A Tale of Two Rieslings. 004 (JJ Prum Edition)

 

A sunny afternoon of gathering with friends led to nice comparison of these two shining examples of Joh. Jos. Prum rieslings. Both offerings originating from the same vintage and the same steep hills of the Wehlener Sonnenuhr in Mosel, Germany. The steep hills of this vineyard site produce some of the most fragrant, elegant wines of the world. The Wehlen has little to no top soil and the landscape consists primarily of weathered and broken shards of blue slate. Its these stoney shallow rock slopes that are the foundation to these delicate acid driven wines.

(image taken from German travel site)

Speaking of wines... lets get into these:

Joh. Jos. Prum  Wehlener Sonnenuhr Auslese 2010 (92pts)

Pours a medium golden color with some warm brassy reflections and long streaking tears.

Aromas are vibrant with apricot, madarin oil, lavenderm saffron, bruised nectarine and fleshy fuji apple.

Palate follows with unctous stonefruit, tart felshy apple, earthy saffron spice interwoven with floral honey evolving into a lengthy bitter citrus pith.

Sour oranges, sugared marmalade, golden raisins, wet slate.

Soft yet explosive. Great balance and depth of bass and treble with the only buzz appearing in the high tones where the bitter floral and sour citrus aren't quite sure who is rhythm and who is lead.

Joh. Jos. Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr Spatlese 2010 (94pts)

Pours a light golden color with pearl & green reflections and translucent oily tears.

Aromas are dried mango, powdered sugar, pineapple and garden breezes of eucalyptus, clove, fennel and a glimpse of diesel on the deep inhale.

Palate is lush and silky on the tongue, bright cheek quenching acid stokes the minerality that emerges from back to front of the mouth.

Unripe pineapple, lime pith, wet crushed stone, dew soaked lemon balm, bright flashes of guava and passionfruit reveal themselves along with some tart blueberry flesh, honeysuckle, yuzu and quince.

Fruit symphony with lazer focused acidity and a deliciously cohesive crescendo!

A Tale of Two Rieslings. 003 (GG Edition)

When it feels right, the time is right. While soaking in some afternoon sun and shoveling the paths at the homestead, I stopped for a moment to listen to the wind drifting through the snow covered forest that we inhabit as the flock of bluejays cackle about the beeches and oaks, sifting around for their forgotten acorns of autumn.

This is the mindset I was in as I hung up the shovel and slowly made my way into the cellar to shed my boots and gloves and find a sip of something to match my mood. As the bottle tops of laid down selections hinted at my possibilities, I spied the recently acquired bottle of Clemens Busch Marienburg Fahrlay 2022 GG and I said... should I, hmmm. Just then my other hand grasped the Kruger Rumpf Im Pitterberg GG 2022 I have been patiently giving a little time too settle and seeing them side by side from the same vintage, the decision was made to treat myself to a Tale of Two Rieslings edition. 

In the last installment of  Tale of Two Rieslings, I briefly spoke of  how to decipher a Riesling label regarding the sweetness levels and the easy cheat of gauging the abv as a typical indicator. 

This installment I will touch on indicators of high quality dry Rieslings. The term GG an abbreviation of grosse gewachs is a designation put together by the 200 member organization called the VDP. What's the VDP, don't they designate Erste Lage? Confused yet... yes Germans are passionate about wine and because of that passion they have struggled to all agree on the best way to designate things in a universal way. QbA, QmP, GG, Erste Lage, Erste Grewachs, Gross Lage... yes it's a bit confusing even for myself who has had it explained by many german importers and even some winemakers themselves. 

But today lets just concentrate on GG or Grosse Gewachs, which is an esteemed designation that characterizes the wine in your hand as always of high quality, dry wine from a single vineyard of a Gross Lage. Well now you are probably asking what a Gross Lage is.. and that is a small demarcated area with clear site specific character or "terroir" as their French neighbors would say, or quite simply, Germanys best vineyard sites!  

Ok, I'm learning too, but again theory and knowledge is great but the best way to learn is always to taste!

THE WINE: CLEMENS BUSCH MARIENBURG GG FAHRLAY 2022

MY THOUGHTS:

Pours a light golden color with a glimmering shine of clarity and sparkle.

Aromas whisper gentle nuances of apricot flesh, rainier cherries, lemon zest, dandelion, wet river rock nuances linger with hints of gently placed diesel fumes, juicy fruit gum and spring fog.

Palate follows with some suppleness on the front of the tongue that evolves on the palate as the hyper focused mineral tang seeps into the cheeks and gives the rest of the mouth a secret handshake that opens up the same symphony of layered fruit that the nose lured me in with. Orange blossoms, lemon zest, golden russet apples, mountain spring water and a ever so slight hint of botrytis riding through the tropical veil in a very pleasant way. This wine is pretty electric but also thoughtful. The kind of wine that lights up the room with intention not flamboyance.

Definitely putting a few of these down in the cellar to see how this ages.

(FINAL SCORE: 92pts)

THE WINE: KRUGER RUMPF IM PITTERBERG GG 2022

Pours a pale golden straw color with glasslike clarity and a few tiny gaseous bubbles sparsely settling out on the pour and as the glass sits.

Aromas are punchy with bruised stone fruits mingling with sharp citrus, unripe pineapple spears and ample amounts of bright acid contrasted by green orchid, limestone and diesel whiffs.

Palate is more supple than the nose led on and has a harmonious interplay of fruit and acid. Tangelos, blood orange, sweet luxardo cherry, lemon, spearmint and flint.  Together spinning through the glass like lifelong dance partners as everyone circles around to appreciate the grace as they dip and twirl in harmony with moments of flair but always holding each other firmly in check. The length of the finish rolls with complexity as the fruit evolves further on the tongue and the acidity begs the glass to touch the lips again and again.  

(FINAL SCORE: 92pts)

As I sipped these bottles out, leaving a little for a revisit on day two and even a touch to share on morning three, side by side with a JJ Prum GG, its quite obvious that Riesling matters!

Paired with a snowy afternoon and a good book, maybe a couple slices of charcuterie and a mellow cheese or just perhaps a crunchy pretzel. 

Till next post, cheers!

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 90pts)

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 87pts)

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 

A tale of two Rieslings. 001

A tale of two Rieslings... 

One of my great fascinations in wine is the world of Riesling. 

Riesling is a grape that can lend to a ripe unctuous honey dripped glass of stonefruit but also can lend to a glassy clean dry wine with notes of morning dew and wet stone. Sometimes you can even get all those things in the same wine. Finding producers that speak to you is always recommended but also investigating the deep heritage of German wines and Riesling in general is a facet of wine appreciation that I am always stoking especially when I see "new" producers arriving in Maine! 

One of these producers is Clemensbusch which just landed in Maine courtesy of Devenish Wines. Its funny how sometimes a wine hits your radar and within a week your radar hones in on finding it. I noticed Clemensbusch on a few end of the year top wines of 2024 and usually when I see a Riesling making an appearance on a couple of list, of which I take all with a grain of sugar, but do acknowledge them and file them away in my "to taste" rolodex. Well stars aligned and maybe a week later Devenish mailed out a "New Wine Email" and there sat this trocken riesling from Clemensbusch. After ordering a handful later that week when my rep stopped in, I inquired if any of the GG Marienburg offering came in as well. Seems like just a case landed along with the Trocken but luckily I was able to snag a bottle. Looking forward to popping that at a later date, but right around the holidays I decided to sip the trocken to get to know the producer.

the wine: Clemensbusch Riesling Trocken 2023

My Thoughts: 

Pours a pale straw color with a bit of unfiltered haze to the pour.

Nose is angular with tight glassy limestone and lemon peel that mingle with dew soaked dandelion and a touch of unripe pineapple spears. Palate follows the nose and is subdued yet tangy with some salted lemon, spring water minerality, chamomile accents linger with fresh grass and a touch of sorrel.

Definitely a touch watery overall but has a charming quality that reminds me of a heavy dew soaked morning, which creates some mystery but requires alot of patience and focus to appreciate. Just talking about it that way makes me like it even more but definitely excited to crack the GG to better acquaint with the voice of this producer.

(FINAL SCORE 84/100pts)

(photo from winery website)

A view of the slopes at Clemensbusch's Marienburg vines nestled in for the winter.

To contrast the clean glasslike quality of the Clemensbusch I reach down to the cellar to grab this bottle that I have sipped a few times since finding it at a tradeshow where the rep from Broadbent selections was pouring it. Its quite the counterbalance to the other, this one is weighty, mouthcoating with unctuous fruit and vibrant punchy flavors.

the wine: Dr. Hermann Urziger Wurzgarten Kabinett 2021

My Thoughts:

Pours a white gold with great clarity and a tiny spritz of bubble clings to the sides of the glass. Nose has some classic petrol diesel fumes from the start but its gently hugged by some juicy stonefruit, soft red berry, wet stone, citrus peel and light candied fennel. Palate follows with unctuous white nectarine oozing with ripeness alongside tart granny smith apple and a classic interplay of tart and sweet. Palate is coated and lingers with a smorgasbord of fruit and a lingering of rockstone.

 

(FINAL SCORE 87/100pts)

(photo from winery website)

Are you into Riesling too? Stay tuned for a tasting of Finger Lakes offerings from Forge Cellars coming soon... 3 different terroirs from one winemaker and all the same vintage!