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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