~$22US, 100% Riesling, Erdener Treppchen Vineyard, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany

I don’t know why, but I’ve been a little afraid of the ‘A’ word when it comes to German Rieslings. ‘A’ as in Auslese or Selected Harvest - typically meaning selected ripe berries. The lightbulb went off in my head after the recent fantastic Donnhoff Spatlese, where I realized that these labels (Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese, etc) are quality markers, not necessarily universal sweetness indicators. No doubt, Riesling can be high in residual sugars, especially Auslesen, but there is a lot more going on than just ’sweet’.

Riesling’s core minerality and acidity affords it’s flexibility and interpretive diversity. For instance - the longer hang-times of Spatlesen or Auslesen concentrate flavors (including sugars and acidity). Of course the weather, climate, and place affect exactly how and how well this happens, but the results (in the hands of able growers) can be strikingly balanced, proportionate and concentrated wines, from dry to dessert styles. 

The Merkelbach poured a pale hay, almost clear. Honeysuckle and pears on the nose. The palate moved from ripe apples and pears to a powerful mineral-driven midpalate - like a hitting a gravel speedbump while dragging your tongue on a smooth nectary road. The lemon/lime acidity charged back with some nice lift, but lacked a little oomph to really take it all the way home. 

Another very versatile wine, easy to enjoy with aged cheeses, by itself, or with all kinds of food (richer pork and grilled chicken dishes especially). A delicious example, not one to overthink - but I’m not afraid of Auslesen anymore. 

~$46US, 100% Riesling, Nahe, Germany

Helmut Donnhoff is a master wine-creator, without question. His family’s Nahe vineyards produce exemplary Rieslings that stand up to any in the world, each with a signature sense of balance, place and power.

The Oberhauser Brucke is absolutely shocking in its intensity across the board, from nose to finish. There is a sense of infusion, like the liquid had been invisibly fortified by more Riesling-ness. Dazzling and complex on the nose, with pineapple, lime, and green apple on the top end and a substantial base of red cherry, red apple, and red currant. Even strawberry. Vivid like a kaleidoscope, but hard to pin down definitively.

Viscious palate transitioning from the lush fruit towards a brilliant acidity - like a gemstone hiding in a velvet bag. Perfect balance, I never once even considered the notion of ’sweetness’ or ‘acidity’ or ‘minerality’….everything just seems so right, concentrated, full of energy and vibrancy.  Of course it was all there, but the qualities of each played into an overall transcendent harmony. A singular wine enjoyable now, but full of complexities to be revealved over the next 10-20 years. One of the most memorable wines this year.

~$20US, 100% Riesling, Columbia Valley, WA

Floral nose with white peaches. Medium bodied palate with Korean plum-hard-candy flavors throughout. Focused acidity providing a lively counterpoint to the fruit ripeness. Developed secondary flavors like banana and ripe honeydew with airtime as it warmed to room temperature. Very balanced in a dry style with a slightly minerally finish. Clean and pure - One of the strongest new-world Rieslings I’ve had. Perfect with Chinese - especially with shellfish dishes.

~$14US, 100% Riesling, Rheingau, Germany

Leitz’s Dragonstone is a wine I keep coming back to, despite not really getting it on first tasting. I gave it a second try a few months ago and was able to observe some nice evolution in the bottle - the early 2005s had a fierce minerality supported by great fruit, nearing a spatlese-level of ripeness (at least to my palate) - but it was disjointed. The later 05’s started to get that beautiful petrolly aspect along with a tapering of the fruit and an integration of the slatey mineral notes - making for an altogether more mature, harmonious and integrated wine. It was a welcome change, and I was interested to see if the 06’s followed suit.

My first ‘06 poured a very very pale straw - almost clear. The aromatics were obvious and clean with dominant white peach and fresh apple juice. Some nectary/floral notes beyond the fruit, and the tell-tale mineral rocky aromas that I’ve come to associate with this wine.

On the palate, I was pleasantly surprised by the freshness compared to the ‘05. On entry, the fruit ripeness dominates - but the brisk acidity comes dashing through to balance the wine perfectly - ever so slightly off-dry and chalky on the finish. Light-to-medium palate-feel and enough complexity/vineyard character/etc at this price point to keep my wife and I pouring more. In recent memory, I’m not sure I can remember a wine that was as simply refreshing to sip alongside a meal.

Very well-crafted, distinctive, refreshing and food-friendly - what else is would you need for a perfect summertime white? And I’m pretty sure that it will evolve in the bottle for a few years for anyone who has enough patience and discipline not to drink it now - but for me, I”ll be drinking it.

  (<- borrowed wrong label) ~$12US / LITER!, 100% Riesling, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Very tropical on the nose - pineapple, lime, and peaches. Spritzy with very firm acidity - moreso than the last 2 rieslings I’ve had, despite the overall impression of this as being sweeter on the palate.The signature Mosel slate-flavors seem to be subdued, but for the price, this really deliver great fruit and food-friendliness.  It paired will with Korean short-ribs.Wicked value for the liter. 

~$17US, 100% Riesling, Nahe GermanyUber-fresh, and little spritzy. Canned peaches, definite lime and a little gravel. Extremely fruity and concentrated. Creamy mouthfeel, with very integrated mineral flavors - a little slack in the acid department, so the overall impression is quite ripe - but the quality of the fruit is top-class. A little bitterness as it moves towards the finish, but the finish itself is nice and long.Overall, this effort is more ripe and decadent and less complex, but the wine shows plenty of vineyard and regional character to give it uniqueness. Perfect with a wide range of food . I’d recommend this to Riesling beginners, but it is easily enjoyed by all.

 (image is of Kabinett) ~$16US, 100% Riesling, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer

Straw. Classic Mosel nose of dusty slate and yellow fruits.  Fresh pipe peaches and stewed apricots in the mouth - just lush and delicious. Definitely sweety-fruity through he midpalate, but balanced with enough acidic lift to change directions and finish dry. The sweetness integrated great with food - as a contrast to a Cuban-roasted pork tenderloin, and a complement to the roasted butternut squash alongside it. As the wine settled at room temperature, it became a little cloying and lost a little focus in the finish. Overall a really fun weeknight wine, offering food-friendliness, balanced acidity, interesting minerality and pure fruit - all things which I find myself prizing in wine more and more. 

~$15US 100% Riesling, QbA, Rhiengau Germany
A very pale and clean Riesling. Exerts a massive stony minerality on the nose, along with a strong bilious acidity (alkalinity?) and some dried apricots. An all-out assault on the palate: Peach-syrupy sweet, a crazy tingle just to confound the tongue, and a short quiver of cider-acidity. Finshes with a lemon drop. Disjointed overall, the cloying up-front sweetness fights with the spiky mineral notes. Maybe more acidity or the right food pairing would save this. Vindaloo anyone?

A 2-note (dis)chord: Sweet and Wierd. Not for me.