How does Riesling Kabinett change with age?

Oy vey, another Riesling thread!!!

I have been introduced to the pleasures of young Riesling Kabinett recently. Only a few examples, but they are so deliciously drinkable, and not simple at all, that they provide a lot of what I want right away. Yet I have read many comments about a Kabinett not hitting its “stride” for several years and then providing wonderful drinking for years afterwards. I am very curious as to what changes may take place over time with Kabinett and why it may be rewarding waiting for them. Thanks.

With age they will get a bit more drier, losing more of its sweetness. Petrol and smoke develops. You start to get a sense of the wines backbone.

I should add I am simply generalizing.
Sweet rieslings with age is still sweet for me even though lose some of its sweetness.

They are so delicious young I can’t seem to keep any long enough to get any age!

Depends on how long you let them go.

A top Kabinett at age 20-25 can be pretty close to dry, but gain a cornucopia of complexity aromas and flavors. What direction those take depends on the general starting point. Saar Kabinett starts as and becomes a very different thing than Pfalz Kabinett.

+1

And +1 to what David just said.

They become more delicate as they dry a bit, and layers of aromatic and flavor complexity develop in good ones. I find they can became sort of ethereal with age – light but with so much intrigue. The sweetness seems incidental after 10-20 years, rather than being at the center of the wine’s identity, as it is young.

How so? Could you elaborate a little on the differences between the aging of Kabinett from these two regions to illustrate. Can you also say something about Mosel Kabinett aging, especially since I am finding their youthful qualities so appealing?

I am getting the message of the wine becoming drier and more complex. Appreciate it.

I think whether or not they take several years to hit their stride is a matter of opinion, probably even more so than with other varietals. Get a few older ones from Benchmark, KL, Winebid, etc. and see what you think. So far, I tend to prefer my Kabinett and Spatlese young, when they seem to have more power and sweetness, but I’m still exploring and learning.

The wines start in different places. This is a total generalization, but Saar wines tend to start with greener tones (e.g. lime), while Pfalz wines tend to start with more yellow fruit (e.g. peaches). That leads to different end points. I generally find older Saar Kabinett to be almost mouth puckering in a good way, while Pfalz Kabinett goes in a gentler direction.

You need to buy twice as many Kabinetts. Drink half now for the delicious young fruit. Save the other half for the complexity.

I agree. I love older complex Kabinetts. But, I also love young exuberant Kabinetts. But, can you really say that you like young ones better or can you just say you like young ones a lot. How many 10-20 year old Kabinetts or Spatlesen from top producers in top vintages have you had?

Do note that not all German wines improve with age. But, the ones from great producers like Prum and Zilliken really become special with age, particularly from top sites in top vintages.

I’m finding more and more than I’m regretting (only a little) not having bought more kabinett from 2015 and 2016 and going for more spatlese and some auslese early in my riesling hunt. While I love the latter two, I feel like I have fewer opportunities to open these compared to kabinett. I wish I bought cases worth of these for more regular consumption during their evolution into maturity.

Thanks David. I’ve always enjoyed Spätlesen and Auslesen, to say nothing of the even richer grades, but my Kabinett epiphany only happened around 2012/2013, with an 8 year old Willi Schäfer Kabi. Can’t remember which vineyard it was (I’m thinking Domprobst but not certain), but 8 years after the vintage is imprinted in my mind. Wow, it was nice. Its pretty close now to having a few ready to test my 8 year and beyond NEW RULE.

+1

The Saar is a quite cool region (cooler than the nearby Mosel Valley), so the grapes don’t ripen as much, so sugar levels are lower and acid levels are higher. The Pfalz, by contrast, is the sunniest part of Germany, so the natural sugar levels are higher and acids lower.

I asked a similar question a couple weeks ago (thanks, David). Inspired, I ordered a couple random ‘98 Kabinett to try for myself. Tonight we opened the Mathern Niederhauser Felsensteyer… outstanding. Not familiar with the house, but it’s a Skurnik import. First smell and taste were dull, kind of typical old dry riesling notes. But as it opened up it became clear that while the wine had started to develop some richness and complexity it was still boasting a lot of fresh, ripping acid. The fruit was a tad muted, but even then there was a vein of mango tropicality that ran through it. Blind I would have guessed a Spatlese with some age. 10% abv. ‘98 was not a heralded vintage from what I’ve gathered and yet this sung. I might even rank this a bit higher than some 01 Auslese from a heralded producer we had recently. Maybe just a lucky bottle, but I’m now a believer.

They are spectacular but do lose the sugar.
I had some 2002 Egon Mueller Sharzhoffberger Kabinett that I purchased many years ago for a song. I think $18 US. I had the last bottle about a year ago.
It was so complex. Delicious. Just a hint of sweetness. Now totally mineral with some petrol. Not overpowering. Integrated. It was mindblowing.
They age.

It’s not like the prices have increased by much on Kabinett’s from 15 and 16.

I sound like a broken record, but so much depends on must weight as there is only a minimum for Kabinett and many have Spatlese or higher must weights nowadays. Overall I think Kabinett is just as immortal as other Pradikat wines, they just get more linear than rounder for the higher Pradikats (for classic Kabinett must weights).

What is “must weight”?

It’s not the pricing that I’m lamenting. Besides being great vintages, 2015 and 2016 were sentimental to us (married in 2015, tasted the 2016s when we visited the Mosel). If there are retailers that still carry 2015 and 2016 kabi and haven’t been sitting on shelves at room temp (or worse) since release I’d scoop them right up.

Nice price on that.

I’d trust Vinopolis, even have some JJ Prum mags.

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