and relaxation through the midpalate, the wine here suddenly opening out to envelop every facet of every taste bud, morphing into something creamy and rich. The acidity (which seemed so flat a year ago) persists, keeping the palate focused, helped by a fine mineral character which cuts through the deliciously defined flesh (perhaps too fleshy for a kabinett - although I adore it) like the edge of a sharp flint. And then in the finish it is relaxed, slightly mealy, sappy, complex. And long too. Delicious wine; so much more here than I expected when this went through a rather soapy, perfumed, chalky phase 4-5 years ago. 17.5/20 AP number: 3 536 014 14 02

Maximin Grünhäuser Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese 2001: A very clean, bright, pale green-straw hue. The nose is very minerally, with elements of chalk and talc, with a perfumed style. There are aromas of green olives, lime, green apple-skin, peach with a lightly perfumed edge, and a sea of petrol which despite being overtly expressed does still allow the other aromas to shine through. The palate is vibrant and exciting, showing an immediate flourish of acid at the very start, with a little tingling sensation. Fleshy substance, sweeter and limpid through the middle, taking over from the acid-fresh start, more soft and flattering towards the end, with some subtle citrus pith giving some grip at here. Bright and reserved, with just that bitter lime pith bringing some punchy structure. Delicious. 17.5/20 AP number: 3 536 014 18 02

Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Riesling Spätlese 2001: A vibrant and aromatic nose here, stuffed full of blackcurrant leaf, lime sherbet and apple skin. It suggests crumbly, volcanic minerality as well, an aroma that goes hand in hand with that sherbetty element I find. Full and displaying its residual sugar very well on entry, but with more savoury, mealy elements coming in on the midpalate. Citrus fruits, blackcurrant leaf like the nose. Super balance, fleshy but full of vigour and energy underneath this, with a fine and precise acid core. Fine weight and substance, promising, but still very primary with minimal evolution; there is a little petrolly scent, but it does not feel so developed otherwise, and is still dominated by youthful vigour. This needs time, and should easily go another decade. 17.5/20 AP number: 3 536 014 16 02

Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Riesling Auslese 188 2001: Crystal clear, with a good golden hue. The nose has some evolved, mealy, lime-oil and petrol elements, but more than that the aromas here are still very rich and fruit dominated, with a firm blackcurrant leaf and raspberry leaf style at first, later notes of pear skin and apples. Fleshy and very broad at the beginning on the palate, showing plenty of nascent puppy fat still, even after ten years. In the midpalate though, there is a greater sense of energy, with a volcanic style of minerality, subtle but certainly there, sometimes giving a real spice to the endpalate, and buoying up that mealy richness suggested by the aromatics. This is very long. It seems, despite those moments of energy, much more relaxed and open than I recall from my last tasting, when I felt it was much more tightly coiled. 17.5/20 AP number: 3 536 014 21 02

Campo Viejo Rioja Gran Reserva 2001: Not a wine I would usually add to the cellar, but this bottle fell my way recently, and I figured it could join my ten year on tasting. A dark hue with a pale rim. The nose carries a burnt toffee, caramelly aroma which dominates whatever fruit might be here. The same character exists on the palate, which has a burnt fruit character, sweet and charcoaly, with a bitter structure. Not an attractive wine. 12/20

Fernando Remírez de Ganuza Fincas de Ganuza Rioja Reserva 2001: Rather a deep colour to this wine, with a rather rich, claretty rim. Aromatically this is dense and ripe, showing a slightly leathery and gamey style, with a rich and slightly feral, meaty element to the fruit. It has density and character but perhaps not the freshness I would really like; I sense it is certainly towards the riper end of the spectrum. The new oak I noted last time seems much less prominent. Rich, full, substantially formed on the palate, with a rather supple extract to it. Attractive, with a very nicely integrated structure, with a long, lightly grippy finish. Slightly peppery here. Clearly greater maturity here, but this wine still has plenty to give I think. 16.5/20

Lopez de Heredia Bosconia Rioja Reserva 2001: A wine which seems to suggest considerable maturity on inspection, as this wine's deep red core has a more dusty, mahogany, brick red rim. Nevertheless, I have found many examples of Rioja which, despite being seemingly mature on inspection are in fact deceptively youthful, both aromatically and on the palate (I and been proved correct by watching these wines slowly evolve as I drink them over a decade or longer) and I suspect this is one such wine. Aromatically it is impressive, with elements of smoke, sweet vanilla from the oak, but also blackberry and even a touch of blueberry although not the super-ripe sweetness such a descriptor might suggest, and then later leathery notes, orange liqueur, roasted game meats and black pepper. The palate has the rich and slightly oily texture, oak influenced I am sure, of a somewhat too-young Rioja Reserva. It is elegant despite this style, intensely flavoured as the aromatic nose suggested, soft and leathery and polished, although without doubt there is substance and tannic grip behind these softer characteristics. The finish is long, and tinged with chalky fruit. A wine of remarkable potential; if you have any I would leave well alone at present, although I am sure those that seem to enjoy the oaky, textured intensity of young Rioja would get a lot out of this right now. 17.5/20

Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial 2001: Deep, rich hue, fairly typical of youthful Rioja. It has a very firm and aromatically defined nose, very youthful and primary, initially showing only the sweet vanilla butter of lengthy aging in oak. Then more fruit elements come out, rather bright cranberry and redcurrant elements at first, but with more air it shows more flattering and rounded fruit characteristics, plum, wild cherry, also notes of tanned leather and orange zest. Behind this there are also some blacker streaks coming in, blackberry with a tinge of tobacco. A good substance in the mouth, feeling increasingly full with aeration, showing a rich tannic core with some time. There is plenty of structure here behind the polished yet acidic fruit. Full, with a clean acid-bound finish, and a rolling substance. There is certainly great potential here; this wine has decades ahead of it. 18.5/20