Riesling Tasting

[ShortWiner]

We went to a Riesling tasting put together by a crew called the Neighborhood Tasting Society here in NY. Hosted by the manager at Nancy's Wines For Food, Evan Spingarn. On the whole these wines were great--elegant and quite complex. Almost none were straightforward. All were mouthwatering--high acid, low alcohol will do that. Here's my brief notes, which get less reliable as they go--limited access to the spit bucket.

--Joachim Flick 2002 (Rheingau): just off-dry (halbtrocken), great acid, well balanced. Comes in a liter bottle, great value, $11

--Riesling Dry 'Neefer Frauenberg' Franzen 2002 (Mosel): perhaps my favorite of the night--austere and a bit thin maybe, but an interesting oily-funky nose and great minerality. $15

--Riesling 'Classic' Korrell 2002 (Nahe): More full-bodied than others, with pear notes, good acid, and a medium finish. $13

--Gobelsburger 2002 (Austria): Holly (my wife) noted wet carpet scents. I liked the nose, but it was rather thin, watery--didn't hold up in this company. $14

--Lucashof 2002 (Pfalz): Compelling toasty nose, a la Champagne, with palate of sweet apple, nice acid. Off-dry. Another fav, and a great value at $10

--Riesling Kabinett 'Niersteiner Bildstock' Eugen Wehrheim 2002 (Rheinhessen): Getting a bit sweeter--this has a gorgeous honeyed nose and palate, with a butterscotchy flavor that lingers nicely. Wonderful. Another great value, $10

--'Dr. L' Loosen 2002 (Mosel): Getting sweeter and drunker. This was light-bodied but rich and minerally. $12

--Kabinett 'Piesporter Goldtropfchen' Joh. Haart 2002 (Mosel): Funky-oily nose, delicate mineral flavor, delicious. This was another favorite, though notes are minimal. $14

--Kabinett 'Wehlener Sonnenuhr' Max Ferdinand Richter 2002 (Mosel): very popular with the crowd but they ran out before we got to it [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/frown.gif[/img] $15

--Kabinett 'Niersteiner' J.u.H.A. Strub 2002 (Rheinhessen): This turned out to be drier than our hosts expected, and so didn't fit in well at this end of the tasting. It seemed pretty acidic and 1-dimensional, grapefruity, but I can't judge it fairly. $14

--Spatlese 'Koberner Weisenberg' Freiherr von Schleinitz 2002 (Mosel): sweaty, swiss cheese nose & on the palate(!), quite sweet, but not cloying because of health dose of acid. Good stuff. $20

--Gelber Muskateller Korrell 2002 (Nahe): Not a Riesling--Muscat dessert wine. Very nice, I must say. Honey, grapefruit, actually somewhat refreshing despite the sweetness. Again, not cloying. 40g/l residual sugar. $20

[Innkeeper]

You've go my tongue hanging out!

[ShortWiner]

Well I guess I'll have to bring some to share in May, then, eh? [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img] We must not let that tongue dry out!

[This message has been edited by ShortWiner (edited 10-30-2003).]

[Kcwhippet]

Bringing some would be good SW. Then we could compare and contrast with the really wonderful Finger Lakes Rieslings. Our hosts, Glenora, make a very tasty dry Riesling, which is actually somewhat sweeter than what I would think of as dry.

[ShortWiner]

I'll make sure to do it, then. The Glenora is tasty--I tried it recently.

[Kcwhippet]

You can get it because you're in NY. The rest of us are pretty much SOL.

[Thomas]

Ahhhhh Riesling does it again--the most under-rated wine grape of the world!

[Kcwhippet]

You're just saying that because that's what grows best up nawth theah - except, perhaps what Walter T. planted.

[ShortWiner]

Well, when I consider the prices on these great wines, it certainly does seem quite underrated generally. I guess the combination of being low alcohol, often sweet, and usually from Germany does it in from a mass market perspective.

[Thomas]

Well KC, there is that...

[wondersofwine]

Thanks for the notes. I'm familiar with many of the towns and districts if not the producers. I do have a Piesporter from Haart at home--I think a spatlese or auslese.
Have also sampled Strub Niersteiner wines and found them quite agreeable.

[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 11-03-2003).]