At the end of our tasting, Hans had planned a 1998 Lorenzhöfer Riesling Auslese Lange Goldkapsel from the Karlsmühle winery, to which he served dark fleur de sel chocolate from the Confiserie Gmeiner. A very nice combination, as the chocolate harmonized very well with the salty minerality of the Auslese. According to the owner Peter Geiben, this is typical of his wines, which he ascribes delicate fruit, fresh acidity and a pronounced minerality. Wines are produced from dry to fine dry to noble sweet. The winery in Mertesdorf, directly on the Ruwer, cultivates around 15 hectares of steep clay slate layers on both sides of the Ruwer, around 90% of which are planted with Riesling.
The wines of the Karlsmühle winery seem to have been particularly good in 1998, because Gault Millau raved: “A top collection, one wine more beautiful than the other, crowned by some brilliant Auslese and ice wines that are second to none.”
1998 Lorenzhöfer Riesling Auslese Lange Goldkapsel, Karlsmühle (Tasted wines)
Amber colors. Round and mature in smell, with dried fruits, a hint of botrytis, delicate oxidative notes and some grain. On the palate with fresh, concise, somewhat dominant acidity, with apple-like aromas, salty, with a good finish, mature, very good wine that goes well with dark chocolate with fleur de sel.