Wine Focus March 2022 - Riesling is coming!

[David M. Bueker]

Gobelsburg is never a digression, though I almost always buy their Grüner Veltliner, rather than their equally attractive Rieslings. Gobelsburg Grüner Veltliner Renner is in the running for my favorite dinner table white wine.

p.s. I placed an order for a selection of 2020 Ludes Rieslings.

p.s. I placed an order for a selection of 2020 Ludes Rieslings.

I look forward to your impressions!

[David M. Bueker]

• 2005 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Nahe (3/27/2022)
  The cork looked like something out of a graveyard, black and gray. Underneath it all was a pristine bottle of wine, still showing flashes of green in its light gold color. Apricots, honeydew melon, golden apple and spice aromatics lead to a vortex on the palate. It just sucked me in and would not let go until it was all gone. Perfect spot right now for early maturity, with a full dose of primary fruit supplemented by bottle age complexity, and the backbone starting to reveal itself nearly seventeen years after the vintage. Drink now until the end of time. Longer in magnum.

Great comment John, about to open a 2016 semi-dry riesling from Fox Run, Finger Lakes.


My vote for Canadian rieslings would go to the Niagara region in Ontario, although I do think the Okanagan is making great strides in catching up to the Niagara rieslings. The limestone soils available in Niagara really make a difference for me with rieslings (and Chardonnays). Synchromesh, with their expanded bottlings of riesling and increased vine age, are at the head of the Okanagan pack. It is almost impossible to get wines from either region in the US. Icewines are still the main Canadian wines available internationally, but their supply has really decreased in both BC and Ontario in recent years.

[David M. Bueker]

• 2019 Wagner-Stempel Binger Scharlachberg Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Rheinhessen (3/29/2022)
  Spur of the moment choice, and after about an hour of air it was drinking well, if painfully young. Fruit was initially dominated by a reductive/sponti(?) funk, but once that blew off the yellow apple and white peach elements shone through on top of a polished mineral base. My only objection was that it seemed a bit alcoholic, not in expression, but in effect. A couple of glasses was more than enough to say time to stop. Felt like Zin effects, not Riesling effects. Tasty stuff, but watch the pours.

My only objection was that it seemed a bit alcoholic, not in expression, but in effect.

What was the percentage? Some of the Rheinhessen wines can get well above 13%, which is a sneaky challenge.

2016 Fox Run Vineyards Semi-Dry Riesling, Finger Lakes.

It was a toss- up between this wine and the Dry. Interesting scale on back label idicating level of sweetness etc.
Pale lemon color, aromatics of flowers and peach, lacked some minerality I thought..no sense of terroir at all. Initial entry was sweet fruit..melon, honeysuckle some citrus tones. "Could have come from anywhere" from across the table. Pleasant for some maybe but relatively uncomplicated. Fox Run and NY can do better than this.