A Love Affair In Aromatics – Riesling.

Riesling is one of the ‘noble’ varieties of grapes used to make wine. I believe it to be the King (or should I say Queen?) of the aromatic whites. It is found in most wine producing countries over the globe, and if made by someone with a passion for the variety, they will usually have success. However, Riesling seems most at home in Germany, Austria and Alsace where its ability to transmit the terroir shines through. The best wines of these regions, indeed the best Rieslings from outside these regions too, seem to develop and display personality and soul.

It appears that Riesling as a variety doesn’t seem to capture the attention of the greater drinking public. It seems the domain of ‘wine people’ (heaven forbid we use the term connoisseur). I feel there is a lot to like about Riesling. And of course I’d say that, I’m a wine person! Even a basic Riesling can be lovely. The perfume, elegance and understated nature of the wine with its lovely structure underneath punctuated by fresh and lively acidity. Add to that the lack of oak to mask these graceful characters and all of this adds up to a clean and fresh drink that enlivens the palate. The very best though can charm, intrigue, beguile. They don’t always jump out of the glass and instantly grab your attention like a Sauvignon Blanc may do. But there are layers and nuances that become apparent the more time you spend studying the wine.

One barrier to people enjoying Riesling is that they can range from bone dry through to lusciously sweet. And generally it is hard to tell from looking at the label what you are going to get. When thinking of Riesling its best to consider it in three broad styles; Dry, ‘Dry’ and Sweet. The Dry Riesling styles are truly dry. As in they have little to no residual sugar left after fermentation, high acid, very crisp and clean. Most Riesling from Australia and especially Clare and Eden Valleys fall into this category. So to do Germany’s ‘Trocken’ Riesling. ‘Dry’ Rieslings tend to have a touch of residual sugar that is used to balance high levels of acidity. They are refreshing, fruity and really lovely drinks that you should not be scared of tasting. Kabinett Rieslings, a lot of Alsace and New Zealand Rieslings tend to fall into this category. In Australia we tend to use the term ‘off-dry’ to describe these wines. Sweet Riesling is sweet, can be late picked, botrytised or even ice wines (left to freeze on the vine in winter). The best are truly complex and almost seem too pretty to drink. Like all great wines, the key to sweet Riesling is the balance. No matter how sweet it should have acidity that balances the sugar to make a clean and refreshing wine.

Riesling is a wine that can be drunk on its own, matched with white meats, pungent cheeses, spicy foods and it has been known to out shine even Pinot Noir when you are faced with a plate of lovely duck. It is a wine that is cheap for the quality you get and it is a must for any serious wine cellar. How can one grape bring so much joy? It just proves that there is a lot to love about Riesling.

Riesling Cheat sheet

Flavours

Tropical fruits, citrus, white flowers, stones, slate, white chocolate, pork fat/sausage meat.
With age it can add toffee/caramel, dry biscuits, kerosene, undergrowth, crème brulee.   

Styles

Dry, off-dry, sweet, occasionally sparkling. Does not like oak.

Regions Germany – Mosel (esp sweeter styles), Rheingau (dry styles), Pfalz

Austria – Wachau, Kremstal
France – Alsace
Australia – Clare Valley, Eden Valley, Frankland River, Henty

Aging

Drinks well on release to 12 months then goes into a dip from 2 years from vintage until about 7 years. In this period all the fruit drops off and the wine looks flat and disappointing. Afterward though the fruit returns as does the bottle aged characters that are so desired in Riesling.  

Ready to try some Riesling? Why not check out some of TWD's current offers:
Alsace Riesling

Old World Riesling

Australian Riesling

Riesling To The Occasion

Imagine coming back from holiday and a supplier asking if you'd like to attend a large Riesling tasting featuring some of the best German producers (with a few ring ins). Well that is what happened, and of course I said "Oh God yes!". It is after all the best way to ease back into the working cycle (don't believe me? Try it for yourself).

This is what the grape in question may look like.

In my mind Riesling is the ultimate terroirist - it transmits the flavours of the soil it is grown so faithfully. Couple this with the fact that Riesling tends to reject outright any wine maker influences that could cover these natural characters (think new oak or malo) and you've got the a pretty unstoppable force.

Might I also add to this that Riesling is delicious!

So many highlights... So much lovely Riesling.

JL Wolf -Dr Loosen's sister estate in Pfalz. Brilliant wines. Wachenheimer Riesling 2009 was so amazing. Pure, clean, mineral, great perfume and great balance. Just so drinkable, but the balance points to a long and healthy life ahead of it.

Donnhoff Nahe based, they make trocken (dry) styles and also QMP wines (ask what this is). Their mango and tropical, off dry, fleshy and intense Norheimer Kirschheck Spaltese 07 was excellent and certainly lingered in my mouth after I had spat. Equally good was their dry Niederhauser Hermannshole Grosse Gewaches 08, spices and herbal, tight young, citric and texturally appealling.

Heymann-Lowenstein Making dry wines from the Northern part of the Mosel known as the Terrassenmosel (not surpringly the vineyards are terraced in this area). These guys make some truly amazing Riesling!. The entry level Schieferterrassen had it all. Very expressive wet stones (in a good way), pepper & spices, stonefruits. It is long, dry, intense, silky and just a hint of bitterness.  The Von Blauem Schiefer was the next step up in intensity and presence. The Rottgen was dense, grapey and appley, floral. The perfume dances over your palate. Superb wine! Their Kirchberg was similar to the Rottgen but had more of everything and great length. The best was last for sure. Uhlen Rothlay showed floral, apples, grapes, spice. So young and pure. It's youthful simplicity coupled with an amazing mouthfeel made this wine a pleasure to taste.

This is what they mean by Terrassenmosel.

A. Christmann Another of the Pfalz brigade (it is a really great and underappreciated region!). The whole line up of trocken wines were perfumed, and full of finesse and class. The Grosse Gewaches in particular are worth mentioning. However we were treated to a very small (but still, extremely generous) taste of his Idig #1 Eiswein. A wine made from grapes left to freeze on the vine. Sauternes like concentration and intensity. Really complex, really satiny mouthfeel. A little taste is often enough because the flavours lingers for so long. Beautiful!

Wittman calls Rheinhessen home. their wines are pure and direct. Some good perfume lift with some more 'funky' sort of notes too. They had an interesting Silvaner on tasting too. Nice to try some of these quirky varieties.

Brundlmayer So these guys are Austrian, not German. But the wines are really, really good. A couple of pretty Gruner Veltliners (Yum!) and some mineral laden, clean and fruitful Rieslings.

Georg Breuer Those who are paying attention may remember we've sold some of these wines before. I do love the wines from Breuer. This time there was only the Berg Roseneck to taste, but it showed all the hallmark pretty florals and fruits with the underlying structure and power.

Berg Roseneck in all its glory

Ring ins

Huber Germans making Pinot Noir? And Pinot Blanc? Yep, that is what we have here. They were brilliant too. The Noir was like a light and minerally Mercurey and the Blanc was spicy, white fruited and citric with and oaky/creamy finish.

Pittnauer Austrian Reds Zweigelt and St Laurent. Hard to compare to other varieties. They are both dense, savoury, meaty with a savoury undergrowth character. The St Laurent is more silky and dense. The Zwiegelt leaner and more savoury.

Sadly I did not get to taste everything, but I was easing myself back in after all...

Wine Notes

A selection of wines I have tasted in the recent past that I have enjoyed.

JL WOLF JESUITENGARTEN GRAND CRU RIESLING 2009 - Ernst Loosen, owner of the world-class Dr Loosen estate on the Mosel, also has the reigns of this estate in the village of Wachenheim in the Pfalz region. Ernst aims to preserve the traditional character of the region, but with a new level of concentration and opulence. Typically, wines from the Pfalz are weightier and drier, than Mosel wines, and have a style that’s rounder and more earthy. The wines are clean and focused with good body, full fruit flavours and a strong backbone.

This top-class vineyard produces highly refined Rieslings that have a delicate complexity and extraordinary finesse. The well-drained, weathered sandstone soil yields wines of amazing purity and grace. Drink now or leave until 2014-2024 and possibly longer.

GEORG BREUER SAUVAGE RIESLING 2009 - The Breuer Estate was a major force in the re-emergence of Rheingau as a pre-eminent wine region. And were very active in promoting the Charta wines, as well as being major players in the “Erstes Gewachs” vineyard classification movement. Breuer is especially successful with their dry Rieslings, which are clean, firmly structured and finely balanced.
Sauvage is a regional blend designed to reflect the house style of Breuer and reflect the vintage. In great years (like 2009) this wine is outstanding value. Drink now or from 2014.
 
DR BURKLIN WOLF WACHENHEIMER RIESLING 2009 - The Bűrklin-Wolf estate is based in the Mittelhaardt, the quality core of Germany’s world-renowned Pfalz. Since the 2001 vintage Bűrklin-Wolf have classified their wines according to the vineyard site (similar to Burgundy) rather than sugar weight (as the 1971 German wine laws dictate). They have discovered that today’s top vineyards are exactly the same as those identified in the 1828 Bavarian Land Taxation Laws: A time when these vineyards produced some of the most expensive and highly regarded wines in the world.

A village blend rather than from a single site means this wine benefits from receiving de-classified fruit from several of Burklin-Wolf’s most prestigious sites. This is a classic Pfalz Riesling with depth of flavor, aromatic spice and a soft, voluptuous dry finish. Drink now or leave until 2014 and beyond.

           

HUDELOT-NOËLLAT BOURGOGNE ROUGE 2009 - With a 10ha cache of superb vineyards brought together by the marriage of Alain Hudelot to Odile Noëllat from Vosne Romanée in 1960, Hudelot-Noëllat is a consistent first-rate red Burgundy producer. Their philosophy is simple, maintaining high average vine age, organic viticultural practices, ploughed vineyards and low yields.
Alain Meadows of Burghound included this wine in his top value in the vintage and suggested it is drinking well from now.

HUDELOT-NOËLLAT VOSNE-ROMANÉE SUCHOTS 1ER CRU 2009 - Wedged in between Clos St Denis and Romanee St Vivant on the Routes des Grand Cru, but only ranked Premier Cru because the middle of the vineyard gently dips down lower than the other Grand Crus. In the hands of good producers this vineyard excels and is often quite a bargain. Drink from 2016.

TOLLOT-BEAUT CLOS DU ROI BEAUNE 1ER CRU 2009 - Everything about this fine Domaine is attractive - even the elaborately decorated concrete cuves. The Tollot's and the Beaut's have remained together for many generations and therefore have maintained excellent and valuable vineyard holdings. The younger generation - cousins Nathalie, Jean-Paul and Olivier direct the Domaine. They have made substantial changes in the past few years and quality has risen at this progressive and fine Domaine. Always a consistent source of delightful and serious Burgundy that represents very good value coupled with wonderfully stylish presentation.

On the Savigny side of Beaune, this wine offers a more elegant and stylish version of Beaune. Drinking well from 2014 and beyond.

LANGOA-BARTON ST-JULIEN 3RD GROWTH 2008 - Located in the centre of the appellation along the banks of the Gironde river, Langoa-Barton has roughly 37 acres (15 ha) under vine. The plantings are: 70% Cab Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 8% Cab Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot. Typical of the area, the soil composition of the vineyard is composed of a gravel topsoil over a clay sub-stratum. Château Langoa-Barton shares its cellar with its sibling Château Léoville-Barton, and though the red wines share similar upbringing in the cellar, Langoa-Barton generally ends up as the lighter style of the two. About 7,000 cases of Château Langoa-Barton are produced in an average vintage.

Decanter rate this wine four stars and say “Deep purple-red, deep, slightly smoky, slighty briary black fruits nose, both freshness and depth on the palate, elegant concentration of fruit, tannins that will blend in to show an expressive, classy wine. Drink 2015-25”

DURFORT-VIVENS MARGAUX 2ND GROWTH 2008 - The Durfort-Vivens vineyards comprise 32 hectares on the typical gravelly soils of Margaux. Cab Sauvignon dominates, accounting for 70% of the vineyard. The remainder is 20% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc.

The 2008 is typically Margaux with a lovely perfumed nose, a lean and structured palate and a core of acid. Will build with time in the bottle. Drink now or leave until 2015.

D’ISSAN MARGAUX 3RD GROWTH 2008 - 53 hectares of vines planted on an estate which covers 120 hectares, most of which is pasture. The main vineyard which gives rise to the grand vin lies adjacent to the château, has a typically gravelly terroir and is planted with 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot.

The wine is dark, silky and generous, nice density and balance. It definitely needs a bit of time in bottle. Drink from 2017.

Matteo's Dinner 05/12/11

One of my most favourite traditions (second only to Burgundy on Boxing Day) is Patrick's Monday dinners held on second month at Matteo's in Brunswick.

This month we looked at four German Rieslings from the excellent vintage of 2007 and three Bordeaux from the much overlooked 2001. Plus the usual Champagne on arrival and mystery wine to finish.

My highlights were the Von Buhl & Kunster Rieslings and the Ferriere. Of course it is quite hard. At these dinners the quality of wine we drink means some great wines are overlooked.

*A NOTE OF WINE NAMES*
So when you get to the German wine names don't freak out. All those words mean something (mainly where they are from and the quality/ripeness level) and sort of mean nothing. German wines with short names are generally not as interesting! Email me if you want an explaination
On Arrival
The Champage was De Sousa Grand Cru NV Blanc de Blancs - No great thing. Have made better wines at cheaper prices.  But the Champagne always suffers once the food and the main show arrives.

Entrees
Muller Catoir Haardter Burgergarten Spatlese Trocken 07 - Dirty, dough, zest, mineral, peach, hint of lime. Balanced and clean, long. Lovely wine, but the most simple of the three sound wines. Will definitely improve with time though.
Von Buhl Jesuitengarten Forst Trocken Grosses Gewachs 07 - Lime, floral fresh, dough, hint of soda water, slate/stone. Great harmony, length, delicate, perfumed, dense back palate, v. long. V. impressive. Unfortunately v hard to get hold of any.
Franz Kunstler Holle Grosses Gewachs 07 - Kerosene, dirt, floral notes and minerals. The palate was spicy, long and mineral. Very clean, and a bit chalky. Great wine, all compact and ready to spring into action in 15 or more years.
Von Buhl Paradiesgarten Deidesheim Trocken Grosses Gewachs 07 - Corked. Curse those vile pieces of bark.

Mains
Figeac St Emilion 1er Grand Cru 01 - Hint alcoholic, cherry choco, cheesy, caramel/oaky, dry spice. Quite silky, bitter choco, dark spice, rich mouthfeel, dry tannins. Good wine, a good olde worlde take on a new world style.
Pontet Canet Pauillac 5th Growth 01 -  I think this was slightly oxidised. But still quite drinkable. Dark fruits, hint backwards (oxy), herbal, plums, meaty, hung meats, floral notes, smoke. Pepper and dry - clay like notes.
Montrose St Estephe 2nd Growth 01 - Classy, violets, sweet red & black fruits, currants, spiced ham. Rich in the mouth with lovely silk, a floral lift. Was long and clean. Impressive.
Mystery Wine
Ferriere Margaux 3rd Growth 98 En Magnum - Beautifully perfumed and floral. V pure, hint varnish, dried meats, brown earth, pepper and oak. Very silky with fine dry tannins. The wine did fade a bit, but the initial taste was brilliant. Comfirms that magnums are the perfect storage vessel.

No port to finish. Disappointing, but given I had a cold and could barely hear, probably the wiser option.