98 Eisweins Tasting -- A Winning Year

[Bucko]

Anyone lucky enough to be invited to Bryan Loofbourrow's house, on Vashon Island, for a Chinese dinner can count their blessings. He is truly a talented chef when it comes to this cuisine. He prepared a multi-course dinner to highlight a 10 bottle Eiswein tasting. I can't do justice to the wines, but I'll make a small effort. We did them blind, two flights of five, with one ringer.

Flight One

#1 - Rich, ripe peach and apricot nose, viscous, very sweet, with massive apricot and a hint of ruby red grapefruit, sharp acidity and a very long aftertaste. A beauty.
My #1 Group #4
Muller-Catoir Mussbacher Eselshaut

#2 - Minerals and honey on the nose. Again, very sweet, less adventurous fruit, stones, peaches, lively acidity.
My #2 Group #1
Prinz Hallgartener Jungfer

#3 - Secondary fermentation in this one, Eiswein Champagne. Mandarin orange nose, very sweet, honey, apples, nice acid, but obviously carbonated.
My #5 Group #5
Balbach Nierstein Oelberg

#4 - Lots of honeysuckle, jasmine and slate on the nose, sweet, less perceived acidity than the first three, with dense, thick fruit that is hard to describe.
My #3 Group #2
von Buhl Forster Ungeheuer

#5 - Refreshing nose with hints of nectarine, very sweet, viscous, dense fruit, hints of minerals, again with less perceived acidity than the first three.
My #4 Group #3
Milz Trittenheimer Apotheke

Flight 2

#1 - Honey, peaches, apricot and botrytis on the nose. Very rich, sweet, with luscious pear and peach fruit, honeyed flavors, thick and lush. A winner.
My #1 Group #1
The ringer - Muller-Catoir Rieslaner

#2 - Heavy peach nose with a fresh hops character that I have never experienced before that persists onto the palate. Very rich, honeyed with a touch of spice.
My #4 Group #5
Haart Piesporter Goldtropfchen

#3 - Hints of petrol on the fruity nose, very acidic, with rich peach flavors, and a long aftertaste.
My #2 Group #2
Donhoff Oberhauser Brucke

#4 - Fresh, fruity, crisp, peach fruit, a nutty quality and light honey flavors in a lovely package.
My #3 Group #3
Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Himmelreich One-star

#5 - Totally different nose than the rest, more candied, same with the taste, some candied character that is not pleasant to me personally.
My #5 Group #4
Loewen Leiwener Klostergarten

Fabulous food, wine and company -- can't ask for more (except maybe the Mariners winning the baseball game). Thanks Bryan!

Bucko