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Springtime Wines
Seifreid 2005 Riesling 16.99
New Zealand Riesling is an entirely different animal than it’s German cousin. Seifreid is much bigger stylistically and considerably drier by German standards. I love this wine’s zippy, sweet tangerine and stone fruit flavors followed by white flower aromatics. It makes a wonderful aperitif with proscuitto or smoked fish.
Salomon 2005 Riesling Kögl 21.99
When I was in Austria a few years back I tasted with Erich Salomon and found him to be a lovely, charming man. Kögl is stony without being terse and offers a clarity that is quintessentially Austrian. If you’re thinking sweet Riesling, think again. This wine has more in common with a snappy Sauvignon Blanc than you might imagine. “Lime and tangerine aromas introduce a juicy, spicy, citric and white pepper-dusted palate with underlying nut oil character. Relatively austere in flavor, but with a lovely suggestion of creaminess of texture, long with citrus oils, fruit pits, and white pepper, as you work this up it shows plenty of nuances, nooks and crannies to hold the interest of even the most jaded taster.” 90 points Wine Advocate Issue 166 David Schildknecht.
Schloss Gobelsburg 2005 Riesling vom Urgestein 17.99
This wine is made from the young vines from the Cru Gaisberg and Heiligenstein sites. Instead of being a “little brother”, wine vom Urgestein is a beautifully pristine wine with citrus and red raspberries fruit. It’s an incredible value. I love the minerality…it’s like licking a salty stone.
Spreitzer 2005 Oestricher Lenchen Kabinett 21.99
Terry Theise proclaimed this wine the Kabinett of the 2005 vintage. Known for his provocative wine writing, I’ll let Terry speak to this wine. It’s edited for my audience. If you want to read more search Skurnik’s website. “Oh, sing to me baby! A fragrance you want to bathe in; freesia, quince, pêche-de-vigne, and the palate just showers a blessing over you; such juicy bursting fruit and such fine penetrating mineral, leading to a saturating balsam-lime-wintergreen finish that goes on for days.”
Kerpen 2005 Riesling Spälese Artist Series 29.99
I love the wines of Kerpen and as with many wines; I loved them even more after I met Martin Kerpen at a tasting in Chicago a few years back. His unassuming elegance is reflected in the beautifully pure wines he crafts. The label is fabulous. It’s whimsical and untraditional. How often do you see a German wine with a little bird in boat?” A strikingly creamy, oily, rich, quite sweet and almost fat palate impression along with aromas and flavors of caramelized apple, yellow plum, and vanilla is matched by a vividly bright, bracing citricity and wet stone slate character.” 91 points Wine Advocate Issue 169 David Schildknecht.
Selbach-Oster 2005 Riesling Zeltinger Himmelreich Kabinett Halbtrocken 19.99
The Kabinett from one of the Mosel’s most accomplished estate is a dazzling wine. If I had to choose one Riesling from this newsletter in drink everyday, it would be this one. Lovely stone fruit flavors and a gorgeous stoniness that stretches my imagination for descriptors. Terry Theise writes,” They taste as if they’d been gathered by angels. They have a lovely gloss and glow. They are full of muscle but also a skater’s grace. They seem to be infinitely strong without ever becoming powerful.” I
Dönnhoff 2005 Estate Riesling 20.99
Some people collect cult Cabernets “cool” Barossa Shiraz, for my money give me some great Riesling to cellar for a few years. The difference is not just white vs. red wine; it’s about beautiful, ethereal wines that whisper their secret history as opposed to a shouting high school cheerleader. This estate Riesling is an anything BUT entry-level wine. It’s the full of springtime green herbs and slate that defies the price point. I always tell customers, if you want to start a wine collection, this is a good place to start. You’ll be rewarded for you patience.
Hexamer 2005 Riesling Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg “Quartzit” 17.99
Virginia blue bells and rue anemone are in full bloom on my property. I look out the window as I write this newsletter and feel like a prisoner. How much longer until I’m sprung from this joint and I can take a long to walk in the Glen? I worry I’ve missed the trout lily and wild ginger as my days off have been spent working or with sick kids. Wildflower season is so brief and so beautiful. In the blink of an eye, you can miss one flower, gone again until next spring…but I digress. Hexane is a relative newcomer to the Nahe and you guessed it, the soil type is quartz. Look for a clean snappy wine, perfect for rock heads. You know who you are…always loving those mineral, slatey, stony thangs’.
Schmitt-Wagner 2005 Riesling Longuicher Maximiner Herrenber Spätlese Feinherb 19.99
Feinherb is a strange work used in place of Halbtrocken or half dry. It’s a word that is misused, misinterpreted, convenient, loved and despised. Schmidt-Wagner fashions a remarkable wine from 109 year old ungrafted vines that delivers springtime aromatics of lilac, chervil and minty herbal elements. Terry Theise writes, “36 g.l. of virtually undetectable sweetness, and this masterpiece is a last hurrah from an endangered species, a perfectly balanced dry-ish Riesling: smoky slate and wisteria aromas; palate shows superb Mosel fruit in a tenderly dry form. Absolutely perfect food-wine!”
The Furst 2004 Riesling 12.99
My introduction to Riesling came via Zind-Humbrecht. I have a soft spot for those wines, although in recent years they’ve become so dear I seldom indulge myself. Imagine my glee finding this little beauty for under thirteen dollars…that’s right thirteen dollars! It’s on the dry side with lovely green apple fruit and a whiff of watercress and tarragon. So go on…indulge yourself. At this price, you could enjoy a glass or two every night.