Virtual Community Tasting Event (VCTE) V - A Month of Rieslings

My experience with German wines has been very limited. So, I am going to expand my involvement in the current CT Forum-hosted vrtual tasting (CTVT) to include the entire month. I will focus on Rieslings and the 2007 vintage and I will try to sample some of the same wines as the rest of the Forum folk. Ideally, I will have a lot of comparisons between Spats and Kabs from the same priducers/vineyards and comparisons between vineyards and regions.

Well, it wasn't August and this was way out of the 2007 vintage, but I needed a starting point.

• 2002 Dr. Loosen Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (7/29/2009)

  COLOR: Golden, slightly paler than apple juice. NOSE: Melon, apples, maybe some wet rocks. TASTE: Very fruity. The acidity and minerality were a bit low for my taste, but it was a nicely balanced wine. Melons, apples, and hints of honey were present. Slightly tart on the finish which left you wanting another sip. OVERALL: Very nice wine. Fantastic drink on a hot night (even with burgers and grilled vegetables) and th elow alcohol allowed me to finish the entire bottle by myself. I think I would like to cellar another bottle to see if it does become more complex over time. (4+12+17+7)

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I believe that these are nearly identical wines, except for the date of harvest. The Kabinett was a bit more complex and a little less sweet. Neither wine was fantastic, but it was certainly a learning experience.

• 2007 Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch (Erben-Thanisch) Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese 87 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (8/1/2009)

  Popped and poured. COLOR - pale straw. NOSE - peach, melon, faint cat pee. It was a little more aromatic than the Kabinett. TASTE - flat at first but better with a little airing. Peach, melon, apple, some minerality, low acidity but well balanced. Sweeter than I like, but on the mark for this wine I think. Nice smooth finish. Very drinkable - went well with spicy Indian. OVERALL - Nice, but I wouldn't buy it again. (3+12+16+6)

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• 2007 Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch (Erben-Thanisch) Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Kabinett 88 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (8/3/2009)

  COLOR - pale straw. Nearly identical to the Spat, maybe a shade lighter. NOSE - peach, melon, stronger cat pee than the Spat. I briefly thought that this might be the smell of slate, but it's really not. TASTE - melon, peach, apple, faintly mineral (slate?) and a touch of (green apples) tartness on the finish. Nice, and better the second night. OVERALL - Nice, but I wouldn't buy it again. (3+12+17+6)

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I am beginning to wonder whether my wife is right. These all have a strong resemblence to wine coolers. More research is clearly necessary.

• 2007 Markus Molitor Haus Klosterberg Riesling Spätlese 87 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (8/10/2009)

  Popped and poured. COLOR: Very pale gold or straw. Closer to champagne, I think, minus the (visible) bubbles. NOSE: Expressive. Lots of peach, melon, something else that I can't quite put a finger on. TASTE: Fruity (peach and melons again) with very subtle effervescence. I think I like my rieslings a bit more tart. There was also an off, metallic taste on the finish. OVERALL: Nice. Pleasant to drink, but nothing special. (3+12+16+6)

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Another comparison between Spat and Kab, though the Spatlese was a year older and the terroir is (maybe?) different. I still favor the Kabinett, but neither is life changing. It may be time to shake things up - new region? Older wine? Trocken?

• 2007 Mönchhof Robert Eymael Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett 88 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (8/13/2009)

  COLOR: Very pale straw. NOSE: Rather closed. What was present was mostly mineral and floral. It was nice, just hard to find. It opened up as it warmed, becoming a little fruitier (fuji apple - which I believe they are referrnig to as fiji apple in the TNs below), but not really making it more or less pleasant. TASTE: Very nice acidity. The sweetness was really subdued, but with it went a lot of the fruit. The finish was short and clean. OVERALL: Enjoyable, but not very memorable. (3+12+16+7)

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• 2006 Mönchhof Robert Eymael Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese 87 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (8/13/2009)

  COLOR: Rich and golden. Reminiscent of apple juice. NOSE: Very expressive with lots of apples, pears, honeydew. Promising. I did not get the petrol that others did. TASTE: Nice effervescence. Very fruity and sweet - a little too much for me (the word cloying comes to mind). I can taste the acidity but it never really comes together to balance the sweetness of the wine. On the finish there is a bit of a medicinal quality - maybe this is the petrol. OVERALL: Very sweet and although the acid is present it does not seem to balance well. I was not a fan. (3+13+15+6)

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Back to 2007 and comparing terroir. Mosel is the most widely available in my neighborhood, but a few others were scattered across the shelves as well. I brought these two up to Brewster to drink between beers. Despite teh similarity in scores, I much preferred the Scloss Shonborn and I have to wonder if terroir is really the differentiator.

• 2007 Selbach-Oster Riesling Kabinett 89 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (8/22/2009)

  Drank at the Cape over two days so I am translating my written shorthand notes - forgive the brevity. Popped and poured. COLOR: Pale golden. NOSE: Pears, peaches, apples, wet stone. TASTE: Finally some acidity! Very sharp, crisp. Apples, pears, and a nice dose of minerality. Short, tart finish. OVERALL: Very refreshing wine on a hot day. Still a bit sweet for my taste, but I guess that's Riesling. FYI - as each glass warmed up, it became sweeter and less crisp and refreshing. Drink it cold. (3+13+16+7)

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• 2007 Schloss Schönborn Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Kabinett 89 Points

  Germany, Rheingau

  (8/22/2009)

  Another Cape Cod wine. Popped and poured and drunk over two days. COLOR: Very pale yellow. NOSE: Very interesting. Less apple and pear and more minerals and something else which I can't place but which is very pleasant. Flowers? Red fruit? TASTE: Again, the apple and peach to which I have become accustomed take a back seat to other flavors - grapefruit, pineapple, and melon for the most part. There is a crisp minerality which balances well with the acid and a very fine "fizz" which - sadly - was gone on the second night. The finish was short and crisp with none of the metallic or medicinal character I have experienced with many Mosel rieslings. OVERALL: What a pleasant surprise. Very enjoyable, but less so on the second night. (3+13+16+7)

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So how does Riedel stack up against the generic Dansk white wine/chardonnay glasses I bought between 5 and 10 years ago? Pretty much a toss up, but the wine is a winner in either of them.

• 2005 Joh. Jos. Prüm Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spätlese 90 Points

  Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer

  (8/24/2009)

  Tested Riedel Vinum vs. Dansk generic white/chard. Category scores are listed as Riedel/Dansk (R/D).
  
  COLOR: Same. Pale yellow. (3/3)
  
  NOSE: Lots of petrol in the Riedel with hints of grapefruit underneath. It eventually blew off to reveal muted grapefruit and other tropical fruits. The Dansk glass showed almost no petrol with a fantastic scent of pink graperuit and flowers. (13/14)
  
  TASTE: Here the Dansk fell down. Mango, grapefruit, and peach were a little too sweet; almost cloying. Pleasant, but the minerality was hidden. The Riedel really brought the minerality and crisp acidity to the fore. Although more complex, the fruit was a little too subtle. Both had a nice medium finish. (17/16)
  
  OVERALL: This wine was begging for a sharp, spicy accompanying meal in both glasses. It was clearly a superior wine and would have been better with a meal. (7/7)
  
  So the wine tops out at 90 points, regardless of glass used.

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"Help me Obi-Wan, you're my only hope."

• 2005 Emrich-Schönleber Monzinger Halenberg Riesling Spätlese 90 Points

  Germany, Nahe

  (8/29/2009)

  Popped and poured. COLOR: Golden yellow. NOSE: A bit closed. Petrol, some faint fruits which are difficult to identify. It opens as it warms to an apple juicy aroma. TASTE: Wow. The first sip is electric. I can't think of another word. The acid is so crisp and sharp it is almost a shock after the nose. There is apple, pear, and grapefruit and other tropical flavors. Still a bit sweet for my taste, but the acid does a lot to balance that out. OVERALL: Wonderfully sharp, crisp wine. Nice by itself and with spicy salsa and chips. (3+11+17+7)
  
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  Second glass from a Riedel. NOSE: Petrol and vinyl. Actually, very pleasing. TASTE: A little less sugary until the finish. (Revised: 3+13+17+7)

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So, the month was very enlightening - on several fronts. Clearly, I am not a big fan of rieslings, but I can appreciate some. I lean towards the more acidic of the bunch. I have a few left including a trocken and a couple of Auslese which I will save for future occasions. Oh - and as far as riesling goes, Riedel definitely improves (or at least strengthens) the nose, but tends to - in my experience - alter the taste in a disappointing way.