**2003 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese *****- Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9/26/2020)
Vintages like 2003 get thrown in the dustbin of history, as blatant, even obstreperous acidity is the fashion of the day. I admit that I wasn’t expecting much, as I have even gotten caught by fashion. Wow was I wrong. It was not a 9 volt battery to the senses, but it was by no means fat or flat. Still very young, not even to early adolescence, the peach, strawberry and tropical fruit tones were held together by sufficient acidity. There was even a little zing at the finish. I wish I had bought a bunch, as this could be a real treasure for the long haul, maybe even the afterlife.
If I remember correctly, this was closed out at Premier Cru for something like $15. I still have some. Thx for the note. I’ll have to open one next time I need a sugar rush.
I find 2004 to be a largely weak vintage for Christoffel (with a couple of exceptions). 2002 was the last vintage I found good across the board, and 2001 the last one that was great.