The other night, a customer at Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas asked me what wine they should "put away" for their kids until adulthood. I get asked this question frequently, and the answer differs based on the number of years of cellaring and, more important, the budget per bottle.
In most cases, I would mention top-quality German white wines, not only for potential longevity, but also their top quality, especially for the dollar spent.
Although many wines might age well, it’s important to find the particular wines that improve with age.
Not that long ago, for instance, I had the good fortune to savor a 1976 Fritz Haag Spatlese "Brauneberger Juffer," which has to be one of the best wines I have ever tasted.
Also, a few years ago, Fritz & Agnes Hasselbach of Weingut Gunderloch was kind enough to share a 1926 Spatlese Nackenheimer Rothenberg, which clearly reminded me of their top wines’ aging potential.
Other suggestions: Reinhold Haart, Donnhoff, Joh. Jos. Prum, Dr. F. Weins-Prum and Zilliken are standouts.
I also recommend "spatlese" (late-harvest grapes) or "auslese" (riper, late-harvest grapes) wines. It’s crucial that these wines are stored at the proper temperature and humidity.
Keep in mind that the sweetness of a wine with considerable bottle age will transform into a tactile creaminess and will therefore seem much drier on the palate. These wines also possess characteristics ranging from lead pencil to a fusel-like nuance.
Potential buyers are fortunate that 2012 wines from the aforementioned German producers are still available. Cheryle and I were in the vineyards at harvest, tasting grapes alongside many top winemakers, and those wines are truly worth cellaring.
Furthermore, 2013 German wines have begun to arrive in the isles, and they look to be another stellar vintage. Although the year started out with formidable challenges, many top estates produced superb wine.
