Tag Archives: riesling

Lucien Albrecht Riesling Tradition 2020, Alsace, France

09 Tuesday Aug 2022

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Medium lemon colored, this rather young Riesling has pronounced aromas of citrus, apple, pineapple, ginger and acacia.  The palate is dry (at 13% ABV that was an obvious assumption) with bracing acidity and a medium body.  Lemon, grapefruit, green apple, pineapple and some spice coat my palate to a medium length finish that is jaw watering.  This is a very refreshing thirst quencher that I am enjoying immensely.  Tonight’s pairing is fish and chips so this will work out quite well.  I would think this wine can age for a few years, say till 2030 and hopefully pick up some tertiary notes.  91 points from me makes this $22 bottle a 5 star quaffer to look for.  Salut….

Hubert Meyer Riesling Winzenberg 2018, Alsace Grand Cru, France

20 Monday Jun 2022

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The thing that annoys me about Riesling is that most labels don’t tell you if it’s going to be dry, off-dry or sweet.  Deductive reasoning tells me this bottle is going to be dry due to it’s 13.5% ABV.  A very pretty medium lemon color in the glass with pronounced aromas of lemon zest, grapefruit pith, petrol, geranium and ripe pear.  It tastes dry as expected with very high acidity and a delicious cut of lemon/grapefruit.  The ripe pear note is more a green pear note on the palate but I do get florals and petrol.  I can sense the alcohol if I breath out through my nose, which is unusual for me as my threshold is pretty high to sense the burn.  I would say this wine is medium bodied and it has a juicy, tart finish that is medium in length.  It begs for Asian dishes or a grilled seafood platter.  I like it but think it will develop over time.  Right now it is really zesty with just a few primary flavors.  It should flesh out and develop with time as it has great structure for cellaring.  92 points from me for this $60 bottle makes it a 4 star effort.  Salut….

Weis Vineyards Semi-Dry Riesling 2020, Finger Lakes, New York

13 Monday Jun 2022

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Medium lemon color. On the nose I get pineapple, pink grapefruit, Meyer lemon zest, nutmeg and honey.  The palate is off-dry with high acidity, medium body and fresh fruit flavors of pineapple, lemon and grapefruit with some zingy minerality, finishing with  some honeysuckle.  The finish is medium (+) long with a fresh cut from juicy acidity.  The fruit flavors linger nicely. It’s is a delicious wine that has some residual sugar but is not cloying.  A 12% ABV is indicative of its sweetness level.  This refreshing wine will go well poolside or served up with a chilled salad topped with steamed prawns or grilled octopus.  Drink till 2028.  92 points for this $20 beauty makes it a 5 star summer wine to drink till 2027.  Salut….

Pewsey Vale Riesling 2021, Eden Valley, Australia

07 Saturday May 2022

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Our second wine of the 27th VWTC event was this dry Riesling that was served at room temperature first and then chilled.  The group thought this pale straw wine had aromas and flavors of citrus, white geranium florals, caramel, honeysuckle, tangerine, pear skin and almonds.  The tangerine was very prominent on the dry palate which had medium (+) acidity, a medium body and a slightly mineral edge to it.  The finish was medium length and this wine was enjoyed by most.

Served chilled it was far more focused with greater citrus thrust, higher perceived acidity, some white peach in there as well as some unique additions of cotton candy and bananas in addition to the citrus (tangerine) and floral components.  I was hoping for a crisp wine- this 89 pointer delivered.  (One pro went as high as 96 points!).  For $16- it’s a great value that gets 5 stars from me.  Drink till 2026 with fresh seafood or baked chicken with green beans Almandine.  Salut….

Weingut St. Urbans-Hof Nik Weis Piesporter Goldtropfchen Riesling Kabinett 2017, Mosel, Germany

20 Wednesday Apr 2022

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Tasted blind for practice at my WSET class, this Riesling was pale gold in the glass.  Medium (+) intensity nose with aromas of ginger, honey, tangerine, lemon, lanolin and wet stone.  I made a note that it was developing ‘nicely’.  The palate was off-dry with high acidity, low alcohol and a full body.  Medium (+) intensity flavors echoed the nose and the wine finished with a decent medium (+) finish.  I thought this was an ‘Outstanding’ wine based on the WSET criteria and feel it could be drunk now or aged some more.  I really liked it and for $17 this 90 pointer gets 5 stars.  Spicy Asian dishes come to mind.  Salut….

Pikes Hills & Valleys Riesling 2019, Clare Valley, Australia

20 Wednesday Apr 2022

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My WSET tasting group was tasked with presenting notes on this Aussie Riesling.  It was pale lemon in the glass and we found the nose to have medium (+) intensity aromas of lemon, lime, mandarin, grapefruit, blossom, wet stones and that tell-tale petrol note.  The wine is considered youthful at this stage.  The palate was off-dry with medium (+) acidity, low alcohol (9.5% ABV), medium (-) body with medium intensity flavors of the above aromas.  We thought it fell off a bit on the palate versus the nose.  Ending with a medium finish we thought this $18 effort was of very good quality and could be drunk now with suitability to age as well.  If you like an off-dry Riesling that has already developed petrol notes (which I do), then this is for you.  Members of the class questioned a food pairing and one lady said Thai food- I concur.  91 points and 5 stars.  Salut….

Boschendal Reserve Collection Vin d’Or 2016, Paarl, South Africa

02 Saturday Apr 2022

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I’m on a sweet wine roll, two in one day.  This South African blend of Riesling/Viognier is a stunning deep gold color.  The nose is right up my alley- rich aromas of dried apricot, honey, blood orange marmalade, candied pineapple, peach and a touch of lychee.  Amazing, complex and very enticing.  The palate is very sweet, unctuous and full bodied.  Medium (+) acidity keeps this wine very balanced and I love the pronounced flavors.  The honey component is taking center stage but I also get lively fresh fruit even though the Botrytis driven flavors are very present.  At 163g/l of residual sugar, this is considered a luscious wine- and it is just that!  At $20 for 375ml, it is a great dessert wine to have a few bottles of.  93 points from me for this 5 star wine to serve with a warm tart and ice cream.  Salut….

Gustave Lorentz Riesling Vieilles Vignes Altenberg de Bergheim 2015, Alsace Grand Cru, France

14 Monday Feb 2022

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It’s Valentine’s Day and we are steaming up some Lobster tails with drawn butter and baked potatoes.  Need I say more?  A Riesling is about as perfect a pairing for that combo as I can imagine.  This one happens to be a Grand Cru that was recommended to me by a wine-drinking friend.

It is pale gold in the glass.  The nose has pronounced aromas of lemon zest, tangerine, lime cordial, honeysuckle, jasmine, quince and white peach- mesmerizing.  The palate is dry with bracing acidity, medium (+) body, long finish and generous mouthfeel.  The palate is chock full of citrus and florals with some white peach and ginger. The acidity is immense on the back end where the fruit flavors manage to survive the onslaught.  This wine begs for the butter I am about to throw at it, it is so crisp.  Delicious now, this one will last a long time in the cellar and hopefully develop tertiary notes that good Rieslings are known for- I feel like I committed wine infanticide.  92 points from me for this $50 treat makes it a 5 star wine.  Salut….

Dr. Konstantin Frank winery tasting

15 Saturday Jan 2022

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Our final stop on the Finger Lakes wine adventure was this picturesque hillside winery on the shore s of Keuka Lake.  We planned our arrival for 4 pm which gave us enough time for the drive from PA, which included a pit stop for a COVID test, a three hour drive to make our 1 pm Wiemar winery tasting, some lunch and then the 45 minute hop to the this lake.  We finished just after 5 pm and ended up in the town of Geneva for the night.  Everything worked out as planned!  Salut….

Hilda Chardonnay 2020-

Pale lemon in the glasss.  Crisp citrusy notes. Lemon zest, green apple, clean, waxy, round mouthfeel, medium to full bodied. Medium (+) acidity, linear and focused, not flabby.  Long finish. 91 points and at $35 it gets 4 stars.

Old Vines Pinot Noir 2019-

Pale garnet as expected from this varietal.  Pronounced aromas of stewed strawberry, cherry compote, vanilla bean, straw, baking spice, Orange peel.  Palate is light and breezy with cooked red fruit, spices, super lithe tannins, gentle acidity, light body and medium finish. 89 points and for $25 it is worthy of 3 stars.

Cabernet Franc 2019-

Medium opacity ruby.  Spicy nose of white pepper, violets, black currants, capsicum, perfumed flower blossoms.  A blunt opening that has a tannic grip and medium acidity.  The spice and dark fruit finally show up with some bell pepper greeness. Quite vegetal.  87 points.  Drink soon.  $25, 2 stars.

Saperavi 2019-

Deep purple color.  Smoke, coffee, blueberry pie, blackberry coulis.  Dry palate with smoky coffee goodness.  Medium (-) tannins, medium acidity, mid weight body and a decent length finish.  The tannins are more present on the back end but are still very smooth.  88 points, till 2024.  $30 makes this a 2 star effort.

Amur 2019-

No idea what it’s supposed to taste like.

Deep ruby, port like nose with spice box and clove notes.  A hint of greeness with asparagus and iron.  Unique flavors- very spicy, somewhat green with rhubarb, charred wood and kirsch alongside gentle tannins, juicy acidity, medium body, decent finish.  89 points for this $30 wine makes it 3 stars.

Margrit Dry Riesling 2019-

Pale lemon with aromas and flavors of lemon cordial, honeysuckle, blossom, toast.  Crisp palate with juicy acidity, citrus fruit, florals and 90 points for this $35 wine makes it a 3 star effort.

Tabora Winery lunch stop

15 Saturday Jan 2022

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Our adventures in the Finger Lakes included this lunch stop with a glass of their dry Riesling.  Moxie opted for the Roast Beef sandwich whilst I picked a delicious Cottage pie.  The winery was a separate building from the deli and they were kind enough to bring our meal over so we could get started with the tasting.  Salut….

Tabora Dry Riesling 2020-

Medium golden color.  Lemon verbena, floral blossoms, spritz, minerality- pretty bold.  The palate is dry and not as concentrated as I had hoped for.  Medium (-) acidity, medium (+) body, juicy finish that is mid length.  87 points and at $24 it gets 2 stars from me.