Wednesday February 23rd was this month's Sommelier Study Group (SSG) gathering. the star of the evening was Riesling. funny/surprising thing was, no one brought German nor Austrian nor French Riesling; in fact, all but one was New World Riesling. who would have thunk it? these are all available at LCBO.
to start (not a Riesling but Sparkling): JANSZ PREMIUM SPARKLING ROSÉ, VINTAGES 37499 | 750 mL bottle, Price: $ 24.95, Wine, Sparkling Wine, 12.5% Alcohol/Vol., Sugar Content : 1, South Australia, Australia - Tasting Note: "The Premium Non-Vintage Rose is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay receiving 2.5 - 3 years on its lees. With a very pale salmon color, it reveals aromas of rose petals, strawberries and crumbled biscuits plus subtle notes of peaches and honeysuckle. A nice backbone of high acidity is balanced by 9 g/l of dosage and some autolytic richness lending pleasantly toasty/creamy flavors. Drink now." - Jansz Premium Sparkling Rosé
the group noticed that the colour was very pale salmon indeed; barely perceptible. lovely floral, fruity & biscuit aromas that followed through on the palate. I now look forward to trying the "other" sparkling from Jansz (to be released March 5, 2011) - NV Jansz Premium Brut Cuvée
to start our Riesling tasting ... JASZBERENYI RIZLING LCBO 836 | 1000 mL bottle, Price: $ 8.95, Wine, White Wine, 11.5% Alcohol/Vol., Hungary - Tasting Note: "Straw yellow colour; delicate peach, pear and melon aromas and palate; well balanced with refreshing acidity." - Jaszberenyi Rizling
I offered this one up thinking that no one would pick a Hungarian Riesling (Rizling) ... and I was right. But it is not bad at all. it is very "delicate" - nothing over the top here, at all. we all decided that we would not choose Riesling if presented with blind tasting. I would serve this in the summertime, very chilled. I would be confident at a large gathering that it would offend no one. please note that it is 1 litre bottle for $8.95 ... hard to beat that for a summer sipper! side by side with other Rieslings, it might get lost.
JOSEF CHROMY RIESLING 2008 VINTAGES 162966 | 750 mL bottle, Price: $ 20.60, Wine, White Wine, 12.7% Alcohol/Vol., Australia - Tasting Note: "Floral, citrus and hints of slate on the nose, this dishes up a lovely mouthful of flavour - racy lemon-lime, ripe ruby red grapefruit and spiced yellow plum. It's mid weight with a gorgeous palate-coating texture and a well-balanced lengthy finish that adds on a layer of complexity with ripe juicy tree fruit flavours. Give it a go alongside crab cakes or your favourite blue-veined cheese. Score - 4 1/2 Stars (out of 5). (Vic Harradine, www.winecurrent.com, Feb. 6, 2010)" - Josef Chromy Riesling 2008
we enjoyed it with a couple of blue-veined cheeses ... it's a definite match! someone mentioned to keep a look out for JOSEF CHROMY PEPIK PINOT NOIR 2009 VINTAGES 162990 | 750 mL bottle, Price: $21.95, Wine, Red Wine, 13.7% Alcohol/Vol. - Josef Chromy Pepik Pinot Noir 2009
PIKES TRADITIONALE RIESLING 2009 VINTAGES 66894 | 750 mL bottle, Price: $ 19.95, Wine, White Wine, 12.0% Alcohol/Vol., South Australia - Description: "Pure, vibrant and very lively Riesling from Pikes Vintners, one of Australia's Riesling specialists. This peach- and lime-scented number is equally enthralling on the palate. Dry, racy and fruity, with wonderful verve. Cellar it 3-5 years or enjoy it tonight with pan-seared scallops and green beans." - Pikes Riesling 2009
we found it to be very refreshing. I guess that's what they mean by, "wonderful verve". must note that there is citrus/grapefruit pith on the palate; the aromas don't quite follow through ... but that can still be a good thing; it's just not necessarily expected.
KONRAD RIESLING 2009 VINTAGES 179796 | 750 mL bottle, Price: $ 13.95, Wine, White Wine, 12.5% Alcohol/Vol., New Zealand - Tasting Note: "The 2009 Konrad Riesling opens with a lovely floral and orchard blossom nose, followed by pure peach notes. There is nice intensity on the palate as the fruit replays against the refreshing acidity. Dry, with just a suggestion of residual sugar offset perfectly by the racy acidity and tangy fruit. This well-balanced Riesling will pair well with a moderately spicy Asian dish. (VINTAGES panel, Jan. 2010)." - Konrad Riesling 2009
we paired it with curry chicken and rice as well as cheeses, bread, ... lovely Riesling. I would buy this one especially at $13.95 - I don't think anyone would guess the price.
INNISKILLIN WINEMAKER'S SERIES TWO VINEYARDS RIESLING 2008 VINTAGES 105387 | 750 mL bottle, Price: $ 17.95, Wine, White Wine, 12.0% Alcohol/Vol., Ontario - Description: "Enjoy this racy wonder with planked salmon or grilled prawns. Tasting Note: Straw-lime colour with an aromatic bouquet of grapefruit and honey with a floral grace note. Light to medium-bodied, off-dry with a spicy (almost Gewurztraminer-like) flavour of grapefruit and tangerine. Good tension between sweetness and balancing acidity. Score - 89. (Tony Aspler, www.tonyaspler.com, A Wine Lover's Diary, April 20, 2010)" - Inniskillin Winemaker's Series Two Vineyards Riesling 2008
this Riesling can hold its own with the other Rieslings tasted. the one thing that stuck out for me was apple juice flavours along with citrus, mineral, other typical flavours. maybe the acidity wasn't quite there for me.
PELEE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE RIESLING VQA LCBO 145417 | 750 mL bottle, Price: $ 10.95 Limited Time Offer Was: $ 11.95 Now: $ 10.95 Save: $ 1.00 Until Feb 27, 2011, Wine, Still Table Wine, White Still Table Wine, 12.5% Alcohol/Vol., Ontario - Tasting Note: "Bright pale yellow colour; aromas of citrus, peach, ripe apple and mineral; off-dry, medium bodied, crisp and lively, with flavours of ripe apple, peach and lemon-lime." - Pelee Island Lighthouse Riesling VQA
"delicate peach" stands out for this one. a touch of residual sugar noticeable on palate (and nose). sugar code of 2 so not "sweet" by any means. lovely. note the price!!! - $10.95.
a blend of: 41.9% Sauvignon Blanc, 27.8% Semillon, 13% Chenin Blanc, 10.8% Chardonnay, 6.5% Viognier. no Riesling. 13.5% alcohol. to add, we found elements of minerality and brine. very easy-drinking. thanks for sharing Craig!
there you have it - some of our thoughts on mostly New World Rieslings.
bottoms up!
Éva
* check out ...
Robin's blog - Pull Corks
Holly's blog - Wine Out Loud
Holly & Nita's blog - Imbibery
As I was sipping the ends of bottles, I came to realize that LIGHTHOUSE was one of my faves from our selection. I will look for this one!
ReplyDelete