Tag: Riesling

Arcturos Late Harvest Riesling

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Maker: Black Star Farms, Traverse City, Michigan, USA

Grape: Riesling

Ripeness: Late Harvest

Region: Old Mission Peninsula AVA

Vineyards: Capella & Montague Estate

Vintage: 2008

ABV: 8.5%

Appearance: Light straw

Nose: Peaches, apricots, Macintosh apples, tangerine

On the palate: Full-bodied. Lots of light, sweet fruit, with overripe peach, more Macintosh, tangerine and ruby-red grapefruit. A hint of coriander seed and green cardamom.

Finish: Long, strong finish of tart apples, more granny smith now than Macintosh.

Parting words: This is a classic Michigan Riesling from a winery that does it better than just about anybody else. The voluptuous body and sweetness calls to mind a traditional German spätlese but the Old Mission terroir puts its own delightful, unmistakable stamp on things. Complex, sensual, fruity and sweet but never cloying or flabby. Arcturos Late Harvest Riesling is all a Northern Michigan Riesling should be. This would probably still be as tasty as it is now in a year, but I had waited long enough on this one. Highly Recommended.

Two Princes Riesling

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Maker: Schloss Wallhausen, Wallhausen, Germany

Grape: Riesling

Region: Nahe, Germany

Vintage: 2009 (2008 vintage pictured)

ABV: 10.5%

Appearance: Translucent gold with big thick legs

Nose: Peach, Tangerine, pear, crisp yellow apple

On the palate: Medium-bodied. Semi-dry with a bit of tart apple and ripe peach.

Finish: Fairly quick. Tangy and then lightly sweet

Parting words: This wine was purchased in a continuing effort to give myself a crash course in German Riesling. Frankly, I was a bit disappointed. It wasn’t bad, not at all, it was just a little dull. It didn’t start to take on much of a nose until the bottle had been open for 36 hours and the wine had warmed to close to room temperature. Nahe is known for having young, creative growers who are pushing to escape the region’s Liebfraumilch heritage and make wines on par with Rheinhessen and other finer German wine regions. Two Princes is a solid effort in this direction, if unexciting. Mildly recommended.

Debonné Vineyards Riesling Reserve

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Maker:  Chalet Debonné, Madison, Ohio

Grape: Riesling

Vintage: 2008

Region: Grand River Valley AVA

ABV: 11%

Appearance: Gold with good legs.

Nose: peach, orange blossom

On the palate: medium bodied, sweet and lightly fruity. Easy going, pairs well with a light supper and does fine on its own on a hot humid night.

Finish: Not much in the way of a finish, but pleasant enough. A bit of sweetness then a slow fade.

Parting words: This is a standard Midwestern Riesling. It’s sort of the Kyle Orton of wine. It might not win the game for you, but it won’t lose it for you either. Refreshing and eminently poundable…err…quaffable. Recommended if the price is right.

Chateau Ste. Michelle Vintage Select Riesling

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Maker: Chateau Ste. Michelle

Grape: Riesling

Vintage: 2007

Region: Columbia Valley AVA (Washington State)

ABV: 12%

Appearance: golden straw

Nose: light and sweet. Peach and orange.

On the palate: medium bodied. The peach comes through very strongly, a welcome change from the pear flavors that seem to dominate many younger, less complex Rieslings. As the glass warms, the peach stays, but the orange emerges from its shadow and a slight tartness sets in.

Finish: the finish is less complex. A big hit of orange, then peach, then a long, strong sweetness.

Parting words: I had buyer’s remorse almost as soon as I bought this bottle. I’ve been burned by musty, dusty over-aged Rieslings before and I wasn’t sure if my heart could take another disappointment from one of my favorite grapes. I’m very glad I took the plunge. This is a stellar wine. Riesling and Gewutz love the Columbia Valley and it loves them. And I love them all. Chateau Ste. Michelle is a pretty easy to find brand, but the next time you’re at Meijer or your favorite supermarket, do what I do. Look at the bottles on the back of the shelf. Many of the hard-working people who stock wine shelves at supermarkets just put the new bottles at the front of the shelf, pushing the older bottles to the back. A wino can find some great, well-aged bottles that way. This was one of them.

Review in Brief

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Dr. Konstantin Frank Semi-Dry Riesling 2007

Region: Finger Lakes, New York (Keuka Lake).

ABV:  11.5% ABV

Color: butter

Nose:  pear, peach, perfumed

Palate: Mandarin Orange, peaches, sweet, medium body

Finish: very peach then fading to Bartlett pear, then light and sweet

Parting Words: What a great wine!  this is what Riesling should be.