#newwinethisweek Week 28 – World Champion Riesling, Germany
I was chuffed to bits about Germany winning the World Cup on Sunday as it meant we had no option but to go for German Riesling this week… and it just so happens to coincide with #31daysofriesling… never in doubt was it?? Mike kicked the week off on his blog with some selections from Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Majestic and Spirited Wines:
http://pleasebringmemywine.com/2014/07/15/nwtw-week-28-german-riesling/
Personally, I love Riesling from all over the world (you may have notices plenty of words and articles on the subject!) but I need very little persuasion to open up a bottle of JJ Prüm… as I will most certainly be doing later on this week!
Riesling originated in the Rhine region of Germany and is the most planted variety in the country. The real home of Riesling is found on the beautiful steep, south facing slopes of the Mosel Valley, overlooking the stunning chocolate-box villages below. German wine is still suffering from the awful Hock and Liebfraumilch that filled supermarket shelves in the 80′s but please, forget all you know, go back with an open mind and you will not be disappointed.
What style of wine is in the bottle isn’t always the easiest to determine but here are a few useful hints and tips that will help you determine the level of sweetness in the wines. The word “Trocken” on the label means dry (halbtrocken = off-dry) and there are more and more trocken wines available these days
For dry/medium style:
Kabinett – light in body with high acidity and a touch of sweetness
Spätlese – means late harvest, often fuller in body and medium sweet
Auslese – more body and more tropical flavours. Increasing number of dry wines at this level
Sweet wines (and very bloody expensive!):
Beerenauslese – individually selected, over-ripe grapes
Trockenbeerenauslese – even sweeter, more concentrated, and more expensive!
Eiswein – the grapes are picked when frozen to concentrate the juice even more. Worth reading about as this is a remarkable process
Without further ado, here are plenty of recommendations for this week:
Koester Wolf Kabinett HalbtrockenKOESTER 2012 Rheinhessen (Wine & the Vine £10.45)
Zeltinger Himmelreich Kabinett 2011, Mosel (Wine & the Vine £12.35)
Tesco Finest Steillage Mosel Riesling, Mosel (Tesco £7.99)
Grey Slate Dr L Riesling Private Reserve 2013, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer (Waitrose £7.49 was £9.99)
Darting Estate Dürkheimer Michelsberg Riesling 2013, Pfalz (M&S £9.49)
Von Kesselstatt Dry Riesling 2013, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer (The Wine Society £9.50)
JJ Prüm Kabinett 2011, Mosel (Roberson £19.95)
The vote will take place on Mike’s blog this week so get yourself a bottle of this wonderful stuff and see it soar to the top of the #newwinethisweek leaderboard!
Posted on July 15, 2014, in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. 6 Comments.
Confessions of a Wine Geek
Deutschland Vor!! We’re chuffed to bits across the pond, too! I love German Riesling, especially the dry varieties. The food pairings are virtually foolproof. Prost!
OK, from the other side of the Atlantic, I had to look up “chuffed to bits” to see if you were happy or angry. Now I have a new saying when I want to appear “International”!
Will we do something from Argentina next week, as consolation?
Ni points for second place!!! (That may not be strictly true!!)
What a bloomin’ great week… I love German Riesling!! I have spent a bit more than usual this week but sometime you gotta go for the best!
JJ Prüm Riesling Kabinett 2011 (Roberson £19.95)
Armas of apples, lime, touch of tropical fruit and a hint if honey, all wrapped up in a slate-like minerality and the lightest whiff of petrol. I just over the texture, you can almost crunch in the apples and pineapple, which are given a massive acidic lift of lime juice. The balance is nigh on perfect with a sumptuous off-dry finish. I’ve said before this could the best wine available under £20 and this bottle has done nothing to change my mind. 9/10
Schloss Lieser-Thomas Haag Lieserer Niederberg Helden Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel (about £35/375ml)
Schloss Lieser Fairly muted on the nose initially…. Then citrus and clementine with tropical undertones and orange blossom; the more time it spends in the glass the more it opens up. Stunning. Mango, passion fruit, orange peel – amazing body and texture, coats every part of your mouth and stays there. There is a lively mineral note and lazer-beam acidity and wait, now I’ve got the juice from the ripest peach. Absolutely crazy. I am a very happy wino! And I can still taste it… Still… Still… Still… You get the picture! 10/10
This week is going to take some beating!!
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