Winecast » Riesling

WBW 45: Old World Riesling

Tim — Thu, 08 May 2008 02:21:18 +0000

The Mosel was the first wine region I toured. It was back in the summer of 1971 when I was almost 11, so I was not tasting any wines. But the impact of that visit stuck with me when a decade later I first got into wine. The black cat label of Zeller Schwartz Katz became more common on the dinner table after this trip and when wine was present in my formative years, Riesling was more often than not the variety enjoyed.

But it probably wasn’t just this early exposure to the grape that compelled me to drink more Riesling; it was the complexity and potential for aging of the wines that make this my favorite white variety.

Like my second favorite white Roussanne, Riesling shows well in youth but takes on more complexity with age. I’ve tasted dry Rieslings almost 30 years old that still have youthful bouquet and flavors despite their tawny color. The wines seem to go through some sort of metamorphosis of fruit and floral to fruit, mineral and gasoline, noted by most wine lovers as “petrol.” In the best Rieslings, the wine is supported by a backbone of acidity that can make even a 9% alcohol wine hold up for decades.

Riesling travels but not as well as other noble whites such as Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. While those varieties can grow and produce good wines almost anywhere, Riesling is fickle and only shows it’s magic in specific microclimates.

That’s why I chose the Old World of Northern Europe as the place for this Wine Blogging Wednesday devoted to Riesling. It just seems that Rieslings of every price point are so much better there. I know that the variety can be great in Australia, Washington State, and parts of California, but to truly enjoy the essence of the grape you have to go to Europe.

My two selections tonight are from the Mosel region of Germany. I thought it would be interesting to compare what age does to the variety so each wine is similar in style but 5 years different in age.

Tasting Notes:

Max Ferdinand Richter, Riesling, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer 2006 ($14) - Pale straw-green in color with aromas of green apple, wet stone and lime. In the mouth, green apple and citrus flavors give way to a nice mineral note and good acidity. Although dry, the finish gives the impression of slight sweetness due to the vibrant fruit. A nicely done young Mosel Riesling that should improve with some bottle age.

10% ABV
Stelvin closure
Score: 89
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Buy this wine at domaine 547

Weingut Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch, Bernkasteler Badstube, Riesling, Kabinett, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer 2001 ($25) - Light straw color with a bouquet of baked apples, stone and petrol. Bright and fresh with green apple and mineral flavors finishing with bracing acidity. A solid aged Riesling with years ahead of it. Good thing I still have some more bottles in the cellar to taste down the road.

9% ABV
Natural cork closure
Score: 89
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

So a draw in the scoring but two really nice Rieslings that demonstrate why I love this variety so much. As I post this, nearly 50 other bloggers have responded to my call and have posted some great wines. Once all the entries have been blogged I will write a summary that will hopefully document all the many faces of Riesling. Stay tuned.

Riesling Picks and Noble Rot is coming!

Tim — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:48:21 +0000

The San Francisco Chronicle has posted a number of German Riesling reviews that would be great for the next Wine Blogging Wednesday in a few weeks. Most of them are $25 or less and several different German regions are represented.

It’s almost time for the next round of the Wine Book Club which I am also hosting. Even if you haven’t started reading my pick, William Echiksonâ€™s Noble Rot: A Bordeaux Wine Revolution, you can start this weekend and probably have it read by Monday. Or you could read it the next weekend.

Just pick it up soon, read and post your review by April 29th.

Double Shot of Riesling Podcasts

Tim — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 00:58:50 +0000

If and when I get the chance to make my own wine or own a winery, the two varietals I’d start with are Riesling and Pinot Noir. I don’t know if it’s the purity of the fruit or terroir or that both these have some sort of x-factor that most other wine varietals don’t, but these are the wines that I hold in the highest regard (along with sentimental favorite Zinfandel).

So it was great to find two podcasts on my iPod this week that are both about Riesling and feature Ernst Loosen. Excellent listening if you are a Riesling-ofile like me

Check them out here:

Oz Wine Show - Ernst Loosen Interview

Grape Radio - The Riesling Shootout

PS: Just to make sure nobody takes this before I get started, I registered a new domain inspired by another blogger

Winecast 62 - Willamette Valley Vineyards

Tim — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 03:23:34 +0000

Today’s podcast is another vintner profile interviewing Willamette Valley Vineyards founder and President Jim Bernau. I also play a podcast promo and talk about a new poll on Winecast.

Show Notes:
00:21 - Welcome, show theme and sponsor message
03:07 - Interview with Jim Bernau
19:44 - Tasting Notes
19:58 - Willamette Valley Vineyards, Riesling 2005 ($12)
20:56 - Willamette Valley Vineyards, Pinot Gris 2005 ($16) +
21:15 - Willamette Valley Vineyards, Pinot Noir, “Whole Cluster” 2005 ($18)
21:45 - Willamette Valley Vineyards, Pinot Noir, “Vintage Selection” 2003 ($22)
22:06 - Willamette Valley Vineyards, Pinot Noir, “Estate” 2003 ($40) *
23:04 - Willamette Valley Vineyards, Pinot Noir, “Freedom Hill” 2002 (~$45)
23:38 - Willamette Valley Vineyards, Frizzante 2002 ($12/half bottle)
24:19 - Best of Tasting *
24:55 - Best Value +
25:25 - The Frank Truth promo
27:15 - New poll on the blog
29:02 - Contact details
29:31 - Next show theme

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Winecast 59 - Austria

Tim — Mon, 15 May 2006 02:40:57 +0000

TodayÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s super-sized podcast is an overview of the wines of Austria, featuring an interview with Beau Jarvis of Basic Juice as he kicks off this Live Austrian Wine Adventure.

Show Notes:
00:21 - Welcome and show theme
00:36 - Wines of Austria
03:13 - Interview with Beau Jarvis of Basic Juice
14:50 - Beau’s first LAWA 06 interview - Hotel Rathaus Wien & Design
25:58 - Tasting Notes
26:31 - Schloss Gobelsburg, Riesling, “Gobelsburger” 2004 ($14/provided by listener Tony)
27:08 - Weingut Stadt Krems, GrÃƒÂ¼ner Veltliner, Ã¢â‚¬Å“SandgrubeÃ¢â‚¬Â? 2004 ($14/Solo Vino sample) *+
27:39 - Weingut Glatzer, BlaufrÃƒÂ¤nkisch 2004 ($14/provided by listener Tony)
28:05 - Best of tasting and best value *+
28:24 - Contact Details
28:44 - Next Show Theme

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Dr. Loosen, Riesling, Mosel 2004

Tim — Fri, 12 May 2006 21:38:28 +0000

Dr. Loosen, Riesling, Mosel, Germany 2004 ($14) - Clear with a hint of yellow in color with the classic Mosel aromas flowers, green apple and minerals; ripe green apple and honeysuckle flavors finish dry with nice acidity. A great food wine and excellent value that should only get better with age. Score: 9/10

Weingut Eduard Hauth-Kerpen, Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Riesling, Kabinett 2001

Tim — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 20:27:18 +0000

Weingut Eduard Hauth-Kerpen, Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Riesling, Kabinett, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer 2001 ($17) - Light straw-green in color with the classic Mosel nose of flowers, lime and minerals. Fresh lemon, lime and mineral flavors finishing very crisp and dry with plenty of acidity. This wine is light and elegant with only 7.5% alcohol, but is very flavorful and food friendly. It paired perfectly with our Honey-Baked Ham this Easter. Score: 9/10

Winecast 53 - Alsace

Tim — Thu, 16 Feb 2006 21:04:19 +0000

On todayÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s podcast, I focus on the wines of FranceÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s Alsace region and review, Ã¢â‚¬Å“The Emperor of WineÃ¢â‚¬Â?, by Elin McCoy.

Show Notes:
00:21 - Welcome
00:33 - Alsace Overview
03:19 - Tasting Notes
03:34 - Pierre Sparr, Pinot Blanc Ã¢â‚¬Å“ReserveÃ¢â‚¬Â?, Alsace 2003 ($12) #
03:53 - Trimbach, Riesling, Alsace 2003 ($17)
04:20 - Hugel, Gewurztraminer, Alsace 2003 ($18/gift) *
04:54 - Best Tasting *
04:59 - Best Value #
05:05 - Review of The Emperor of WIne
08:31 - QPR Wines Drawing
09:21 - Contact Details
09:57 - Next Show Theme

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Thanksgiving Wine

Tim — Wed, 23 Nov 2005 19:07:05 +0000

Only 24 hours or so before our annual harvest feast day here in the U.S. and the wine blogosphere is buzzing with a few picks for the best wine matches to pair with the traditional turkey dinner (even with Alder sitting this one out). My choice is Pinot Noir and I have already given you a couple of Pinot’s to pick up if you have a large group to feed, but I think I will choose a Ponzi Pinot Noir 2002 from Oregon’s Willamette Valley I first reviewed in Winecast 8, with White Rose Estate Pinot Noir 2002 as my back-up bottle (although I might be tempted to call an audible and drink this one first!). Another tradition we have is to start off the festivities with a glass of Beaujolais nouveau. This year I have 4 of them to taste for an upcoming podcast, but probably will pull the dependable Louis Tete bottling, like my podcast buddy Alan, a.k.a. The Cellar Rat, already has.

If you must have a white wine, I suggest either an oaked Chardonnay or a crisp, fruity German Riesling from the excellent 2003 vintage. Look for “Kabinett” on the label and you will be good to go. Which ever wine you choose, make sure you have a backup bottle should cork taint raise its ugly head or your celebration requires further replenishment

Winecast 44 - The Big Three Whites

Tim — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 02:23:20 +0000

Today’s podcast is a return to the virtual tasting format first suggested by a listener back in February. I taste the “Big Three Whites”, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay “live” on the show and invite listeners to taste these wines as they listen. The podcast was also filmed to be the first wine related Vcast or what Apple has been calling “video podcast” released, optimized for Apple’s 5G iPods.

Show Notes:

0:20 - Welcome
0:32 - Introduction of “virtual tasting”
01:10 - Review the three wines to be tasted
01:59 - Dr. Fischer, Ockfener Bockstein Riesling, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany 2003 ($14)
05:36 - Brancott, Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand 2004 ($9)
07:29 - Los Cardos, Chardonnay, Mendoza, Argentina 2003 ($9)
11:40 - Best of tasting
11:51 - Best value
12:15 - Contact details
12:37 - Theme for next show

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Winecast 5 - Riesling

Tim — Sun, 16 Jan 2005 04:29:29 +0000

Today’s show is all about Riesling from Germany, tasting:

- Avelsbacher Hammerstein Kabinett 2001 from Weinbaudomaene Trier ($13)
- Bernkasteler Badstube Kabinett 2001 from WWE. Dr. H. Thanisch ($12)
- Schloss Vollrads Spatlese 2001 ($25)

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