Rieslings For Your Fall and Holiday Events

This year we received many Rieslings samples to review. That is fine with us. We love Riesling! It is one of the most diverse of the noble grapes. It can be made well in a variety of styles. It ranges from dry, semi-dry, sweet and dessert-styled. Fortunately, I got to try all of them before Thanksgiving and the holidays. The top offerings still do come from Germany. But there are a few US offerings that did sneak into the 90 point range. We hope you enjoy these wines as much as we did.

We start off with an Excellent offering from S.A. Prum. I scored this wine 95 points and it was my favorite Riesling of the year. Their 2009 “Graacher Himmelreich Spatlese” Riesling for $31 is a steal. There are only 1,500 cases of this wine, so you should hurry up and secure some. this wine opens with a mild lime and gentle wet stone bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium-bodied and beautifully balanced between its pleasant sweetness and perfectly integrated acidity. I loved its tasty ripe Anjou pear flavors with notes of peach and a hint of apricot and lime. This wine paired perfectly with my Jonah crab cakes at the Sea Grille. Grab some today, this wine is better than most of the Rieslings you will encounter.

My second favorite Riesling is also Excellent.  It is the 2010 Robert Weil “Kiedrich Grafenberg Spatlese” Riesling from the Rheingau.  We scored this wine 94 points.  It is a lot more expensive at $88.  However, it is the best Rheingau wine that we covered, so it is definitely worth exploring if you prefer wines from that region. It displays very tasty apricot and Anjou pear flavors with a hint of minerality. The finish remains sweet and its flavors linger for quite some time. This Spatlese styled wine is very close to a dessert wine. It is also very refined and classy. I suggest serving it with sliced green apples and sharp cheddar cheese to finish off a perfect meal.

Our next offering is the first of many from Dr. Loosen. The 2009 “Urziger Wurzgarten Spatlese” Riesling for $32 received 93 points. This impressive wine opens with an attractive mild apricot bouquet. It displays delicious orange flavors with hints of apricot and pear. The finish is sweet and lingers nicely. Our mini-tasting group agreed that this wine was sweet enough to be a dessert wine and did not require or warrant any additional food. At the same price point, ($32) is the 2010 St Urbans Hof “Bockstein Ockfein Spatlese.” This Riesling is another 93 pointer and a great introduction to the 2010 vintage. It is pleasantly sweet and very friendly. It opens with a mild and attractive ripe apple bouquet. It is light-bodied, delicate and slightly crisp with delicious ripe Anjou pear and pineapple flavors. I found it to be a very versatile wine to consider for many occasions.

The 2010 Robert Weil “Trocken Kiedrich Grafenberg Erstes Gewachs” Riesling from the Rheingau is one of the most refined dry styled Rieslings that I have covered this year. It is a first growth wine; like the Spatlese above, it carries an $88 price tag. However, I did score it 93 points and it was the highest rated dry-styled Riesling that I covered. On the palate, this wine is medium-bodied, slightly crisp, and shows off a touch of effervescence with very tasty mild green apple flavors. I also detected notes of gentle minerality, a hint of white pepper and a bit of pilsner beer in the aftertaste. This wine is pleasantly dry, elegant and very food-friendly. It would be a perfect match with Weisswurst and Sauerkraut.

The next two Rieslings both scored 92 points and were made by Dr. Pauly Bergweiler. The first one is his 2009 “Bernkasteler alte Badstube am Doctorberg Kabinett” for $25. This wine is light-bodied, balanced, soft, and sweet. Its flavor profile is a very tasty lemon iced tea with notes of tangerine and a touch of apricot. If you are looking for a very elegant and food-friendly Riesling, then look no further, this one is for you! I would personally pair it with spinach salad with poached pear and Great Hill blue cheese. The second Dr. Pauly 92 pointer is the 2009 “Bernkasteler Badstube Spatlese” for $28. This Riesling is very nicely balanced, between its sweetness and acidity. I really liked its very tasty tangerine and ripe apple flavors with a hint of lime. This would be my top choice for Thanksgiving turkey dinner with cranberry and stuffing.

Before we continue with the bevy of additional German wines, I will introduce you to one of the best deals in this report. The 2009 Navarro Riesling from the Anderson Valley in California kicks off our list of 91 pointers. At $18, this wine is a steal. It is one of the best Dry styled Rieslings that I have covered this summer. It is medium-bodied, crisp, and friendly. The flavor profile is a tasty and slightly tart green pear with notes of minerality and a hint of lime. I thought it would be perfect with steamers with drawn butter.

The next four 91 point wines all hale from the Mosel region in Germany. The first three are Kabinett level wines and the final one is a Spatlese. Our first offering comes from the very consistent Dr. Loosen. His 2009 “Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett” Riesling for $26 was one of our favorites from our recent blind tasting flights. It is light to medium-bodied and exquisitely balanced between its fruit and acidity. The panel lauded this wine’s delicate sweetness with delicious gentle apricot flavors. They also detected a touch of tangerine and pineapple as well. The finish remains delicately sweet and elegant and makes it a perfect pairing for Coquilles St. Jacques.

Next up is a really impressive Kabinett from Dr. Thanish. His 2009 “Bernkasteler Badstube Kabinett” for $29 was one of our top finishers in our recent blind tasting. It is light-bodied, nicely balanced, elegant and pleasantly sweet. The panel was enamored by its very tasty tangerine flavors with a touch of honey, apricot and Bartlett pear. Most of the panel agreed that this Riesling would be a perfect wine to enjoy on its own. Our final 91 Kabinett is the 2009 Joh Jos Prum “Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett” for $33. It is light-bodied and nicely balanced between its sweetness and crisp acidity. It displays ripe Anjou pear and peach flavors with notes of green apple towards the end. The finish is sweet, quite refreshing, and would pair well with broiled scallops.

Staying in Mosel we have one Spatlese that scored 91 points. It was the 2009 Dr. Pauly Bergweiler “Bernkastler alte Badstube am Doctorberg Spatlese” for $33. This Riesling is light-bodied, slightly acidic, lively and pleasantly sweet. Its tasty green apple and Bartlett pear flavors with nicely integrated minerality make it a perfect option to consider with shrimp scampi.

We conclude our 91 pointers with a Finger Lakes single vineyard offering from Hermann Wiemer. The 2009 “Magdalena Vineyard” Riesling for $36 is consistently Very Good. It opens with an Anjou pear and quince like bouquet. On the palate, it is slightly acidic with tasty tart green apple flavors with integrated minerality. It finishes semi-dry and would be a good option with warm Brie with stone wheat crackers.

Our first 90 pointer also comes from the Finger Lakes and is a terrific deal. The 2009 Fox Run Riesling for $14 is medium-bodied, very well balanced, and delicate. It displays very tasty gentle lime flavors with hints of peach and pear. It is semi-dry and extremely food-friendly. It would be perfect with spicy Thai food or Mexican dishes.

We return to Germany for the remainder of the 90 pointers. We will start with the 2009 Bollig Lehnert “Trittheimer Apotheke Kabinett” for $18. This offering is light-bodied, slightly sweet and shows pleasant crisp acidity. The panel enjoyed its light clementine flavors with hints of pear, lime and a touch of minerality. Every panel member gave this wine a 90 point score. Let me point out, that never happens! They suggested pairing it with Chilean sea bass or a ham dish. Next up we return to Dr. H. Thanisch for his 2009 “Kabinett” from Mosel. This wine also costs only $18. It is a Sam’s Club exclusive. It is a must buy if you are a member. You will find it to be nicely balanced, friendly and pleasantly sweet. The flavor profile is a tasty peach with notes of quince and touch of minerality and tangerine. It is a perfect match for chicken lo-mein.

The next three 90 pointers all come from St Urbans Hof.  Their 2010 “Estate QbA” for $16 is an absolute steal. This impressive entry level offering, opens with an over ripe pear and green apple bouquet. It is semi-sweet, approachable and slightly acidic. We had this wine on the beach this summer and found its key lime flavors with hints of green apple, honey, and white pepper to be quite tasty. It is a rather refreshing wine and was enjoyed by everyone who got a chance to try it. Next up is their 2009 “Piesporter Goldtropfchen Kabinett” for $22. This offering is pleasantly sweet and nicely balanced between its fruit and acidity. Its ripe lime and mild tangerine flavors with hints of iced tea and touch of lemon make it a perfect choice to serve with your ham and sliced pineapple at your holiday dinner. Our final St Urbans Hof Riesling is their 2010 “Piesportor Goldtropfchen Spatlese” for $35. It is light-bodied and very sweet. Much sweeter than the Kabinett. Its flavor profile is a ripe apricot and green apple blend with notes of pineapple and a touch of minerality. This offering is a nice sipper and would even pair well with lemon meringue pie.

The next 90 pointer is the 2009 Dr. Pauly Bergweiler “Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett” for $23. It is medium-bodied, sweet, and approachable. The panel enjoyed its white peach and tangerine flavors with a touch of honey, tea and minerality. The finish remains very sweet for a Kabinett. The panel suggested pairing this dessert-like Riesling with ginger sesame chicken or Dancing Deer molasses and clove cookies.

The last two 90 pointers come from Dr. Loosen. Their 2009 “Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese” for $30 is light-bodied, slightly acidic and graceful. I found its peach flavors to be mild, while notes of apple and touch of minerality were detected as well. Another 90 point Loosen offering is the 2009 “Urziger Wurzgarten GG Alte Reben” for $42. This Riesling is light-bodied, lively and crisp. Fans of semi-dry styled Rieslings will like this one. Its profile is a mineral infused pear with a hint of apple and peach. Both of these wines are food-friendly. Although different, both these Loosen offerings would go well with baked ham with a brown sugar glaze and pineapple.

Of our 89 point wines, I am going to showcase two of them because they are great values. Both are definitely worth seeking out for your holiday parties. The first discovery is the 2010 Nik Weis Selection “Urban” Riesling for $11. This almost clear colored Riesling is slightly sweet and has a round mouthfeel. It displays tasty lime and tangerine flavors with hints of apricot and minerality mixed it. It finishes semi-dry and lingers quite nicely. It’s a terrific entry level Riesling and it would pair well with General Gau’s Chicken.

Our final highlighted 89 pointer is the 2010 Dr. Konstantin Frank “Dry Riesling” from the Finger Lakes. At $15 this wine is quite a bargain. It is light-bodied, slightly acidic, and also displays a round mouthfeel. Similar to the Urban it displays tasty tangerine flavors with hints of green apple and pear. This wine finishes dry and is food-friendly. It would pair perfectly with bacon wrapped broiled scallops at your holiday party.

The Rest of Our Very Good 89 Pointers:
Red Newt Cellars 2009 Riesling “Lahoma Vineyard” (Finger Lakes, NY) $20
Red Newt Cellars 2009 Riesling “Davis Farm Vineyard” (Finger Lakes, NY) $20
Dr. Pauly Bergweiler 2009 Riesling “Bernkasteler Badstube Kabinett” (Mosel, Germany) $21
Leeuwin Estate 2008 Riesling “Art Series” (Margaret River, Australia) $22
Gustave Lorentz 2008 Riesling “Reserve” (Alsace, France) $23
Dr. Loosen 2009 Riesling “Bernkasteler Lay Kabinett” (Mosel, Germany) $26
Robert Weil 2010 Riesling “Tradition” (Rheingau, Germany) $30
Robert Weil 2010 Riesling “Estate Riesling Dry” (Rheingau, Germany) $30
Dr. Pauly Bergweiler 2009 Riesling “Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese” (Mosel, Germany) $31

The 88 Point Rieslings:
S.A. Prum 2009 Riesling “Essence” (Mosel, Germany) $12
Chateau Ste. Michelle 2009 Riesling “Cold Creek Vineyard” (Columbia Valley, WA) $15
Dr. Konstantin Frank 2010 Riesling “Semi-Dry” (Finger Lakes, NY) $15
Red Newt 2009 Riesling “Dry Riesling” (Finger Lakes, NY) $16
Hermann Wiemer 2009 Riesling “Semi-Dry” (Finger Lakes, NY) $17
Hermann Wiemer 2009 Riesling “Dry” (Finger Lakes, NY) $18
St. Urbans Hof 2010 Riesling “Bockstein Ockfen Kabinett” (Mosel, Germany) $20
Red Newt Cellars 2009 Riesling “Sawmill Creek Vineyards” (Finger Lakes, NY) $20
Fox Run 2008 Riesling “Reserve” (Seneca Lake, NY) $30

Finally, Our 87 Point Rieslings:
Gainey Vineyard 2009 Riesling (Santa Ynez Valley, CA) $13
Dr. Loosen 2009 Riesling “Red Slate” (Mosel, Germany) $15
Lamoreaux Landing 2009 Riesling “Round Rock Vineyard” (Finger Lakes, NY) $20
Macari 2010 Riesling (Finger Lakes, NY) $27
True and Daring 2007 Riesling (Nelson, New Zealand) $35

Please share this post with all of your Riesling loving friends. Be sure to suggest your favorites to our readers.  We welcome your comments and suggestions. Enjoy your upcoming holiday meals with some terrific Rieslings!

Cheers – Ken