For some reason my palette has morphed to the point where I find Riesling with any degree of sweetness (yes Bill, even “Dr. L”) almost undrinkable. That is odd considering moderately sweet Rieslings were about the only thing my wife and I drank when we got into this hobby years ago. Now I crave Riesling that would feel right at home in the American southwest.
Picked up the ’99 CFE from a local country club that was selling old stock to free up cellar space. The manager told me that it didn’t sell because the guests thought it tasted like “gasoline contaminated dish water.” I knew I had a potential winner.
1999 Trimbach Riesling Cuvee Frederic Emile
Color: Dark yellow.
Nose: Petrol and lots of it. I’ve opened a couple of these now and there is variation in the extent of petrol on the nose. Just a hint of citrus as it warms in the glass. The petrol note intensifies as the wine come up to temperature as well.
Taste: Absolutely bone dry – white stone, chalk dust, a tinge of lime with a dusty dry finish of light-sweet crude. I really have no idea what light-sweet crude tastes like but it sound better than “petrol.”
I can see how the casual wine drinker would hate this stuff. Even practiced Alsatian Riesling drinkers would may find the ’99 CFE a bit austere, but it hit right where my palate lives at present. It would be interesting for David or the other resident Riesling buffs to give it a try.
A great bargain at the original purchased price of $15 they charged me. I would post in the low cost wine thread but I thought this deserved its own separate note.