Laurenz V Charming Grüner Veltliner 2011, Kamptal, Austria (£20.25 Bibendum)
Rich but dry and structured style, balancing peach and pineapple plumpness with a citrus bite and an underpinning of stony minerality, lovely wine. S
Prinz von Hessen Riesling Steckenpferd 2011, Rheingau, Germany (N/A in the UK)
Sweet and sour style with tense orange and cranberry flavours and a juicy sweetness – remember Fruit Salad chews? Soil and mineral notes lurk in the background, while zesty acidity holds it all together. S(+)
Woolundry Road Riesling 2011, Margaret River, Australia (£9.99 Virgin Wines)
Precise, restrained style, lots of toasty lemon and lime flavours, clean, rich and ripe, but maybe just a touch simple. S-
Harvey Nichols Riesling 2011 (Killikanoon), Clare Valley, Australia (£16 Harvey Nichols)
Taut, aristocratic style, with an upright, even steely backbone of crisp acidity and river pebble mineral notes, and vibrant lemon, lime and Grannie Smiths apple flavours. Tight and lean to start with, but uncurls beautifully with time, and should age brilliantly. S+
Tinpot Hut ‘Turner Vineyard’ Riesling 2012, Marlborough, New Zealand (£15.99 Liberty Wines)
Still has some of the slightly candied dolly mixture character of youth but this recedes with time, letting the zippy, zesty lime and mandarin orange fruit emerge. Off-dry in style with a decent framework of acidity and a touch of minerality, but just a touch simple. B(+)
Gut Hermannsberg Niederhäuser Riesling trocken 2010, Nahe, Germany (£21.29 MWH Merchants*)
Sleek, elegant style, with lovely tension between the concentrated citrus and apple flavours, herby/slate-like terroir notes and steely minerality. Really classy style, rich, even exotic but wonderfully racy. S+
Gut Hermannsberg Schlossböckelheimer Riesling trocken 2010, Nahe, Germany (£21.29 MWH Merchants*)
Similarly fruity, with those rich lime, lemon and apple flavours, but here, the soil shows through in spicy aromas and volcanic notes. The Niederhäuser leaps on top of you, this sneaks up onto your lap – both are great. S+
Gut Hermannsberg Riesling Rotenberg Spätlese 2011, Nahe, Germany (£21.29 MWH Merchants*)
Very young, and still a bit sulky to begin with, but opens up to show cooked green apple and mandarin flavours, with a touch of lime jelly, some floral notes and a honeyed character. Good balance between sweetness and acidity, but – for the moment at least – outclassed by the two drier wines. S
* These prices were given by the person who sent me the wines – the MWH website quotes a different (and cheaper!) figure. Will report back…
Golden Valley Grasevina 2011, Slavonija (£8.99 Marks & Spencer)
Gewurz meets Riesling, floral and musky with lychee, grapefruit and lemon fruit, touches of herbs and ginger, and a zesty finish. B(+)
Pilato Malvazija Istarska 2011, Istria (£12.49 Marks & Spencer)
Majors on fleshy texture rather than out and out fruit flavour, but there’s a decent amount of nutty, peachy weight, and fresh floral, herby notes on the finish. B+
Cattunar Chardonnay 2010, Istria (£16 Pacta Connect, The Vineyard, The VinBin, Market Row Wines)
Like a Mâconnais wine with some old-fashioned Aussie Chardonnay thrown in. Honeyed apple crumble, tinned pineapple and red berry flavours, with notes of butterscotch and vanilla, fresh but too plump and simple for real class. B-
Bolfan Libertin Pinot Sivi 2010 (£10.95 Jascots)
Or Pinot Gris as it’s better known. With its smoky, musky pear, peach and walnut flavours, touch of elderflower and broad finish, it reminds me more of another Alsace grape: Sylvaner. S-
Bolfan Primus Rajnski Rizling 2009 (£10.95 Jascots)
There’s a wonderful tension here between the minerally citrus flavours and the weightier floral/vanilla characters. A touch of botrytis seems to be adding a softer honeyed edge, but it’s all reined in by that steely backbone. Very good wine. S
Lagar de Costa Rías Baixas Albariño 2011, Spain (£11.50 The Wine Society)
Delicious fresh style, with a lovely tension between perky citrus fruit and a richer, nutty peach character, with a briny edge reminiscent of the Alvarinhos of Vinho Verde to boot. S(-)
Laurenz V Grüner Forever 2011, Niederösterreich, Austria (N/A in UK – ~€10)
Another wine with a bracing saline edge. Add in the peppery grapefruit character and the more exotic pineapple character and you have a light, lean and lively young wine. S-
Forrest The Valleys Dry Riesling 2009, Marlborough, New Zealand (£9.99 Adnams)
Full and fleshy style, showing some petrolly development but still having the zingy lime/lemon fruit and a dry earthy stony river pebble minerality S(-)
Hugel Jubilee Riesling 2005, Alsace, France (£27.99 The Sampler, Handford Wines, The Wine Society)
Oh yum, precise and beautifully balanced wine in confident middle age combining herby citrus fruit with richer buttery, honeyed, toasty notes, a touch of earthy minerality and a spicy, petrolly finish. G-
Paumanok Dry Riesling 2010, North Fork, Long Island (£19.94 Wine Equals Friends)
Clean, sappy style, light, just off-dry and refreshing with notes of ripe citrus (lime) and a dusting of icing sugar, nice structure, but not huge complexity. B
Hermann J Wiemer Riesling Reserve Dry 2010, Finger Lakes (£22.49 Wine Equals Friends)
Good combination of quite weighty apple, peach, pear and guava and more precise minerality and citrus acidity, full in body but finishes with fresh, zesty aplomb. S
The Grapes of Roth Riesling 2009, Long Island (£20.99 Wine Equals Friends)
Beautifully balanced style with classic sweet and sour tension, very ripe (is there some late harvest fruit here?) with notes of candied orange peel, lemon and rhubarb pepped up with floral aromas and with the light sweetness and rich flavours tempered by bracing acidity and minerality. S(+)
Tierce Dry Riesling 2009, Finger Lakes (£19.99 Wine Equals Friends)
Once the sulphur dioxide has dissipated, there’s juicy peach and plum flavours balanced by sleek acidity. Nicely structured, but just a tad simple. B+
Red Newt Cellars Riesling ‘Sawmill Creek Vineyards’ 2009, Finger Lakes (£19.99 Wine Equals Friends)
Is there botrytis here? I like the honest apricot and peach flavours, and there’s also a touch of icing sugar but overall there’s just not quite enough citrus grip to balance the richness/sweetness give precision. S-
Red Newt Cellars Riesling 2008, Finger Lakes (£15.99 Wine Equals Friends)
Has lost some of the fruit freshness of youth, and is showing is maturity with slightly raisinny baked apple and orange liqueur flavours. Quite Alsace-like in character, but needs a little more backbone for real class. B
Domaine Albert Mann Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg 2009 (£23.65 Caves de Pyrene)
Bold and quite fleshy style, combines green apple with richer Victoria plum flavours, then adds in toasty hazelnut notes and earthy, clay-like minerality, rich but charming with layers of complexity. S+
Domaine Weinbach Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg 2009 (£27.17 Justerini & Brooks)
A more tight, pithy and mineral style, does have chiselled citrus flavours, and (again) a touch of hazelnut, even brandy snap but it’s the pure mineral intensity that carries the wine, delicate, finely tuned, and thoroughly delicious. G(-)
First of a couple of Alsace Riesling videos – next one featuring five grands crus coming soon…
Domaine Zind Humbrecht Riesling 2009 (£14.99 Majestic)
Promising youngster with delicious tension between richness and acidity. There a toasty mineral edge, and some fleshy oiliness – think custard apple – but there’s also a piercing citrus bite. S
Domaine Pfister Riesling ‘Silberberg’ 2009 (£18.99 Liberty Wines)
Another that combines exotic aromas and ripe fruit with a more zesty, fine-boned citrus and mineral tang, with a touch of slate thrown in for good measure. S(-)
Bernhard & Reibel Riesling Coup de Foudre, 2009 (£10.95 Stone Vine & Sun)
Is there some botrytis here? Has a touch of the pure mineral and citrus, but tastes just a little too comfortable round the middle, and the finish is on the soft side. B+
Domaine Weinbach Riesling Cuvée Théo 2008 (£21.17 Justerini & Brooks)
Terrific wine, relaxed, elegant and complete, with herb and mineral infused citrus flavour, something quite opulent and almost sweet (sponge cake and toast?!?), and a rich but reined-in finish. S+
Charles Schleret Alsace Riesling Cuvée Réserve 2004 (£12.50 Yapp Brothers)
Aging nicely, with some botrytis adding peachy warmth to the limey custard apple, fruit pie and burnt sugar flavours, and an elegant minerally finish. S-
Prinz von Hessen Riesling Dachsfilet 2010, Rheingau, Germany (£21.38 Bibendum for the 2009*)
Stylish, grown-up wine, smells quite tight and toasty with a taut citrus character, but opens up to show quite weighty mandarin orange flesh and minerally earthiness. S(+)
Prinz von Hessen Riesling ‘H’ QbA 2010, Rheingau, Germany (£11.42 Bibendum for the 2009*)
Another that smells tight but opens up when you taste it. Again, there’s the earthy toasty citrus & mineral notes plus sprightly green apple flavours. S-
Prinz von Hessen Riesling Kabinett 2010, Rheingau, Germany (£15.17 Bibendum for the 2009*)
A richer, fuller, fleshier style, still with some (ripe) citrus notes but also more exotic plum and rhubarb, with floral hints, some gingerbread and vanilla notes and a nice tension between sweet and sour on the finish. S(-)
Domäne Wachau 1000-Eimer-Berg Riesling Federspiel 2010, Wachau, Austria (£11.39 Waitrose)
Like a clear mountain spring, this is exhilarating, herby stuff, still a little stern and young, but with sprightly grapefruit & lemon flavours and a taut herb and river pebble character on the finish. S-
Domäne Wachau Weissenkirchen Riesling Federspiel 2009, Wachau (£9.99 Majestic)
A richer, fuller, fleshier style, but still with a straight backbone of earthy minerality and acidity. Has a mix of citrus (orange and ripe grapefruit) flavours with rounder plum, peach and rhubarb notes, plus a Grüner Veltliner like peppery edge. S
F X Pichler Loibner Steinertal Riesling Smaragd 2009, Wachau (£35 Raeburn Fine Wines, Lay & Wheeler, Seckford Wines, Uncorked, Bibendum, Woodwinters)
Initially rather dumb, but even then, the pungent peppery minerality (slate? volcanic?) makes its presence felt. As it opens up, a richer peachier side emerges, but there’s always some citrus acidity to hold it all together. Lovely, lovely wine, fresh and upright, but with a twinkle in its eye. G
Domäne Wachau Achleiten Riesling Smaragd 2010, Wachau (£18.04 Waitrose)
A fleshy style, with punchy rhubarb, peach and (tinned) plum flesh and some citrus tang. Not quite as mineral-laden as the Pichler, but still has a salty pumice and (yes) aspirin tang. S+
Bassermann-Jordan Riesling Trocken 2009, Pfalz, Germany (£12.60 WineBarn)
Bracing young wine, with pithy grapefruit flavours joined by fleshier peach and pear notes, and a straight spine of acidity and pumice stone-like minerality to bind it all together. S-
St Urbanshof Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Kabinett 2010, Mosel, Germany (£14.65 WineBarn)
Still in short trousers, this opens up with time in the glass and becomes a dainty delight, unashamedly off-dry with grippy lime and lemon and richer tinned plum juice flavours, lively yet elegant, a joyful wine, fresh and zesty yet with depth and flesh. S
