2008 Wurtz Riesling

I got this at Whole Foods - the pricetag said $32 but it was on sale for $22. After a bit of research, $32 would be too much to pay, but $22 is a fairly solid price. Three liters, meaning four bottles, of a German Riesling.

This reminds me of a tasting I went to a few years back - it was just Fran, myself, and another older, snootier looking couple at the table. They tried some wine that they liked and grabbed the last bottle off the table - apparently wanting more, they asked the guy pouring if he had any more. He replied: "Not in bottles, but check this out" and whipped out a box of the stuff. I don't recall what the wine was sadly, but the box was around forty bucks (compared to $17 or so for the bottle). The woman of the couple was so appalled that the wine was sold in a box, she actually put the bottle back on the table and said "well I won't be buying any wine sold like that." Crazy.

Lime and even a bit of that much desired petrol thing on the nose.

Shockingly dry - I mean, this is, in no uncertain terms, a dry Riesling. Lime, slate, white grapefruit, not the most complex of wines, but still a nice, crisp wine for a hot summer night.

Lime and white grapefruit on the finish fade fairly quickly.

Considering this works out to just over five bucks a bottle, I have no complaints. If you think of Rieslings (for better or worse) as light sweet wines, this may surprise you - it's a legitimate dry Riesling and well worth a shot. If I were having a cookout with brats and such, I wouldn't hesitate snagging another box.

Score: 85

2007 Funf Riesling

We're back from Michigan, our palates have recovered and I decided, on a blazing hot day, to pop open a German Riesling that went for around seven bucks.

An odd grapey nose with little else.

This is a Riesling? From Germany? Come on man! I feel like Andy Millman! No, I don't buy it. Seriously. This is white grape juice spiked with a shot of vodka. This is either the lamest Manischewitz white wine ever made or it's a joke. Come on! Really? The Germans can make this ridiculous of a Riesling?

Where's Dom DeLuise and the Candid Camera crew? He's pulling pranks on me from beyond the grave! Always a kidder, that Dom. Did you ever see that movie Fatso? Hilarious. Just thinking about that move makes me hungry. Speaking of works of art with Dom that make me hungry - he was the voice of Pizza the Hut in Spaceballs. That's easily one of my top five favorite movies....

Grape juice on the finish.

Maybe if this come out of a box or something I would've been prepared, but I'm dumbfounded. I've never had a wine so bad that it amused me - that alone made it worth the seven bucks.

Worst. Wine. Ever.

Wine: Ha!
Value: Ho!

2006 Moselland Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Erzeugerabfüllung Riesling Qualitatswein

Ah yes, the beloved cat bottle. This was $11 at World Market. What's interesting is that this appears to be a different wine than our previous cat wine. German bottles are known as being somewhat confusing, but this has no mention of Zeller as there was last time.

A fairly simple nose – some grapefruit notes for the most part.

More white grapefruit on the palate – quite acidic and a bit of sweetness makes this a fairly balanced though somewhat one-dimensional wine.

The finish is more of the same – grapefruit and lingering acid which makes the mouth water.

While not bad, at $11 for a 500ml bottle, it's hardly a good buy. There's nothing here to dislike – it's fine, but you're absolutely buying the bottle more than the wine.

Wine: 6
Value: No – unless you have a use for the bottle or are buying it as a gift for a cat lover.

2006 Dr. Loosen Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Riesling

I snagged this the other day at the wine shop – we haven't been in much a mood for whites, but with Chinese food for dinner I decided to unscrew a bottle and give it a whirl.

Slate and peach on the nose.

Lemon lime, just a bit of stone fruit, some slate, and dare I say a bit of banana on the mid-palate? This is certainly sweet and the acid rounds it out though not quite as much as it really needs.

Limeade on the finish which fades quickly.

This was about nine dollars and for a German Riesling at that price this is definitely one I can recommend. It's an easy quaff and will be great on a hot summer night.

2006 Weber Liebfraumilch Rheinhessen

This was $6 at Trader Joe's – I grabbed it because I don't think we've ever had Liebfraumilch.

Tart apples on the nose.

The palate is mostly stone fruit – peaches and apricot with a little bit of spice and floral notes. Very soft – low alcohol, smooth, a bit sweet, but and some acid that it's borderline drinkable. Sort of like a cheap, sweet Gewurz. This had a very peculiar musky taste on first pour, but all traces blew off after about twenty minutes.

The finish is all peach pie filling.

I'm glad I tried it, but life's too short for me to try it again.

2005 Rheingau Edition Maximilian Pinot Noir

Germany isn't really well known for its red wine – so when I saw this one for $6 at Trader Joe's I thought it would be interesting to try.

Licorice on the nose.

Sweet....unpleasantly sweet....earth, rotten raspberry, tobacco, all mixed with sugar.

Cherry comes out on the finish and some funky notes linger for quite some time.

If a sweet red wine appeals to you then perhaps, I can't even finish a glass. The bottle does state “Medium-dry” so on the one hand I should've known better, on the other I can say I've had a Pinot Noir from Deutschland and for academic purposes that's good enough.

2006 Zeller Schwarze Katz Mosel-Saar-Ruewer Riesling Qualitatswein

How can one possibly pass on such an adorable bottle for $10? Oddly you can find the empty bottles on eBay ranging from $5 to $10 - one seller has started bidding at $10 wants $13 shipping - insanity.

The nose I can't decide on – is it just plain old grapes or is it grapefruit? Not sure.

Indeed – I initially thought the nose was grape, but the palate has so much grapefruit it threw me off. I also get a touch of apple, but mainly we're talking citrus. Somewhat sweet, but crisp acid balance this out nicely.

More of the grapefruit on the finish.

At $10 for a 500ml bottle, this is a bit too simple for me to suggest running out and grabbing. It's certainly not bad – in fact the balance is quite nice –my issue is solely with QPR - for $15 (for 750ml) you can get something far more interesting. That being said, if you love the bottle, there's no reason to skip this one.

2005 Turn Me Riesling

This one grabbed my eye and for $8 I thought it was worth a shot.

Not much on the nose really, a bit of alcohol and that's about it.

The palate has some crisp apple, a bit of citrus, and some honey. Nicely balanced – it's a touch sweet but the acid does more than enough to balance it out.

The finish lingers with some grapefruit.

I really didn't expect a whole lot but this is a very nice Riesling.

2004 Nachtgold Eiswein

We had this one at a family function, so I'm not sure what it costs, but a brief search found some places selling it for $20 for a 500 ml bottle.

The nose has hints of orange and floral notes.

The palate has an interesting mix of fruit: papaya, pear, orange, nectarine, with a bit of honey and some floral - rose, mainly - essence as well.

The finish is all stone fruit...nectarine, apricot, and fuzzy peach.

If you can find this for $20, it's a steal....grab it.

N/V Henkell Trocken Dry-Sec

I honestly don’t recall having a German sparkling wine before. This one was about $10 at the local shop.

The palate has a fair amount of lime, yeast, a bit of Granny Smith apple, and some dough. Sweet - but not offensively so.

The finish brings out a strange green Skittles sort of taste that lingers for quite some time. Lots of candied lime in this one.

This is a strange wine and one that I’d have to recommend. You wouldn’t confuse it for a Champagne, but it’s certainly more interesting than most sparklers at this price. Give it a shot.

2005 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese

This will be our first new vintage/repeat wine. I made a point not to reread what we wrote about the 2003, so it should be interesting to see what we think of this one.

Nothing but peach on the nose.

The palate is mostly apricot, though I’m getting some peach as well with some spice...I’m thinking white pepper. Nice, crisp acidity balances out some sweetness. There’s a nice mineral, wet stone quality as well,

The spice lingers for quite a while on the finish and I’m getting some mild pink grapefruit as well.

Overall, a strong wine and one I’d recommend to fans of Riesling. This one was around $17 and it was certainly worth it.

2005 Piesporter Michelsberg Riesling Auslese

I love cheap (this one was $9) German Rieslings. Seriously. Low alcohol, off dry/semi-sweet, acidic enough, and thoroughly quaffable–they are a perfect simple wine that you can drink with anything or nothing.

The downside is that they’re way too easy to drink. One can easily finish a bottle without even realizing it.

Mild stone fruit on the nose and a touch of stone.

The palate is stone fruit: peach/nectarine/apricot, with some apple and even grape.

The finish brings just a touch of spice and perhaps pear.

Quite frankly, it’s not well balanced, the acid that’s there doesn’t really balance it out. It’s not complex...I mean, I taste grapes. The lesson here is that a wine need not be balanced and terribly complex to be good. It’s simple and easy drinking, the wine you’ll bring on a picnic or will crack open when it’s 90 degrees and you’re hanging out on the deck.

2005 St. Christopher Gewurztraminer

I picked this one up some time ago for $6 and remember thoroughly enjoying it so I figured I’d give it another shot.

This can be described in one word: quaffable. It’s almost dangerous in how easy drinking is. On the nose, lots of floral and some nice ripe stone fruit.

The palate is all about apricot, peaches, and just a touch of spice–a bit like peach pie filling. It’s got some acidity, but a bit less than I’d expect, so it’s not all that well balanced, but it’s still a great, simple wine.

A bit of sweetness and a bit of spice, if you’ve never had a Gewurz you can do far worse. This may be a sweet and simple version, but it’s got a lot of varietal characteristic and I think, for the price, you’re not going to do better.

2005 Hans Wirsching Iphöfer Kalb Silvaner Kabinett Trocken

I’ll be honest, I’ll grabbed this one because of the interesting bottle shape and also because it’s a Silvaner–one more checkmark off our Wine Century Club list.

Being a German wine, I assumed–even as a Kabinett–this would be, at least a little, sweet. Of course, sometimes we learn things the hard way—this is not a Kabinett, it’s a “Kabinett Trocken.” “Trocken” means dry and this one certainly is. My knowledge of the word “Trocken” was limited to “Trockenbeerenauslese” which is a sweet wine, but the Trocken is a reference to dry grapes (so overripe they’ve dried out).

Maybe a bit of white grapefruit on the palate and some grapes as well, perhaps a bit of melon, but overall I’d say lots and lots of minerals making this one bone dry. No real finish to speak of. Not our typical style of wine and not a wine I’d have again.

If you like dry, unoaked wine, this may be right up your alley. Give an offbeat varietal a shot and pick up a bottle. If a bit of sweetness is required for your white wine, then avoid this one.

2003 Joh. Jos. Christoffel Erben Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese

French and German wine labels can be tricky–every time I think I know what everything means I realize I actually have no idea--so I’ve decided that when we drink them, I’m going to start breaking them down so eventually I know what the hell I’m doing.

2003 is the vintage.
Joh.. Jos. Christoffel Erben is the producer.
Erdener Treppchen is the vineyard.
Riesling is the grape.
Spätlese is the QmP (let’s simplify it as “sweetness level’) designation.

There you have it.

This one was $20 which is more than a typical day to day wine, but I had a hankering for a Riesling and this was the only thing I had handy.

This was described to me as a “wine drinker’s wine” and I’m going to agree. This punches you in the face with acid with a bit of sweetness to balance it out. Lots of time I talk about Rieslings that are sweet with enough acid to balance it–this is the opposite.

The nose has some grapefruit and something else, but I can’t put my finger on it–something non-fruit, which I’m still not good at detecting.

Fran gets pineapples on this with a touch of grapefruit on the finish. I completely disagree. To me, this is all grapefruit–-pink grapefruit, sweet and tart with some minerals for good measure. There’s some spice on this that reminds of Gewurtztraminer. As the finish lingers, I get notes of honey and pear....the finish on this wine is one of the longest I can remember having with a Riesling.
Spicy, acidic, sweet–pretty much all the best qualities I look for. I’d buy this again without hesitation.

2004 Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Riesling Qualitatswein

Yep, that’s right....that’s the bottle. Awesome, no? Every so often I get suckered in by fancy packaging and this is one of them. $10 at World Market and the bottle is 500 ml (versus your typical 750 ml bottle).

I get green apples on the nose

There’s a bit of sweetness in this one, but there’s enough acid to balance–exactly what I like. Green apples, honey, and pears on the palate. The finish is a big punch of Granny Smith apples and it lingers for a quite a while.

Cheap Rieslings out of Germany are pretty much right up my alley and this fits the bill nicely.

2005 St. Gisbertus Eiswein

I was browsing the Sunday newspaper ads and casually looked at the flyer for Aldi which had a in bold letters: EISWINE: $9.99. It must be crap I assumed, seeing as the cheapest eiswines from Germany I’ve seen are more than double that.

But alas, I was driving by Aldi and felt intrigued...an Eiswein for $10? I was too intrigued not to give it a shot.

The nose shows lots of honey and something vaguely like pineapple upside down cake...not just pineapples, but pineapples with perhaps some caramel and added sugar.

The palate is pretty much nothing more than apples. This tastes like apple juice. There’s no real burst of complexity...after letting it linger on the palate for a while I get some pineapple and a bit of apricot on the finish.

I wouldn’t call it crap, but I wouldn’t call it a great quality eiswein. It’s drinkable, if you’ve never had German style dessert wine do not hesitate picking this up to get a general feel, this is the type of wine that’s just almost there...it’s not quite good enough to warrant buying again, especially since I’ve had some great late harvest wines within a few dollars of this one that are exponentially better.

2002 Leonard Kreusch Beerenauslese

This half bottle ran me about $20 at Trader Joe's. A good rule if that if the wine if from Germany the longer the name of the wine, the sweeter it is (the only thing sweeter is Trockenbeerenauslese).

So, it's a dessert wine which means it's going to be pricey...a quick search at my local wine shop pulled up nothing less than $60 (we're talking half bottles)...so for $20, this is already a winner.

It's somewhat syrupy and honestly, it reminds me a bit of the juice you get left behind from fruit cocktail but not quite as sweet. It smells like canned pineapple--it just smells sweeter than regular pineapple juice, we're talking concentrate. On the palate, I get tropical fruit (it reminds me of citron tea that we sometimes get in Korean restaurants) and pineapple, but the finish fades to red apples.

My grandma used to make this dish at Christmas which was dried fruit (apricots, prunes, and so on) reconstituted in boiling sugar water--the fruit was slimy--but the liquid was pretty good...this reminds me a bit of that. Sweet and a number of fruits but a good mix so it sort of all blends together.

When I think beerenauslese I think overwhelmingly sweet and this really isn't. Don't get me wrong--it's a dessert wine--but the sweetness is milder than I expected and there's quite a bit of acid that balance it nicely.

The verdict? $20 for a half bottle--this is not just a good deal, it's a groin grabbingly good deal.

2003 Blue Nun Riesling

It was on sale and it's called Blue Nun...need I explain more? Apparently, this was a very famous wine producer back in the 1970s.

Lots of peaches in this one. On both the nose and palate. It's sweet. Sweet isn't a bad thing if there's enough acid to balance it out and this doesn't even come close. The finish brings orange zest, pineapple, and tropical fruit to mind.

It's certainly drinkable. I like cheap Rieslings, but this one tastes just a bit too cheap for my liking. If you think White Zinfandel is good wine, this is probably a good stepping stone, but I wouldn't give it much more than that.