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It's Summer so it must be riesling time August
2002 |
A Summer Riesling Tasting
Finally the rain has stopped and we have 30°C to enjoy. The disadvantage of this is that most of the red wines start to lose their appeal when you break out in a sweat merely using a corkscrew. The perfect solution then is to go for something a little cooler - a riesling straight from the refridgerator would be my suggestion.
I put together 12 wines with an interesting selection of styles from dry to sweet, & young to 'older' from 5 countries and 3 continents. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
FRANCE
1995 Trimbach, Riesling Clos Sainte Hune
Medium yellow. Nose is concentrated with lemony notes and the barest hint of grapefruit - something a little deeper, possibly wood influence, but no kerosene. The dry palate has good intense fruit and excellent acidity, what sets it apart from the stylisticly similar Deiss Saint Hippolyte, is a strong mineral streak. This is the certainly the best 'dry' style tasted, is it worth 4x the cost of Deiss' Hippolyte? - possibly not, but I don't think I'll ever turn it down !
1995 Josmeyer, Riesling L’Exception
Deep gold colour. Nose has only a suggestion of kerosene together with medium botrytis and apple. Rich and thick in the mouth, some sweetness with good acidity and nice length. This wine whilst still very, very good, doesn’t shine quite like it did a year ago.
1997 Dopff Au Moulin, Riesling Grang Cru Schoenenburg de Riquewihr
Yellow colour. Nose is lemon and pears. Although looks viscous, doesn’t seem quite so in the mouth. Lovely pure citrus flavours with very good acidity. Slightly off-dry style with a little ripe acidity on the palate. Better with food, but food not so obviously necessary as with the Leeuwin. A fine wine.
1997 Marcel Deiss, VT Riesling Burg
Golden colour. Nose has very faint kerosene and equally faint botrytis with a lemony lift. Palate is very thick with some sweetness. There is a prickly sensation on the end of the tongue (CO2), even 2 hours after opening, though gone after 4 hours. Very good acidity, but the finish was only on the long side of medium. Still some ripe acidity on the palate, but not enough for this to be a ‘food only’ wine. Without the prickles, a fine wine, with the prickles, only very good.
1997 Marcel Deiss, Riesling St Hippolyte 
The light yellow/green colour of a year ago is now a stronger gold. The nose is muted, with some limey notes, but no kerosene. The bone dry palate is another matter with a definite kerosene tinge. Much fatter than a year ago, when the acidity seemed to boss the show, now beautifully balanced. A super wine, and at under £7 from the domain, puts many Aussies in the shade for value – I suppose they have to come further though (!)
GERMANY
1998 August Kesseler, Rheingau Riesling Kabinett
Yellow. Nose has a little background lemon and boiled sweets with more up-front peachy notes. Palate is very sweet but with refreshing acidity and dense fruit (alc.8.5%). A good finish too - very enjoyable.
AUSTRALIA
2000 Leeuwin, Art Series Riesling
Pale yellow. Nose is a little earthy with faint cooking apples, with a little swirling some grapefruit develops. Palate is a little harsh due to ripe acidity, but today the fruit wins this battle, and this should improve with time. Acidity is good, pushing the finish reasonably long, though the harshness is there on the finish too. Good, perhaps very good when the harsh elements soften. This time last year I remember the 1999 being more interesting.
 1995 Peter Lehmann, Barossa Reserve Riesling
Deep gold colour to the rim. Understated nose with sweet botrytis, Granny Smith apple and lime. After a while develops a ‘burnt plastic’ note. Thick in the mouth, but despite reasonable acidity comes across as slightly cloying. Although we have the volume there is something missing in the middle – fruit! Length is not bad though. After a couple of hours from nowhere we have some citrussy fruit. So with some patience the rating improves from ‘okay’ to ‘good’. Still a disappointment after the superb 1994.
2000 Grosset, Watervale Riesling
Pale gold still with hints of green. The nose is lovely - a sweet apple crumble affair. The palate has nice acidity, though to me, despite the good volume of fruit, it seems a little ‘mushy’ and indistinct in the mid palate. Nice follow through to a good finish. Ignoring the different ages of the wines, I find this much more interesting than the Nepenthe, but still prefer the (cheaper) Marcel Deiss from 1997.
1999 Nepenthe, Lenswood Riesling
Pale gold colour. Nose has some citrus notes, very faint kerosene and some lower notes. This is bone dry with ‘not bad’ acidity, but I would have preferred more. The kerosene doesn’t come through on the palate, but (to me) there is a toughness to the wine due to ripe acidity that means this needs food. Good balance with food, but not a wine for sipping alfresco today, or as an aperitif – which is exactly how I prefer my Riesling. Good but not my style.
 NEW ZEALAND
2000 Fromm, La Strada Riesling Auslese
Very pale yellow. Nose is sweet with granny smith apples and faint grapefruit. Palate is very sweet and reminiscent of a part fermented wine – actually only 7.5% alcohol. At this age the wine is still relatively simple, with apples and pears on the palate and very good acidity. When it’s 30°C outside, this is incredibly more-ish. I liked this a lot.
USA
1989 Château St.Jean, Alexander Valley Johanisburg Riesling
Striking amber colour. Nose is sweet with dried fruits; raisins, sultanas, perhaps even dried cranberries. Palate is thick and very sweet & fruity with a burnt sugar aftertaste like from well cooked jam tarts. It's thick in the mouth, but with just enough acidity to avoid it becoming cloying. The finish is not so long as some of the wines here, but it's certainly the most decadent. My choice for top wine.
Summary
The styles vary so much that it's not the simplest of tasks to choose an absolute winner, however, I've done it anyway.
Best Dry Style : 1995 Trimbach, Clos Ste.Hune
Best 'Dessert' Style : 1989 Château St.Jean
Best Aperitif Style : 2000 Fromm, La Strada
So, three prizes to three different continents. My overall favourite though, is the Château St.Jean, the winner then, from the USA.
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