+1
Sherry, Manzanilla and Montilla mentions the story of how older gentlemen would often dip their pocket squares into a glass of sherry so they could smell it for the rest of the day.
I’m in Scott’s camp for Drouhin Chambolle wines specifically and some other Burgundies in general. It was the nose on a 1990 Drouhin Bonnes Mares that first converted me to Burgundy. And I still remember commenting on a 1996 Drouhin Musigny how it had evolved the perfect defense mechanism to avoid being consumed. On lifting the glass to one’s nose one has to just stop, stunned, and smell it.
The 1989 Trimbach Hors Choix had perhaps the single greatest nose I’ve ever encountered. A summer garden filled with flowers. I’ve enountered similar beauty in a small number of other older rieslings but which ones don’t come to mind at the moment other than 20 year old Prager.
It may be a bit obvious at times but I love the perfumed complex nose on a good Muscat based wine.
Was that the one we had at Apiary 3 or so years ago? If so, fully agree - it had one of the most amazing aromas I’ve ever encountered in a wine.
Others that have blown me away from the aromatics alone-
Old Haut Brion, as mentioned above
2001/1998 Muller-Catoir Scheurebes
Just about anything from Rayas or Truchot
Mature Grunhaus Riesling (last night I opened an '89 CvS Herrenberg Auslese #92… one of the most amazing fragrances I’ve encountered in a little while.) ETA: Really, a lot of mature German Riesling - some of the old Rheingau and Mosel Spatlese/Auslese I’ve encountered have had the most incredible aromas. Old Prum, Muller and Christoffel too.
Of course, HGS Scheurebe. How could I forget that?
And yes, that was the Musigny I was thinking of.
Burg…the Asian spice, mushroom
Bordeaux…sweaty leather, cigar box, gamey notes, mushroom…the elegant floral notes of Margaux
Petrol-Riesling
Or any wine that smells like '92 Dunn Howell mt./ '03 d’issan or '82 talbot
Yes: Scheurebe!
Muskateller: Rebholz, Müller-Catoir (Hans-Günter and Franzen both), Becker.
Riesling in general, but especially Forster Kirchenstück and Pechstein (Basalt), Kastanienbusch (Rotliegend), and the many, many Buntsandstein and Muschelkalk rieslings from vineyards of the Pfälzer Mittelhaardt. The aromas of Riesling from the Pfalz cannot be topped. You can keep your petrol.
Brundlmayer Lyra Heiligenstein. Nikolaihof anything…
Really mineral, sweaty Silvaner.
Savennieres.
and I love Gewürztraminer -when it is good.
Cheers,
Bill
Overnoy poulsard.
+1
Brokenwood Graveyard Syrah. A late '90s version I drank with my soon-to-be wife in Melbourne was one of the few wines I recall not actually wanting to drink because it smelt so good (although it tasted awesome also).
Would love to get my hands on some more recent vintages but haven’t seen them around here.
Truchot
Young Muscat
Mature Grunhaus
Among other things
for me, it’s northern rhone wines without a question.
You would lose 98% of the pleasure of the wine on your palate without a sense of smell, although having said that, for me it’s Cabernet Sauvignon.
Nice thread, Scott!
A Ridge Zin with a few years on it is home for me. The Draper perfume is a reference point for greatness.
Haut Brion. The essence of Bordeaux perfume. The archetype. Young or old.
And then an old school, mature Cornas. Drinking a Copain right now that has a wonderful nose.
Forster Kirchenstück has to be one of the most underrated/overlooked sites in Germany (at least by Americans). I don’t have any experience outside Eugen Muller, unfortunately, but those wines are stellar.
Also, big +1 to everyone mentioning older M. Grunhaus Abtsberg Riesling and savory, meaty N. Rhone wines.
Consistently disappointed by Eugen Muller’s Kirchenstuck wines. I keep trying though.
Trocken/Feinherb bottlings or “classic” fruity wines? Or both?
Pegau.
Eugen Müller just lost most of their holdings in Kirchenstück when the parcels they were renting were sold to von Winning (EM now has only 0,4 ha). But yeah, Eugen Müller makes the simplest, most ‘commercial’ wines in Forst by far -but they are also really cheap and never bad in their juicy gulpability (and no, Kirchenstück is not about gulpability).
For Truly outstanding Kirchenstück, you have to go to Bürklin-Wolf, Bassermann-Jordan, von Buhl, or Acham-Magin. Or save some money and buy Pechstein.
Cheers,
Bill
Brian G r a f s t r o m wrote:
I tend to enjoy a wine’s aroma more than anything else; I’ll often say, “I’d be happy just to smell this all night long — I don’t even need to taste it,” but I have never said, “I’d be happy just to taste this all night long — I don’t even need to smell it.”
+1 to Brian’s comments.
As to specific wines they would have to be:
Older Musar - Some love it, some hate it…but to me there are more nights and wines that I’ve found myself lost in the glass just thinking “What is it that I’m smelling?”
J. Peuffney Reds…this is a new one for me, but I’ve loved everything I’ve tried. Now I need to get some with a little age on them.
World Class Riesling: Keller - G-Max, JJ Prum - Gold Cap, Most GG’s
Oregon: Do not miss out on Patty Green’s Etzel Block. Nuff said.
I actually prefer Pechstein. Availability is a problem though.
The Eugen Muller Kirchenstuck wines I have had were virtually all Auslese.