Tasting Notes: Riesling, Jan. 26, 2019

2014 Domaine Pfister Riesling Tradition

Alsace, France

Regular Price $27.99

Sale price $19.99

This is a classic Alsatian Riesling; dry, crisp, full and rich. It’s also, arguably, a better wine now than upon its release (2016) as the bottle age has benefitted the wine. Peach, floral notes and petrol dominate in this long and crisp wine.

2016 Von Winning Estate Riesling Trocken

Pfalz, Germany

Regular Price $24.99

Sale price $19.99

OMG! This dry Riesling from Pfalz in the south of Germany is just crazy good. Bright and elegant, fresh and clean, the fruit and white flowers are abundant as is the finishing acidity. Its electric!

2015 Rudi Pichler Federspiel Riesling

Wachua, Austria

Regular Price $35.99

Sale price $27.99

Wachau Riesling is dry and often defined by high levels of dried fruit flavors (due to a lengthy ripening period) and a pleasing freshness (due to dramatic temperature swings between day and night). Soils of primary rock from various terraced sites give this dry Riesling subtle minerality accompanied by aromas and flavors of citrus and stone fruit

2016 Clemens Busch Estate Riesling Trocken

Mosel, Germany

Regular Price $27.99

Sale price $21.99

Oh dear. Yet another dry and delicious Riesling from Germany. This is from the Mosel, from organic vines perched on the steep, slate hillsides. This wine comes from grapes farmed solely on gray slate (check the color of the bottle cap). The result is a salty minerality that dances lightly with the citrus, pear and herbal flavors and aromas.

2017 Donnhoff Estate Riesling

Nahe, Germany

Regular Price $29.99

Sale price $23.99

Donhoff is a superstar producer and this wine shows the deft balance of sweet fruit, cleansing acidity and beguiling minerality. The wine has some residual sugar, but that’s a feature not a flaw. Crisp and bright, the only people that won’t like this wine are miserable SOBs.

2015 Albert Mann ‘Cuvee Albert’ Riesling

Alsace, France

Regular Price $32.99

Sale price $25.99

Oh my. This wine is wonderfully rich, fruity and lengthy. It’s intense and full and round; it’s a big wine! Peachy and floral, it’s everything a great wine should be: fruit forward and weighty yet with balanced and persistent acidity.