WTN: Saint M 2004 Riesling

This wine is made by Dr Loosen for Chateau St Michelle. I first encountered it at PF Changs where it's available by the glass or by the bottle. I deliberately paired it with today's dinner - Kaillees' Chicken Teriyaki, baked potatos and poached asparagus in balsamic butter.

Honeyed apples and pears drift out of the glass, summoning you to sip. Not as sweet as the nose would sugggest, indeed, this seems sweeter than it is only because there is so much fruit -apples, pears, peaches and a hint of lime. Tart, juciy with a clean finish. Not a sublime example of German Riesling, but it's good enough, especially at $10/bottle. I probably should have picked up two bottles for dinner.

Doug,
This has been one of my everyday white sippers for the last year or so. t I have noticed in the last 2 or 3 bottles that the acidity has nose-dived making the wine a quite a bit duller than it was just a few short months ago. I'm a little disappointed in how this wine has held up and wonder if it is the wine itself or is the screwcap playing some role in what I perceive as a premature decline. Whatever, I will be drinking up my remaining bottle or two in short order.
Bill

Since I've only had this wine a couple of times, all recently, I can't comment on any change in acidity. I think I'll pickup a couple more bottles and hold them for a while as a non-scientific experiment to see if my mileage varies.

Screwcap playing a role? Let's leave that for the other, trollish thread.

So is this made from grapes grown in Germany and then sold or distributed by Ch St Michelle?

I know the CSM Eroica riesling comes from Washington grapes and Ernst Loosen helps with the winemaking. I like the Eroica, it reminds me of a peach flavored Spatlese.

I haven't tried the St M. Thanks for the note.

Best,

Marc , this is not just German grapes, but made in Germany as well. It's all right there on the label, even the Qba designation.

I think I've posted a note on this QPR, I even enjoyed the 2003. Happily, the Livermore Costco just dramatically expanded their wine selection, and one of the beneficiaries of the expansion was the Saint M, for just eight bucks.

Walt

[David M. Bueker]

Take a little time and find the Kesseler 'R'. For about the same price it's a vastly superior wine IMO. Kesseler makes a good bit of it, so it should not be too hard to find.

Take a little time and find the Kesseler 'R'. For about the same price it's a vastly superior wine IMO. Kesseler makes a good bit of it, so it should not be too hard to find.

Thanks, I've had some Kessler, but not the 'R'. As for finding it, the distributor who brought his wines into Phoenix no longer does so - something about Kessler raising prices too high after winning a winemaker of the year type of award. Hopefully someone else will pick up his wines again.

This has been one of my everyday white sippers for the last year or so

Bill, It's weird that somehow all I get from "Saint M" is pear juice... Del Monte pear juice. Unlike "Dr. L" which tastes nothing like pear juice at all.

How could Saint M be anything more than purchased and discarded Pfalz fruit? Already most of Loosens Pfalz production goes into Wolf (which are a FAR cry from his Mosel wines). Saint M has never been more than a dull, easy drinking version of real Pfalz wines, produced in a slightly drier style than CSMs garbage Columbia Valley riesling. It is not possible to make $10 Riesling from quality sites with the marketing costs of Saint M. BTW isn't Chateau Ste. Michelle owned by a Tobacco company?


Prost!
Bill

[David M. Bueker]

Thanks, I've had some Kessler, but not the 'R'. As for finding it, the distributor who brought his wines into Phoenix no longer does so - something about Kessler raising prices too high after winning a winemaker of the year type of award. Hopefully someone else will pick up his wines again.

A very feeble (and wrong) excuse, as Kesseler's wine have some of the best QPR in Germany, at least at the lower end. Sure his gold kaps are expensive, but whose are not?