A tale of two Rieslings. 002

Another tale of two Rieslings!

Why two?, well I love the comparisons inherent in wine in general but contrasting two Riesling on a chilly winter night paired with a hurried meal of homemade Italians after a long hectic day is just the perfect way to wind down or wine down as I like to do it!

Sometimes the broadness of the Riesling varietal has me hemin' and hawin' in the cellar as I try to make a selection for the night... so once again I snagged two. I knew the Von Winnings was a fruit forward offering from the Pfalz as I have sipped on this a few times in the past couple years. The Loimer on the other hand was a new offering to me from the Langenlois region of Kamptal in Austria! Classically Austrian Rieslings tend to always be on the dry side of the spectrum so I thought these two may contrast one another well. Turns out my thoughts were confirmed after sipping from one to another over the course of a few hours.

A few notes on Riesling that may help somebody interested in the varietal but scared to take the plunge. As I stated previously, Austrian Rieslings are typically dry which makes it a touch easier to navigate unlike in Germany where there are a lot of confusing terms like Spatlese, Auslese, Trocken etc. These can be a bit confusing and for a newbie, my general advice to gauge the sweetness level of a bottle of German Riesling is to look at the alcohol content. Any bottle with the alcohol content in the 11-13% window will typically drink dry in style where a 9-11% will be on the sweeter side and even more so if the alcohol dips in the 7-9% range. The term Kabinet on any bottle refers to a drier style and yes the other terms I previously brought up do have meaning but I think using the alcohol % cheat is a easier to access in the mind when standing in a bottle shop feeling overwhelmed. 

Another tip that has allowed me to really appreciate a great wine especially with Riesling, is finding its sweet spot as far as serving temperature goes. Chilling white wines and even some reds is typically recommended but that doesn't mean a wine truly taste best fresh out of the fridge. I typically will pull a wine from my cellar where the temp ranges from 55ish in the winter to 65 in the summer and chill it in the fridge for an hour or so before serving. When ready to consume I also will usually pour a glass out give it a quick sniff and preview on the tongue but let it open for 10-15 minutes before diving into it fully. This works great if you are cooking dinner, crack a bottle or two in the heat of cooking, maybe add a splash to the dish, take a sip here and there as the wine begins to create that dialogue with your palate, swirl it and ease it into the sweet spot just in time for the food to be plated and a feast of the senses to unfold. So where is the sweet spot... ? Every wine is different, and honestly maybe it taste just fine right out of the fridge, but being aware of the evolution of a wine as the temp shifts, sometimes just a few degrees can result in the appreciation of it being drastically different. I tend to drink bright drier styles a touch colder than a sweeter style that tends to evolve a little more in the glass and releases more of a oily mouthcoating texture as the glass warms... but not too warm where sometimes it can become too cloying. Its not a science, its an art and with all artistic endeavors tasting wine requires practice, patience and reflection.

Speaking of reflecting... lets get into these delicious wines! 

This is Von Winnings "Winnings" is thier entry level Riesling that sits on the shelf for about $20. They have a broad selections of single vineyard selections but none of those seem to make an appearance in Maine but I do usually get a few cases of their Rose every season as well. I believe I had the pleasure of trying one of their GG offerings many years ago with a good wine friend, but regardless this bottle, at $20 feels like a steal of a deal everytime I open one!

THE WINE: VON WINNINGS RIESLING "WINNINGS" 2023

MY THOUGHTS:

Pours a pale straw hue with crystal clarity in the glass.

Aromas are fruit forward with layers of fresh melon, mango, citrus peel and a bit of gravely limestone. 

The palate showcases that fruit forward nose harmoniously, intertwining it with sweet and tart notes as the flavors unfold on the tongue. Kaffir lime, guava, dried mango, ground cherries and crushed stone.

Mouthfeel is succulent with a touch of citrus oil holding it all together. Acidity is perfectly dialed in and grips the tropical suppleness leading it into a thirst quenching finish. Thoughtful yet still chuggable. 

This is a gateway Riesling 100% !

(FINAL SCORE 90/100pts)

the Von Winnings Vineyards (image taken from winery website)

As a slight contrast I also snagged this Loimer Riesling from the Kamptal of Austria. I have really come to enjoy a lot of offerings from Austria with Gobelsburg usually being my go to.  This Loimer appeared on a closeout list and instead of paying the usual $30ish this bottle typically sells for, I was excited to put it on the shelf for $20.

THE WINE: LOIMER LANGENLOIS KAMPTAL RIESLING 2021

MY THOUGHTS:

Pours a light white gold hue with glasslike clarity.

Aromas are angular with the focus on lemon peel and tangerine pith that slowly opens a bit letting muted stonefruit nuances and even a smidge of petrol and wet stone.

Palate continues the story the nose begins but has a mid to late suppleness that cracks the angularity of the wine. The front is clean and focused with interplay of lemon and tart mandarin that dives into the tongue and grips the cheeks with a pucker slowly evolving midpalate to offer some supple supporting tertiary notes of nectarine and pineapple to balance out the brightness and sits on the finish as the entirety of the wine undulates through the finish.

(FINAL SCORE 87/100pts)

winter pruning at Loimer, Austria (photo from wineries website) 

This wraps up this round of "a tale of two Rieslings"

Thanks for stopping by as I slowly whisper the existence of this blog into the atmosphere.

I am so excited about posting and have many great wines to share and experience soon. 

What are you drinking that you are excited about? What do you think of the content so far...any comments or questions... shoot me a message!

thebottleforager@yahoo.com