Wine & Spirits - December 2012 - (Page 74)

YEAR’S BEST GERMAN RIESLING Our blind panels tasted 349 new-release German rieslings over the past 12 months. Our critic for Germany, Tara Q. Thomas, rated 101 as exceptional (90+) and 39 as Best Buys. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com. MO S E L S A A R RUWER TROCKEN 185577 | C. von Schubert energetic, a lean arrow of old-vine fruit ﬂavor that traces a graceful line. Loosen Bros. USA, Salem, OR 184290 with sweet apricot ﬂavor and a nougat richness. It will hold its own with a suckling pig. Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, CA $ | Wwe. Dr. H. Thanisch Erben Thanisch 2011 Mosel Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Alte Reben Riesling QbA trocken Old vines planted in the mixed red and blue slate of this Saar vineyard drew out an exceptional wine in 2011. Its crisp, succulent citrus fruit has the clarity of a note plucked from a violin string, the tones growing deeper with each reverberation, reaching into a dense, almost oily minerality. The stone ﬂavors have a salty note that’s particularly mouthwatering; a youthful riesling ready for anything. Loosen Bros. USA, Salem, OR 182383 $ 2010 Mosel Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Grosses Gewächs This is ripe and round, ﬁlled with a soft, peachy ﬂavor that takes on a reddish blush as it expands in the mouth. It feels gentle but lasts, ﬁrmly, a hidden acidity carrying it into a dry ﬁnish. For something equally round and rich, like shrimp dumplings. Winesellers, Niles, IL 185078 | Friedrich Wilhelm Gymnasium $ QBA | Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt $ 2010 Mosel Kaseler Nies’chen Grosses Gewächs Riesling Von Kesselstatt owns 11 acres of this Ruwer valley vineyard, a slope of hard blue slate tilted at a 60-degree angle. The wine is earthy and broad, with a rye-like scent and a fruit ﬂavor that recalls papaya in its density and play of sweet-savory ﬂavor. A constant stream of details lifts out of that density—orange rind, black currants, slate and earth—the slight bitterness it holds feeling playful rather than mean. Give it a few years in the cellar then serve with roast ﬁsh. Valckenberg Int’l., Tulsa, OK 184735 2011 Mosel Schiefer Riesling QbA (Best Buy) Spritzy and bright, this has a balance of juicy lemon and savory minerality that makes is gulpable and refreshing. Schmitt Söhne USA, Misserville, MD 184355 | Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler $ 185087 | Bischöﬂiche Weingüter Trier $ | Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt $ 2011 Mosel Wiltinger Riesling trocken A blend from parcels in and around Wiltingen in the Saar, this is succulent and compact, with stony acidity shooting though meaty white peach fruit. It feels delicate and muscular at once, a ballerina of a wine in its grace and composure. Valckenberg Int’l., Tulsa, OK 185572 2011 Mosel DOM Riesling Oﬀ Dry (Best Buy) The Episcopal Wine Estates of Trier manages 235 acres of vines and four estates; DOM represents the organization’s basic level of wines. Don’t be scared oﬀ by the “oﬀ dry” designation; here, the sweetness exists only to gentle the wine’s steely, sparkling acidity. It’s ﬁrm and succulent, with a quince savor. Schmitt Söhne USA, Misserville, MD 184726 2011 Mosel Wehlener Klosterberg Riesling Halfdry (Best Buy) A sphere of smooth, sleek ﬂavor, this is rich and ripe, an invisible acidity keeping it buoyant. It’s inviting and easy, a good choice for a BYO Chinese banquet. Winesellers, Niles, IL 185779 | Züm Mosel $ | Villa Huesgen 2011 Mosel Riesling QbA (Best Buy) This is Christian Schafer’s introductory-level riesling züm (from) the Mosel. It’s inviting in its sweet peach ﬂavor, the acidity rounding it oﬀ and holding it ﬁrm. For fall picnics. Schafer-Reichart Selections, Concord, CA 185570 $ | Dr. Loosen $ | Dr. Loosen $ / ml 2010 Mosel Erdener Treppchen Grosses Gewächs Alte Reben Riesling Acidity races through the beeswax texture of this wine, loosing notes of green pear, thyme and ﬂoral white peach along the way. It’s youthful and 74 W I N E & S P I R I T S D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 2 2010 Mosel Nine Generations Riesling Named for the generations of Huesgens who have run this estate in T raben-T rarbach, this is a mouthwatering riesling oﬀ vines ﬁve to ten years old. The ﬂavors focus on Mosel minerality, steely and slick, with only the suggestion of fruit, making it particularly refreshing and delicious. Quintessential, Napa, CA 182365 2011 Mosel Red Slate Dry Riesling (Best Buy) This is rich and easy, with ﬂoral notes gracing the pineapple-ripe fruit. Bright acidity keeps it clean and fresh. Loosen Bros. USA, Salem, OR KABINETT 185778 | Dr. Hermann | Josef Bernard-Kieren $ $ 2010 Mosel H Riesling (Best Buy) This is big and juicy, balanced toward super ripeness, 2011 Mosel Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett (Best Buy) Josef Bernard farms eight acres of vines in Bernkastel, http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com http://www.schmittsohnesales.com http://www.schmittsohnesales.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - December 2012

Wine & Spirits - December 2012
Editor's Note
Contents
Fined & Filtered
Happenings
Books
Spirits
The Light in Douro
Sushi & German Riesling
Tokaji Myths
Napa vs Bordeaux: A Seismic Shift
A Tale of Two Vintages
Dinner with Barolo
Extreme Values
Tastings Overview
Champagne
US Cabernet Sauvignon
Barolo & Barbaresco
Rioja
German Riesling
Alsace
American New Releases
International New Releases
Faces at the W&S Top 100

Wine & Spirits - December 2012