The Leap
– The Fruit Was Always There
– New Approach to Whites Has Pushed The Whites Into Elite Territory
– Elite Levels of Elegance
– “Knitness” – Everything On a Line and Seamlessely Integrated
– Think Keller, Brisset, Laible
2022 Thorle Riesling Probstey “GG”
– 97 Points Stuart Pigott
– I Prefer This Slightly to the Schlossberg after 2 Days Evaluating Both
– Wonderful Nose
– Meyer Lemon, Lemon Oil, Some Sort of Lemon Perfume
– Grapefruit, Tangerine
– A Bed of Polished Minerals
– Depth, Nuance and Complexity
– Peach and Apricot
– Palate: Bracing Acids, Huge Power and Depth
– Ridiculously Elegant and Serene
– Sick Mouthfeel and Such Great Complexity
– Elite Levels of Elegance
– Concentrated and Very Deep
– Fruit Is So Taut
2022 Thorle Riesling Schlossberg “GG”
– 96 Points Stuart Piggot
– An Underdog That Is Now a Superstar Like Battenfeld’s Kirchenstuck
– Nose: Meyer Lemon, Minerals, Salinity
– Pink Grapefruit
– Finesse Puts it Over the Top
– Palate: Concentrated and Dense
– Energetic and So Sappy
– Great Structure
Portfolio Strategy: Stock Up Wines
As I look at our riesling portfolio by bottles offered, it’s become a bit Mosel heavy. This isn’t a bad thing. The Mosel has always had some of the best terroir in Germany and it’s only the fact that they lagged the shift to dry wine that allowed the Rheinhessen to grab such a commanding lead on them in the 2000s. The Mosel has caught up and we sell a ton of it with Steinmetz, Molitor and Muellen. But that means that everyone’s cellars are a bit dominated by Mosel wines.
Today is the day to balance your riesling portfolio.
We have 2 elite riesings for $40. And these are most definitely stylistically different from the Mosel wines you have lovingly acquired.
So my strong advice is to buy a lot more of this than you would a normal offer because we don’t sell as much wine from the Rheinhessen.
The Riesling Leap in 2020/2021/2022
What about their Rieslings? I adore Thorle Rieslings but they were always very good and consistent but they lacked something that I couldn’t put my finger on. In my head I was curious if they had not made the leap yet. We worked with the vintages 13-20 but nothing could have prepared me for what they did in 2021. They made the leap. They now make elite Rieslings on the same level as our other elite producers.
The 2022 Rieslings have a knit quality that is just ridiculous. These are so well integrated and so well knit like the best Rieslings. Not a hair out of place. Before 2021 they had all the parts but they were not as integrated as I liked and the finesse sometimes was not always there. That all changed in 2021. The finesse was there in spades along with that seamless, knit quality. What is knit? It’s just that seamless elegance that you get in the wines of Brisset, Keller and in the right years, Laible. Everything is just on a line – perfect balance. You can taste every element if you focus but nothings juts out.
The 2022s were insane. Just so sick. I was blown away and quickly emailed Christophe Thorle and asked what he did different in 2022. His answer is below.
How Did It Happen?
“we went from “low intervention” to “no intervention” in the Riesling wine making. So we didn’t clarify the freshly pressed juice anymore, and put everything – completely cloudy- in the old 600 and 1200l Halbstück and Stückfass oak barrels. Before we let the must sediment for 8-12 hours before we put it in the barrels. Before we also let the must ferment warm and fast, but tried to control the fermentation a little bit when it went too crazy and cooled the fermenting must, when it went over 22°C. In 2022 we didn’t do anything anymore, so some barrels fermented through at 27 to 29°C in just a couple of days. This was also due to the more cloudy must with much higher inner surface for the natural yeast to get hold on the cloudy particles. So more or less, just let it go, let everything just go and trust it will be good. This made the wines a little more “wild” and natural.” – Christophe Thorle
Up first is the 2022 Thorle Riesling Probstey “GG” for $37.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. This is the best Probstey Riesling ever and an accomplishment if I’ve ever tasted one. The wine is insane.
Wonderful nose of Meyer lemon, lemon oil and some sort of lemon perfume all on a bed of minerals. Wow this is stunning. Such depth, nuance and complexity to the nose. Some peach and apricot as well. Just insane. So so good. As it airs out the nose gets crazy. Gorgeous almost cloud like in its purity. Some bitter citrus notes as well. Amazing aromas that shows the warmness of the site along with the intensity of the minerality. Gorgeous citrus, so detailed, almost citrus jelly, but also dry, lemon, grapefruit, tangerine and gorgeous deep minerality backing it all up. Super wafting aromas that get more intense and nuanced by the minute. Amazing nose. Sick confectionary aromas after a while. Unreal nose now. Sicko purity. Bergamot. Almost green tea. So so good. What a leap!
Palate has bracing acids, huge power and depth while being ridiculously elegant and serene. Chewy depth with an epically long finish. Special. Needs to breathe for an hour or two. Wow what concentration and grip. Just epic epic stuff. As this airs the nose becomes confectionary and the palate becomes so finely knit and elegant I was happy as well as anxious as I know the prices will rise as the quality on this is $65 plus but it’s not that price yet. Sick mouthfeel and such great complexity already. Such balance and elegance. This is the most elegant Probstey ever. Elite levels of elegance. What a palate. Amazing Probstey. So pure, so delicate, so clean. Dense, structured and super nimble but this wine has presence. It walks in a room and you turn around to see who has entered. Wow. What a huge leap for this bottling. This crushed all previous Probstey Rieslings. We’ve sold every one since the 2013. Concentrated and very deep. Juicy with young taut fruit but such intense energy and freshness. So linearand has great power and concentration but finishes with such brilliant finesse. Dense. Crunchy intense minerality with such juicy and complex fruit. Amazing spice adds so much to the mid palate.
“This stunning dry riesling marries an almost oily richness with a sensational chalky minerality that almost knocks you off your chair. And this is just beginning to show what it is made of! Very fine mirabelle fruit at the front and a breathtaking Amalfi lemon freshness at the radically mineral finish. Fermented and matured in large neutral oak. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Drink or hold..” – 97 Points, Stuart Pigott
Up next is the 2022 Thorle Riesling Schlossberg “GG” for $39.99 a bottle on a 4-pack. It always held a special place in my heart as it’s the sleeper of the Thorle GC lineup. It is a site that yields fiercely mineral wines that up until 2020 had raw, uncontained mineral power. It also is the only Thorle GG of the three that is only a Riesling site. It’s by far the coolest site and the wine always had a charm to it. But it was not the most elegant wine. But since 2020, the wine has transcended its previous incarnations. The 2020 smoked all previous Schlossbergs by a magnitude that cannot be spoken in words.
On the nose, stunning levels of complexity and flavor intensity like nothing else. Amazing depth here that is a another level. Meyer lemon, minerals, salinity, and oh so airy. Has much more to show aroma wise with air. And it slowly revealed itself. Some pink grapefruit now. Gorgeous. Gaining aromatic depth by the minute. Stunning spice, confectionary and herbals. Honeysuckle, god level airiness and minerals. Brown sugar. Huge apricot. So precise. So clear. So precise. So layered. Like a Riesling drop. Lemon. It’s superbly complex. New nuances every minute. Honeycomb. Elite. Wow. Honey, creamy, tangelo, opulent, herbal, mineral, enticing swimming pool, bitter caramel, nougat, vanilla, just insane. Lime as well.
On the palate, concentrated and dense but so light on its feet. The finesse is what puts it over the top. So complete. Of course it’s mineral as all can be as it is Schlossberg but it’s so refined and long. Energetic and so sappy. This is wonderful. What a finish. Great structure suggests aging for a while. Maybe 10-15 years. Really, long, delineated finish. Superb. Wow that texture.Amazing purity, depth and finesse. Such elegance. Honeyed but so lithe and fresh. Drop dead. Juicy. So clean. Fruit is apricot and peach. But best ones you’ve ever had. Energy and minerality for days. Concentrated and sappy. Beautiful minerals and inner mouth florals. Superbly impressive structure and sap. Juicy and complex with just amazing depth, energy and precision. So long, ethereal and opulent and juicy. It sizzles on the finish. Amazing mouthfeel and honeyed yet so dry and fresh. This is a beast but an elegant and flavorful beast. Young but not inaccessible but will get better over 10-12 years.
With air, it finally broke through to 9.6 territory. It’s always been a 9.4/9.3.
“This amazing dry wine describes precisely the point when beautifully ripe riesling grapes tip over into the beginning of exotic overripeness. Lovely succulence with a touch of creaminess on the mid-palate, then the mineral acidity comes through and builds at the long, very pure and elegant finish. From organically grown grapes. Fermented and matured in large neutral oak. Vegan. Drink or hold…” – 96 Points, Stuart Pigott
Please call Cheryl at 949 378 5251 with your order if you are a first time customer (we prefer not to receive credit card numbers over E-Mail).
OFFICE HOURS 4-7 PM
I love drinking and selecting wines – but my passion for teaching people about wine is almost as big. I’m happy to announce a block of time each day where people can call me just to chat about wine in general. These blocks are NOT intended to sell wine (I do that all day). This is to talk to me about wine pairings or great producers or how long to age wines or styles of wine making or the latest wine controversy. My goal is to help people learn more about wine and enjoy it more. Call me at 917-912-4355 from 4-7EST Monday – Friday.
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A Word about Fass Selections and Social Media
I am big into certain social media and I want people to take pictures of the wines they have received or will receive and tag me in them and share their thoughts. I a am on Instagram. Please tag me there. I also am on Delectable which I love a lot. It is Iphone/Ipad only, but it’s like Instagram meets Facebook for wine. Tag me there and find me there as well. I want to know if you liked the wine, were not moved by the wine, hated the wine or the wine gave you a religious experience. I want to know it all. Feedback is key and I will answer all feedback e-mails as quickly as I can.
For all billing and invoicing inquiries please contact Rick at refassselections@gmail.com