My shipment of these arrived this morning (price: GBP 8.50/$15 a bottle) and I opened one immediately. I've been tasting it over the course of the day to see it open up (c'mon it's only 9% alc., and they're only little sips ). It is NICE, especially after an hour of air. Entirely absolutely refreshing and invigorating like a dry(ish) Riesling should be.

Notes of grapefruits and ripe granny smith apples, with a steely minerality like wet stones. Long finish. The acid-sweetness balance is perfect; with every sip my mouth waters profusely. The slightly spritzig opening makes it dance over the tongue. Light body makes it even more refreshing. 92 points easily.

Better than many Kabinett trockens I've had. Rivals my all time favorite Riesling QbA, the 2001 Dr. Loosen Graacher Himmelreich. That wine was last year's summertime wine; in all likelihood, this wine will be my 2004 summertime thirst quencher.

After about thirty hours open, the sweetness had faded enough to reveal a little bit of bitterness in with the acidity --- sort of like lime peel. I opened a new one and compared along side the one that had been open...the old one definitely had slid down hill. By comparison, most 2001 Kabs I had survived for at least a couple days in the fridge. I guess all this indicates that this 2002 Shaefer QbA is a near-term drinker. Or maybe it's bottle variation; we'll see.

I still stand by my score though. As soon as I opened the new one, I thought (1) intensity (2) balance. What a light near-dry Riesling should be.

There's nothing wrong with downing a bottle of QbA at one sitting.

I've always looked at the Willi Schaefer QbAs as the way to keep my hands off his kabinett and spatlese wines. I like the kabinetts with 5-7 years of age & the spatlesen with 10-12.

It seems like most 2001's are better the 2nd and 3rd day (stored in the frig corked, no gas), but the 2002's are best after a few hours open or the next day. That is the trend that I have been seeing after about 50+ 2001's and 30+ 2002's I've had at home.