2009 Charles Smith Riesling The Honorable

Community Tasting Notes (8) Avg Score: 85.5 points

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  7/7/2013 - golfwine wrote: 83 Points

  This is somewhat of an also-ran Riesling. I'm going to write it off as attributable to its being a couple vintages old. Although it had a medium rich texture, which was pleasing, it was a tad over-sweet and was missing the crisp acidity that is the benchmark of his lower tiered Kung Fu Girl. I'd be curious to taste a current vintage but not confident that it could be 50% better than the KFG (the relative price difference). Namely because I'd imagine that this redeeming richness is an evolutionary character, not present in a fresh bottle.

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  5/18/2012 - dwaynelm wrote: 84 Points

  Simplistic but otherwise unflawed. Sweetness, maybe of ripe lime, and balanced acidity. Not sure why I bought this in retrospect.

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  12/29/2011 - dwaynelm wrote: 89 Points

  Ripe lime with a hint of tangerine. Good acidity with rich mouthfeel and a touch of honey on the finish.

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  8/16/2011 - DBell65 wrote: 86 Points

  Good QPR, also bought at BevMo 5cent sale, so paid under $8/btl...nice nose, green apple, some mineral on nose and mouth..went well with our Indian food.

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  6/12/2011 - DaveZack wrote: 87 Points

  Got this bottle during BevMo's 5-Cent Sale for approximately $7.53 (normally $15/bottle) and drank with garlic chicken, mushroom medley, and rice pilaf.
  The bouquet is mostly minerals; imagine a bunch of granite rocks sitting in a pot of water.
  This is a nice Riesling, especially for 7.5 bucks! Partially due to a low alcohol level (only 12.5%) (these grapes obviously weren't harvested in November; they were probably picked in September), this Riesling eschews the typcial West Coast Riesling trappings of over-sweetness. A lot of Rieslings stand on the edge of the abyss, looking down that deep, dark hole of almost-sweet-enough-to-be-a-dessert-wine. Good, quality Rieslings exhibit fantastic acidity, mountains of minerals, plenty of spices like white pepper with suggestions of sage and rosemarry, with a low-alcohol, well-balanced structure that allows the wine to pair well with savory poultry dishes, JUST LIKE THIS WINE.
  I've read a lot about Charles Smith and always wanted to try one or more of his wines. This bottle is my first C.S. wine and it's a winner. This Riesling paired very well with the garlic chicken and would pair equally well with raw seafood (like oysters on the half shell, ceviche, and a chilled fresh seafood platter) and even a white cheese platter (I imagine this wine would pair well with salty cheeses like Parmigiano). The low sugar and alcohol levels facilitates this wine being a great food partner. I've had more complex and sophisticated Rieslings, but for $7.50-ish a bottle, this is one hell of a bargain. If you're within a four-hour drive of a BevMo, get in your car and buy a few cases of this nice Riesling!

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