Vintage Assessments Home Page

Recent Articles

Archive of National Post Articles



Sign-up Now!


 

The many faces of Riesling
A bevy of styles in today’s Vintages release

Michael Vaughan
National Post • Saturday April 7, 2001

From the top of the world thirty years ago, where you couldn’t dine out without finding a little Blue Nun, German wines have taken a pounding. Certainly part of the reason is the rise of reds, which are hardly abundant in these northern climes. Add to this the swing to varietal labeling combined with the multitude of unpronounceable German place names most have never heard of. Imagine the Music Man belting out “you’ve got trouble in Durkheimer Michelsberg” – a toughie to remember for sure.

And that’s a shame because there is nothing better than a delicious glass of gently honeyed vibrant Riesling to pick up your palate. Indeed, it’s the essence of spring and ought to be relished frequently. Fortunately, there’s one tremendous value on today’s release that’s definitely worth tweeting about. Better yet, it’s pronounceable by anyone. The Lingenfelder1999 Riesling Bird Label is extremely well priced at $11.95 and should be made compulsory drinking for the uninitiated. You will be swept off your feet with its very gently sweet, zesty, ripe lime, melon and fresh Anjou pear flavours.

Also from the southern Pfalz region comes the more traditional, lighter alcohol (only 9.5% vs 11.5% for the previous white) Kurt Darting1999 Durkheimer Michelsberg Riesling Kabinett which at $12.55 offers very bright, sweetish, zesty, honeyed melon-apple flavours which would be fine match for spicy Thai cuisine.

A final recommendation is the maturing St. Urbanshof 1997 Wiltinger Schlangengraben Riesling Spätlese at $27.80. It has a vibrant, slightly tart, ripe lemon and green pear nose with some hints of mineral all of which carry over on the just off-dry, candied lemon peel palate. The thought of marrying it with juicy spicy coconut shrimp makes my mouth water.  

To try these and a host of other German wines, don’t miss next Tuesday’s German Wine With Jazz Tasting featuring some 90 wines along with some of the winemakers. It all happens at Toronto’s Roy Thomson Hall from 6:30 - 9 pm. Call 416-964-8014 for tickets ($40) or go to their website at germanwinecanada.org

There are some other gems in today’s release. Dollar for dollar my favourite was a delightful New Zealand Chard Nobilo 1999 Chardonnay Reserve Tietjen Vineyard Gisborne at $18.20. I loved its mineral-directed, slightly smoky, baked ripe lemon-melon flavours along with its lingering, cedary finish. It would be great with white meats and poultry.

If you like less oak, then go for the juicy fresh Anjou pear driven of Lurton 1999 Chardonnay Les Salices at only $10.50. This charmer from the Pays d’Oc is accessible, versatile and at the peak of its drinkability. It would be perfect with a fillet of fresh trout. Also from the Midi is the fine, slightly subdued, organic Domaine Bernard Delman 1999 Chardonnay Domaine La Batteuse that is also reasonably priced at $10.95.

From California, my pick would be Freemark Abbey 1997 Chardonnay Carpy Ranch from the Napa Valley at $29.95. Its creamy, spicy, peachy-pear fruit and lingering crème brûlée flavours are most attractive. It’s the kind of Chard you enjoy on its own!

To freshen up a bit, a very crisp, light-bodied, grassy French Loire should do the trick. And what better than Henri Marionnet 1999 Tourraine Sauvignon Domaine de la Charmoise at $12.95. It offers enough herbal notes to challenge the best from New Zealand and is best with seafood, perhaps a plate of creamy oysters.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of the best eau-de-vie to pass my lips in some time. It’s André Blanck Poire William, which is clear in colour with perfectly balanced, dry, gorgeous fresh essence of pear flavours.  This after-dinner classic rarely gets better than this. It costs $29.90 for a half bottle, but keep in mind that it takes at least 28 kg of pears to obtain one litre of pure pear eau-de-vie.

Finally, my elixir of the release is the Henriques & Henriques Malmsey 15 Year Old Madeira an incredible bargain at $44.90. I can honestly say that I have never had a Port at an equivalent price has given me as much pleasure. This medium amber elixir exudes a sweet, complex, pungent raisiny-prune nose accompanied by balsamic, lemon peel and vanilla overtones. It harbours a symphony of flavours – everything from honeyed figs to raisins and crème brûlée which linger on and on. Simply sublime.

 

Copyright Food & Beverage Testing Institute of Canada 2004
Prior written permission is required for any form of reproduction
 (electronic or other wise) and or quotation.
Contact Michael Vaughan at
mbv@total.net