What do you serve with a very old Reisling?

[alanbalchin]

I've been given a very old bottle of Reisling........a 1976 Eltviller Taubenberg Auslese........any one help?! Not even sure if its sweet or dry??!!

And what would you serve with it!!!!????

[Jon Tseng]

I've been given a very old bottle of Reisling........a 1976 Eltviller Taubenberg Auslese........any one help?!  Not even sure if its sweet or dry??!!

And what would you serve with it!!!!????

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Auslese - late harvest and mildly sweet.

Probably not sweet enough for desert - the old standby by a slice of pate de foie gras? Or perhaps some white fish lightly braised in some more reisling?

Arse knows about the survivability. Normally whites don't last 30 yrs - because its a sweeter wine may last longer.

Ta

J

[jackal10]

Old reislings are often wonderful. 1976 was a very hot year, but can be flabby. It will be drying off some by now.

I would not have anything fatty with it, nor anything too strongly flavoured.

Maybe scallops, but a wine of such finesse should be enjoyed on its own, with perhaps some dry biscuits.

[Sea Urchin Ragout]

The grapes used for Auslese varieties are normally very ripe, to the point of mildly rotting and mouldy so normally your wine should be very sweet. 30 years might be pushing it a bit though...

[David McDuff]

Old reislings are often wonderful. 1976 was a very hot year, but can be flabby. It will be drying off some by now.

I would not have anything fatty with it, nor anything too strongly flavoured.

Maybe scallops, but a wine of such finesse should be enjoyed on its own, with perhaps some dry biscuits.

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Jon,

I'll second most of Jackal10's comments. If stored correctly, 30 years for an Auslese, assuming it's from a good producer, should be no problem. I recently enjoyed a 1966 Spatlese, from Weingut Ratzenberger in Bacharach-Steeg, that was still fresh and vibrant.

Indeed, 76 was a good but also hot year. You should expect the wine to be fully developed and quite round. I'd recommend it most of all by itself. Scallops would indeed be a good pairing though I'd steer away from biscuits or anything sweet or starchy in general.

[Worldly]

For what it's worth, Wine Spectator still lists '76 for Germany as a "Drink" rather than past due. Not exactly precise, but hope it helps.

You certainly have nothing to lose by trying!

[muichoi]

The best smoked salmon is a surprisingly wonderful partner to 76 ausleses and above. You don't give the producer, but I'd be surprised if the wine wasn't in fine form, if well stored.

[russ parsons]

much of my wine education came from a dear friend who had presciently bought up a bunch of the '71s. old rieslings are wonderful by themselves. the best accompaniment is crisp night air. usher everyone outside, pour them a glass, then tell them to breathe deep. failing that, a mild, ripened cheese such as taleggio might be ok.

[KendallCollege]

smoked salmon/egg salad/creme fraiche/red onion/caviar...maybe some toasted brioche.

[KatieLoeb]

Tuna tartare might be nice too. Provided the wine still had some of it's acidity left.

I've had some very old rieslings and if stored with proper providence, can be mind boggling in their ability to stand the test of time. Both the residual sugar and the high acid help preserve it well. Riesling may be one of the few whites that has a snowball's chance in hell to last that long.

[kerriar]

I have a few cases of 70's riesling (including still very drinkable 76) and the bottles give great pleasure when shared with friends.

Russ Parsons has got it right - it will make a perfect aperitif. The alcohol level will be low which means two can finish off a bottle without ill effect.

These wines have an amazing capacity to keep ageing. Until recently 30 year old rieslings could be picked up in Germany for not much more than €5 per bottle - for many years they were not the most fashionable wines but for sheer drinking pleasure at this price they are hard to beat.

[russ parsons]

you can still find some good buys on old rieslings--though certainly not the '71s! i've been buying them from Darrel Corti at Corti Bros. in Sacramento. He's usually got a good selection of stuff from the mid-90s, which is drinking really nice right now, at around $25.