I was just at the family estate near Düsseldorf. Nobody really
bothered coming down to the basement until a year ago when I came down
there. It was a big mess with cobwebs all over and I came across six
bottles of "T.Schmits Söhne" of Longuich, Germany. I think it has
since then been known as Schmitt Söhne of Longuich.

I brought back 3 bottles and do intend to drink them all within the
near future. Does anybody know if these Rieslings will be good?
They're the "Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese" Rieslings and bottled in 1940.
They even has a swastikas.

Wiggums wrote:
> I was just at the family estate near Düsseldorf. Nobody really
> bothered coming down to the basement until a year ago when I came down
> there. It was a big mess with cobwebs all over and I came across six
> bottles of "T.Schmits Söhne" of Longuich, Germany. I think it has
> since then been known as Schmitt Söhne of Longuich.
>
> I brought back 3 bottles and do intend to drink them all within the
> near future. Does anybody know if these Rieslings will be good?
> They're the "Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese" Rieslings and bottled in 1940.
> They even has a swastikas.

Only a very few German wines from the 1930s and 1940s have held well
until the present time. The year 1940 was not considered a very good
year in general. The single tasting note of any 1940 German wine I have
seen said the wine was now of historic interest only. On the other
hand, a few of the best wines of auslese and higher levels from 1937,
1945, 1947, and 1949 are still outstanding and even may last a while
longer. Storage usually has to be ideal, often at a lower temperature
than found in most home wine cellars. Several German estates,
especially in the Mosel, have cellars cut into the mountain that are
extremely cold. Many of the outstanding wines from the mentioned years
came directly from an estate's very cold cellar shortly before the
tasting.

By all means open a bottle and try it. It will not make you sick, but
do not be surprised if it no longer smells or tastes good. Please post
your tasting notes, as tastings of wine from 1940 are very rare.

Under favourable condition, Riesling last a lomg long time. A bottle was
opened in 1961 in London and was still drinkable after an amazing 420 years.
Outlasted the best red Bordeaux.
http://www.wineint.com/story.asp?storycode=1382

"Wiggums" > wrote in message
ups.com...
I was just at the family estate near Düsseldorf. Nobody really
bothered coming down to the basement until a year ago when I came down
there. It was a big mess with cobwebs all over and I came across six
bottles of "T.Schmits Söhne" of Longuich, Germany. I think it has
since then been known as Schmitt Söhne of Longuich.

I brought back 3 bottles and do intend to drink them all within the
near future. Does anybody know if these Rieslings will be good?
They're the "Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese" Rieslings and bottled in 1940.
They even has a swastikas.

Ah, thanks for the information! I have been told Rieslings for the
past 50 years have a shorter life compared to the ones 400 years ago.

I will find out this weekend and let you know

Raymond wrote:
> Under favourable condition, Riesling last a lomg long time. A bottle was
> opened in 1961 in London and was still drinkable after an amazing 420 years.
> Outlasted the best red Bordeaux.
> http://www.wineint.com/story.asp?storycode=1382

The area where the bottles were kept was an hour or so east from
Düsseldorf, very close to Bad Berleburg. It's generally cooler than
most of Germany.

They were all kept in the cellar under the estate. The cellar was also
unusually large, being of almost three stories deep. It was pretty
cold down there. I am hoping that it's been left alone since 1941, it
should not adversely affect the flavour.

I am actually anxious to try it, probably over the weekend.

Thanks for your input.

wrote:
> Only a very few German wines from the 1930s and 1940s have held well
> until the present time. The year 1940 was not considered a very good
> year in general. The single tasting note of any 1940 German wine I have
> seen said the wine was now of historic interest only. On the other
> hand, a few of the best wines of auslese and higher levels from 1937,
> 1945, 1947, and 1949 are still outstanding and even may last a while
> longer. Storage usually has to be ideal, often at a lower temperature
> than found in most home wine cellars. Several German estates,
> especially in the Mosel, have cellars cut into the mountain that are
> extremely cold. Many of the outstanding wines from the mentioned years
> came directly from an estate's very cold cellar shortly before the
> tasting.
>
> By all means open a bottle and try it. It will not make you sick, but
> do not be surprised if it no longer smells or tastes good. Please post
> your tasting notes, as tastings of wine from 1940 are very rare.

"Wiggums" > skrev i melding
oups.com...
> Ah, thanks for the information! I have been told Rieslings for the
> past 50 years have a shorter life compared to the ones 400 years ago.
>
> I will find out this weekend and let you know
>
One reason might be, and I'm guessing now, that harvest was considerabliy
earlier at that time, august or september, and the wines therefore had much
higher acidity than is usual today.
Anders