Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
2002 A.J. Adam Riesling Dhronhofberger "Tholey"
A Tiny, Back-Vintage Four-Case Parcel
A.J. Adam is quickly becoming one of the most celebrated winemakers in the Mosel. Then again, if you're getting this email, you likely already know this.
Who knows, maybe you're already a card-carrying member of the A.J. Adam cult.
Lord knows we are.
More than any other producer, youngster A.J. Adam seems to have grabbed the attention of the German wine drinking public, and for good reason. The wines are simply awesome. They are forceful and meaty, extremely complex with ample fruit, yet they flaunt an expression of terroir that can match any wine on the Mosel - or the Saar or Ruwer for that matter.
Today we present a rare treasure trove - 50 bottles to be exact - of Adam's earlier years: The 2002 Dhronhofberger "Tholey."
 |
This small parcel is one of the earliest that importer-guru Terry Theise brought in. The small lot was, in fact, sold almost exclusively to a retailer in the northeast who buried the wines in the cellar and, well... forgot about them. Fast forward a few years: The store was recently sold, and the new owners have no interest in getting bogged down in the details of German wine - so they called Theise and asked if he'd take back the wines! That's when our phone rang.
We have a reputation for being sort of fanatical about Adam's wines. We liked the 2006s, Baroque as they were. The 2007s were simply epic. And in 2008, a more difficult vintage, Adam made some of the most compelling wines on the Mosel.
When Paul Grieco asked me to write a little ditty about Riesling for his wine list at Terroir, naturally I wrote about A.J. Adam.
So we were thrilled to be offered this parcel, especially at the initial release price(!). After inspecting the cellar to make sure everything was sound and enjoying a bottle (ok, two - you can never be too sure!), we took the parcel.
Today we offer it to our loyal Adam/Riesling fans - archival evidence of greatness for the palate.
There is a buyer beware here, so please note: While the wines were stored correctly, and the wine itself is showing beautifully (tasting note below), the corks are drying out. The seal is very good (too good in fact - the corks are essentially stuck to the glass), and to be honest, we don't really know the reason for the drying. Everyone has a theory: Not enough humidity in the cellar, cheaper corks, no capsule... who knows.
 |
While this doesn't mean anything for the wine itself, it does mean that you really, really should use an Ah-So in pulling the cork out of the bottle. Try opening the wine with a regular corkscrew and you're likely to rip the center of the cork out, leaving crumbles of cork adhered to the side of the bottle and, more unfortunately, in the wine itself.
With an Ah-So, it's clean, simple and easy: The cork of the second bottle we opened with an Ah-So is pictured below.
There is only one A.J. Adam; and today there are only 50 bottles of this prime-time 2002 available. To order, email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463. All orders subject to confirmation.
Stephen Bitterolf
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyers
Crush Wine & Spirits
2002 Riesling Dhronhofberger "Tholey"
 |
Special Email Bottle Price: $29.95
Only 50 Bottles Available!
While the Dhroner Hofberg is largely unknown in the U.S., it is a great terroir and one with immense potential. It just needed the right person to give it voice. Terry Theise in fact, recounts a 1971 Dhroner Kabinett as being one of the first wines he ever drank to really fascinate him. Adam's 2002 has more backbone than many, that gushing, textural acidity buffering very complex, deep fruits. The Dhroner has complex slate, and there are undeniable notes of earth, clay, slate woven with a wide array of herbs, mint and honey. Such a lovely, deep, meaty Riesling, with pleny of sinewy muscle.
2002 A.J. Adam is in stock
Net / No further Discounts