Schloss Lieser Riesling Kabinett Trocken 2009

15.5 / 20

Producer: Thomas Haag

Region: Mosel

Country: Germany

Showing a pale yellow color and some bubbles - that are not at all perceptible on the palate later on -

this Riesling from the Mosel has a bouquet clearly dominated by mineral notes, sometimes recalling sulphur - not to the point of being unpleasant, but the rotten eggs impression is definitely there - other times going into the more familiar rubbery territory. On the background, some slight tropical, sweet notes also appear.

Soft and light in the palate, with a slight sweetness compensated by a crisp, fresh acidity, the body is also very marked by a strong, pleasant minerality with some tropical fruits resulting in a palate cleansing, pleasurable wine. Good, strong and pleasant finish.

Tasted on 2012-08-19

Gohring Riesling Classic 2008

16.5 / 20

Producer: Gohring

Region: Pfalz

Country: Germany

A somewhat obscure riesling from Germany, in the sense that there's not much information about either the wine or the producer in the internet, this is a very good, balanced and refined riesling.

Tropical fruit on the nose, along with the usual rubbery, more mineral notes and a good deal of citrus notes - orange blossom, mainly - this is very expressive on the nose while at the same time retaining a refined, sophisticated approach.

In the mouth, it reveals an austere, more mineral approach. A solid mineral backbone is matched with a refreshing, crisp dry acidity to make a structured, austere body. A very interesting taste that finishes medium long with nice notes of orange blossom again.

A really interesting Riesling that you should track down - if you can find it.

Tasted on 2011-08-01

Fritz Haag Riesling 2009

16.0 / 20

Producer: Fritz Haag

Region: Mosel

Country: Germany

Another shot at tasting german rieslings - this time, from the Mittelmosel region. Lightly colored, the aromas show some nice, sweet yellow fruit like pears or peaches. A bit later, a strong mineral background also comes up as well as some notes of rubber. It somehow manages to deliver a very fresh impression, despite the sweetness one can sense in the wine.

In the mouth, this is a light, elegant wine but with some grip, able to fill the taste with notes of sweet, fresh fruits. Again, the same balance between the sweeter notes and a freshness contributes to making this a really nice taste, finishing with a stronger persistence than expected.

Add to the set the fact that the wine only has 11% alcohol and this is a perfect fit for a late afternoon by the sea, nibbling at some seafood.

Tasted on 2011-06-27

Darting Riesling Kabinett Trocken Hochbenn 2009

15.5 / 20

Producer: Darting

Region: Pfalz

Country: Germany

A german riesling from Darting (producer), from the region of Pfalz, apparently from the Durkheimer Hochbenn farm or site (but I'm not quite sure about that).

Nice, fresh, expressive bouquet, very mineral with a rubbery feel sometimes, some citrus notes and a background of sweeter tropical fruit.

Fresh and light to the taste, it combines a clear mineral impression with some citrus notes and a hint of sweet tropical fruit. With some time in the glass, it developed a light malt-like flavor.

It is not a complex riesling, with a light body and low alcohol, but it is very pleasant, easy to drink. Would definitely shine at a party or before meals.

Should you want to pair this with food, I would try it with light fish-based dishes.

Tasted on 2011-04-08

Jesuitenhof Riesling Kabinett trocken 2008

16.0 / 20

Producer: Jesuitenhof

Region: Pfalz

Country: Germany

This is, supposedly, a dry riesling from Germany. The producer's web page (www.jesuitenhof.de) is german only and, from my searches, all I could find were german pages about this wine.

Anyway, although it is marked as a dry riesling, I found this wine to be quite sweet. In the nose, not as much as although there were lots of tropical fruits around (pineapple and passion fruit) they did not hint at a sweeter wine. Also, a strong mineral impression was present in the bouquet, becoming stronger with time.

The taste was sweeter, with the tropical fruit clearly to the front. The sweetness was well supported by some acidity and a nice overall structure. An average length ending where the mineral notes appear once again.

I would mark this as a good wine for starters or even by itself as an aperitif - it has a convenient low grade (11º I believe).

Tasted on 2010-11-25

Ungeheuer Riesling 2008

16.0 / 20

Producer: Eugen Muller

Region: Forst

Country: Germany

This is probably the first german wine I tasted. Now I understand the fuss around german wine labels and the distinctions between types of wines. Pale yellow in colour, it leads to a first citrus impression in the nose, quickly followed by some sweet, boiled fruit. The palate follows up on the nose, with a half-sweet boiled fruit taste, balanced by a really nice acidity and freshness. A good persistent finish wraps up the tasting, leaving me with the new found goal of finding more german rieslings.

Tasted on 2010-05-21