R is for Riesling
There
is no more misunderstood grape in the world than today's varietal focus
- Riesling. For some reason, everyone has had a really bad
experience with a too sweet or too flat version of Riesling. And
many just assume it's a sweet white wine and dismiss it. Yet wine
geeks, sommeliers and the wine press are always heaping praise on
bottlings of this grape. So who's got it right?
The answer
is in the bottle. And not just any bottle. Many of you have
often heard me remark that I tend to drink $10 reds and $20
whites. There is a really good reason for that. White wines
become much more interesting and layered as the quality increases, but
that comes at a price and we typically find the $20 mark to be about
the breaking point, give or take a few dollars. I would say I probably
have to taste at least 10 whites under $15 just to find every one I
think is decent to include in the shop. Once you hit $20, it's
tough to decide what isn't good enough!
The fact is, when you
get into the serious single-vineyard bottlings from top producers,
these wines can transform you with each sip from the glass. If
you want to experience that yourself, try one or more of the wines
listed below and learn why Riesling has a rabid following among the
wine cognoscenti.
To order any of the following WineFinds offers, you must email your request to winefinds@corkwineshop.com and specify Lovejoy or Alberta for your pickup location. We will confirm your order is available and coordinate payment and pickup at that time.
Thanks for reading,
Darryl |
2008 ACKERMANN Riesling Spatlese Zeltinger (Reg. $22)
cork club $18/bottle · nonclub price $20
 The
first of the 2008 wines to arrive, it sets up the vintage
perfectly. 2008 is considered to be a must buy for lovers of
"classical zesty and refreshingly light wines of the Mosel" according
to the Vintage Report put out by Mosel Fine Wines. Ackermann has
been our most well-received Riesling at every Riesling tasting and
class we have held since the 2005 vintage, so I know there are many
fans out there already. This is a great chance to buy at our
prearrival price. If you already have a vertical going of this
wine, don't wait to get your order in now!
cork club $18.50/bottle · $21 nonclub price
My
personal favorite bottling of the 2007 vintage, I really enjoyed the
fact that my favorite neighborhood wine bar, Vino Paradiso, had this by
the glass all last summer. When we had the chance to preorder one
last time at special pricing, we jumped on a few cases. So stock
up now on this 2 star (**) special bottling from the tiny first-class
Erderner Treppchen vineyard in the heart of the Middle Mosel.
Bright peach nectar and tingly acidity on the finish, this really shows
the stone quality of the soil coming through in the glass.
2008 AJ ADAM Dhron Hofberg Riesling Kabinett (Reg. $28)
cork club $23.75/bottle · nonclub price $25.50/bottle
2003 AJ ADAM Dhron Hofberg Riesling Reserve (Reg. $35)
cork club $29/bottle · nonclub price $32/bottle
 Andreas
Adam is a young, vibrant producer who is intensely focused on producing
natural wines, without any additions during fermentation. He has a
whopping 2 hectares of vineyards now, having doubled the estate's size
since 2000. His cellar is tiny and immaculate. All of his 2008's I
tasted this summer were electric with focus and intensity. Here's
a great chance to compare a wine from the same vineyard with 5 years of
difference in bottle age. The 2008 is fresh and young while the
2003 Reserve is starting to show some maturity. If you really
want to experience and learn about Riesling and why many collectors
build verticals in their cellar, start here!
2007 SELBACH-OSTER Riesling Kabinett Zeltinger Sonnenuhr (Reg. $22.50)
cork club $19/bottle · $20.50 nonclub price
 Selbach-Oster
is considered one of the top estates in the Middle Mosel. From The
Riesling Report, we learn that "Johannes Selbach is among the new
generation of talented young winemakers in Germany, and he's tenacious
in his pursuit of new ways to improve the quality of his wines. At the
same time, he steadfastly upholds the tradition of the estate, which
has been in his family since 1661. That tradition is grounded in the
vineyards themselves, including the always-superb Zeltinger Sonnenuhr.
. . The Selbach-Oster style is for wines that are stylish and elegant
with fine, delicate detail." This estate has a strong following
in Portland, due to the efforts of importer Ewald Moseler. Don't
miss snagging a few bottles of the great Zeltinger Sonnenuhr from the
balanced 2007 vintage - this is the last call!
2008 VON OTHEGRAVEN Kanzem Altenberg Riesling Kabinett (Reg. $24)
cork club $20/bottle · nonclub price $22.50/bottle
The
bulk of Von Othegraven's rather large estate holdings result in
Kabinett and Spatlese wines being made and, because they have more to
choose from, they were able to select very well in this vintage and
really nail the aromatic quality most drinkers are looking for from the
Mosel. This wine was showing a lot of smoke with nectarine,
vanilla and a very long finish when I tasted it back in July. It
seems the classic style to age for a decade before it will really be
all integrated. Best between 2015-2025. For this price,
it's a steal on wine to cellar long term.
2008 HEYMANN LOWENSTEIN Rottgen Riesling (Reg. $50)
cork club $38.25/bottle · nonclub price $42/bottle
 Instead
of the light, fruity style that is predominant on the Mosel, Reinhard
Löwenstein prefers full-bodied, highly aromatic and intensely dry
Rieslings. He also eschews the traditional Kabinett, Spatlese and
Auslese labeling system and follows his own course. He has
über-steep, terraced vineyards that hang over the banks of the Lower
Mosel around the town of Winningen. His two top bottlings are
Röttgen and Uhlen. Both are typically not released until March,
but we were able to snag a case of the Röttgen now at special prebuy
pricing. If you want some, act now. Only 9 bottles left of this
most special, racy and bone dry Riesling.
2008 MULLER-CATOIR Mussbach Riesling Kabinett (Reg. $35)
cork club $28.50/bottle · nonclub price $32/bottle
Out
of all the new wines and producers I was introduced to this year while
tasting about 2000 wines, Muller-Catoir was at the top of my list for
wineries I needed to know more about and whose wines I want to be
drinking regularly. Unfortunately, the production of this Pfalz
region winery is very small and the prices are near the top of the
Riesling spectrum, but then I guess the recognized quality is driving
economics here!
The Mussbach Kabinett is
Catoir's sweet Riesling and I can't resist quoting importer Michael
Skurnik on the character of this beautiful 2008 offering: "This is the
"sweet" Kabinett, and the fragrance is immediately more dynamic and
melodic, with a palate that grabs you and pulls you into the dance; it
has the cut of 08 and works tangy rather than sweet, but it's long and
as giddy as a garden of roses." I'm giggling already. Grab
some now - share with the family this Thanksgiving for a real treat!
2008 MULLER-CATOIR Herrenletten Riesling Spatlese Trocken (Reg. $50)
cork club $42.50/bottle · nonclub price $48/bottle
 The
Trocken here notes the dryness of the wine, and the Herrenletten
delivers on all levels. Again, Skurnik is right on with his
tasting notes, stating "there's almost a scent of white corn tortilla
chips, and a minty-salty side-palate wash that deepens into a finish of
marjoram and powdered stones." It's that stoney quality, like
licking a wet rock, that really gets my salivatory glands
working. Hard to put down after you take a sip, still, this wine
should be cellared for 5-10 years before truly it reveals all.
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To take advantage of these special email-only Wine Finds
prices, reply to this email at winefinds@corkwineshop.com. Please
specify ALBERTA or LOVEJOY for pickup location when you submit your
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EASTSIDE: 2901 NE Alberta Street · 503.281.2675
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All
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