I Don’t Drink Enough Riesling

I’m not going to get into the history or roots of Riesling. Nor will I start to explain terroir and the differences between Germany, Austria and Upstate New York. And don’t look for a tirade arguing the virtues of the Nahe versus the Mosel. Hell, I won’t even talk about vintages. Why? It’s simply because all the information is out there and easy to find, even in the pages of this blog. No, today I want to talk about why I love Riesling, how I am constantly reminded of the fact that I simply don’t buy or drink enough of it, and why you should be doing the same.

Let’s start with my roots, a red wine drinker to the core. When the weather got warm outside and most people turned to white wine—I just lowered the thermostat on my air conditioner. If you had a salad and needed to pair a wine with it, I’d pull an acid-driven, high-altitude Italian red. I had never met poultry that didn’t taste good with a Pinot, and I don’t need to even start on how good Zinfandel goes with barbeque.

My tasting note may have been short
but it was love at first sight.

But something happened a few years ago that changed everything. It was a bottle of 1994 Gunther Steinmetz Mulheimer Sonnenlay Spatlese Riesling (try to say that ten times fast). During an evening of excellent red wines, someone placed a 15-year-old (at the time) bottle of Riesling Spatlese into the mix, and my world was turned upside down. I actually remember staring at the glass, bewildered and wondering what it was which I had before me. First it was the nose—deep, intense, fruity and earthy with a hint of blue cheese funk. It put me back in my seat and forced me to take notice. Yet it was what I found on the palate which sealed the deal—here was a white wine with all the power and presence of a red, with a balance of ripeness and acidity that sizzled on the taste buds. In the end, it was the best wine of the evening, and that was against some very serious competition.

This set me on a path to understanding Riesling better. The next week I found myself at Crush Wine filling up two mixed cases. What truly amazed me were all the different styles—there’s literally a Riesling for every situation. They start with bone dry, and they go through every degree of sweetness imaginable. You can find a simple quaffing wine for $15 or an intensely-detailed thinking wine for $30. Wait, did I just say $30? Yes I did. That’s the best part; and I’m not saying that you can’t go broke falling in love with Riesling, but what I am saying is that there are many more affordable bottles that are worth you consideration than not.

This brings me to what prompted today’s ode to Riesling—yet another tasting that proved to me that Riesling belongs in a prominent place of my cellar. I sometimes fall victim to forgetfulness and need to be reminded. Or what often happens is that I simply end up drinking my stock of Riesling so fast that I forget to replenish it.

So I beg of you, do yourself a favor and explore this amazing variety. Below I’ve included some recent notes--most of these are hard to find--but they are all worth the hunt.   In the end, I have no doubt that you will thank me down the road.

On to The Notes:

2009 Van Volxem Wiltinger Braunfels Riesling - The nose was tight and took some coaxing to truly show its qualities, yet with time notes of peach skin, tart lemon and hints of green stem came forward.  On the palate, it showed great intensity, bitter citrus, tropical mango with a fresh, food friendly acidity.  A note of floral tea leaves and lemon lingered on the finish.  This wine should continue to develop for years and I'm really interested to see where it will end up.  For now--enjoy it with food.  (90 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2008 Markus Molitor Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett - A very interesting, value Riesling that really packs a punch. The nose showed ripe lemon, sour cream with hints of banana and ripe brea. On the palate, it showed great energy and ripeness with a mix of tropical fruits, ripe peach and roasted nuts--yet mouthwatering. The finish pulled things together nicely, as the wine's acidity sizzled across the senses. (90 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher! 

2001 Von Schubert Maximin Grünhauser Abtsberg Riesling Spätlese - The nose was beautifully finessed with masses of depth, showing dried figs, lemon skin, floral peach, almond and hints of petrol. On the palate, it was seamlessly ripe yet juicy with a dollop of brisk granny smith acidity and a bitter twang. The finish went on and on, remaining biter yet rich and satisfying. It was the Yin Yang of a wine that kept me guessing at every sniff and indulging in every sip. Very Nice. (94 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2001 Weingut Robert Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberg Riesling Spätlese - The nose was focused and refined yet ripe and fruit forward with white berry, mango, almond cake and a spritz of lime. On the palate, it showed great intensity and richness, like a fresh lemon curd with a slight sour and creamy note, yet offset by balanced acidity and a hint of cranberry, resulting in a cheek-puckering experience. The finish lingered on with center-focused spiced pineapple and peach skins. This is a beautiful wine with years of great drinking to come. (95 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

2010 Selbach-Oster Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling 'Rotlay' - The nose was insanely beautiful, showing sweet spices and floral notes, lemon curd, ripe peach with hints orange and green grass. On the palate, it was all about perfectly balanced intensity. The weight and sweetness of this wine is at first perceptible, but then is swept away by a burst of green apple acidity, leaving a slightly oily texture with tropical fruit and citrus notes, which seem to last for over a minute throughout the finish. This is a sweet wine, balancing it's girth as if on the point of a needle, swinging this way and that--yet never tipping over. Love it. (94 points) Find it on Wine-Searcher!

The Barolo of The South?

Something has been happening to me lately, which I welcome with open arms. For many years I've heard tales of "The Barolo of The South", or otherwise known as Taurasi, made from the Algianico grape in the region of Campania. Yet, time and time again I would try these wines and find disappointment. Not in the quality of the wine, but in the anticipation of tasting "The Barolo of The South", which in reality is quite a boast. How do you live up to such a title? Most Taurasi I would taste were of high quality--earthy, dark and full bodied with structure to spare--but not Barolo.

But then something happened. It was a perfectly stored, won at auction, bottle of 1977 Mastroberardino Taurasi Riserva--and it changed my opinion of the wine forever. In it's youth, tasting any wine that can live for 40+ years is a challenge, especially without a reference point. This wine was that reference point. Suddenly all of that rich, dark fruit (not sweet or ripe mind you) contrasted against gobs of soil, minerality and vibrant acidity--just made sense. Did I mention these wines usually cost about half the price of your average Barolo?

Now fast forward to today and the producer Salvatore Molettieri. In comparison to Mastroberardino (which is an article all to itself), Molettieri is much smaller in production and still a relative newcomer, with it's first vintages released in the mid-ninetees. Yet even without decades of back-vintages to taste, you can gleam the upward trajectory from what's in the bottle. They are imposing in that austere, high acid Italian way that I love.

Yet, there's an elegance to it, which keeps it enjoyable now. The nose is all black stone-earth (if black quartz had a smell, this would be it) with it's fruit as an afterthought. The more I taste the wines of Molettieri, the more I want in my cellar. The 2005 (tasted below) may not have the trajectory of the '04 or '06, but it will mature and for $33, I plan to buy enough for a ten-fifteen year booking in my cellar.

I know it's rare for me to be moved to words by a single bottle, but Salvatore Molettieri deserves a place amongst these pages. And I can guarantee you that there will be many more tasting notes to come down the road. (The 2006 Riserva has recently found a place in my cellar--for the long haul.) But is it the Barolo of the South? My short answer would be... No. Yet that's because, in my opinion, Tuarasi is good enough to stand all on its own--without the cliche.

2005 Salvatore Molettieri Taurasi Cinque Querce - The nose showed radiated dark earth, stone and minerals, with a tart cherry and herbal notes rounding out the fruit. On the palate, soil laden, sour red fruits with rich, focused concentration flowed across the senses. The tannins were chewy, but not overwhelming, leaving an impression of austere elegance. It finished with palate staining dark red fruits and tannin, which slowly faded, yet never seemed to disappear. Day two was even more enjoyable as this wine darkened even more, while also taking on undergrowth and notes of mushroom, which continued to accentuate the experience.. Earthy, so very Italian, and enjoyable to the last drop.

Find it on: Wine-Searcher!
Website: Salvatore Molettieri

40 year-old Barolo--A rant--Of Joy!

Have you ever enjoyed a forty-year-old wine? I know that in some circles the answer would be an easy yes, but for most of us, a forty-year-old wine may not even sound appetizing. Why? Well, mainly because most of us are used to having old wines that were mis-stored and never properly cared for. Some of my friends don’t understand my obsession with buying wine on release and burying it deep in my cellar. I can guarantee that they never enjoyed a forty-year-old wine.

One time a friend told me a story which made me cringe. He was visiting a relative’s house when he noticed a large stash of wine in the sunroom. This stash contained bottles of Barolo that went as far back as 20 years. Upon further investigation, and a near interrogation of his family, he determined that these were wines had been gifted to them over many, many, many years. A wine that was intended for a cool cellar had instead been stored in a hot sunroom—and we wonder why people fear old wine.

It’s not just your crazy uncle either. Have you ever walked past a wine store that had bottles in the window? What do you think they do with those bottles?

If anything, this is a post about storage: about patience and about truly giving the respect, which an older bottle deserves. What if I told you that I bought this wine for $120, and from a vendor I trust, only one month ago? Wines like this are out there and well cared for. You just need to be willing to look for them.

PS: I’m happy to share my source—if you care enough to want it.

There's not much more that you can do other than sit back and enjoy an experience like the one I encountered with this wine. The cork was nearly perfect, yet it broke while being pulled. It was that pop sound, when the cork broke, and the bottom half was sucked into the bottle, which first brought emotions of agitation—yet then a feeling a joy, as this bottle had been sitting in storage with a perfect seal for 40 years.

1974 Giovanni Accomasso & Figlio Barolo - The nose was reticent at first, with an aroma that reminded me of bologna. However, before long, this aroma vanished, and what followed was pure Barolo joy. The bouquet turned to a collage of dried roses, small red berries, dark rich soil, minerals, green olive and hint a beef broth—a perfect nose for an aged Barolo. On the palate, it was juicy, yet there was still a hint of tannin, pulling at the back of my tongue. Dried red fruits, saline minerals and citrus rind acidity washed across my senses and lasted into the finish, along with slight metallic notes. A truly amazing wine! (95 points) Find it on: Wine-Searcher!