Wine & Spirits - December 2013 - (Page 78)

YEAR'S BEST GERMAN RIESLING Our blind panels tasted 345 new-release German rieslings over the past 12 months. Tara Q. Thomas, our critic for Germany, rated 65 as exceptional (90+) and 44 as Best Buys. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com. MOS E L - S A A R -RUW E R QBA S PA R K L I N G 91 | Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler $17 90 | Peter Nicolay $20 191760 90 | Hansen-Lauer $25 2009 Mosel Brut Sekt b.A. Riesling (Best Buy) ^ Thomas Hansen farms five acres of vines in Bernkastel, 90 percent riesling and ten percent pinot noir. His sparkling wine, bottle-fermented and left on the lees for a year, is elegant in its fine bubble and sleek in its flavor, with gently earthy, apple notes shaped by riesling acidity and Mosel minerality. It ends clean and fresh, a sparkling wine worthy of a seafood dinner. § Kysela Père et Fils, Winchester, VA TROCKEN 192849 92 | Karthäuserhof $50 2011 Mosel-Saar-Ruwer Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg Tyrell's Edition Riesling Spätlese Trocken ^ Christoph Tyrell has run his family's estate in Eitelsbach, on the Ruwer, since 1986. Karthäuserhofberg is what they call their collection of five vineyards, 47 acres in all. The 2011 is savory and brooding, the flavors coalescing around toasted spice and stony minerality, the acidity buried so deep it feels like a bass note reverberating through the wine. Pull it out with a crown roast of pork or something equally substantial. § Vom Boden Wine Importers, New York, NY 191447 90 | Reichsgraf von Kesselstatt $17 2012 Mosel Riesling QbA Dry (Best Buy) ^ Soft and peachy, this wine's touches of heat lend it an edge. Chill it for Korean fried chicken. § Winesellers, Niles, IL WINE & SPIRITS 2012 Mosel Wehlener Klosterberg Riesling QbA (Best Buy) ^ Crisp and nervy, this has textbook Mosel clarity and length, a shining ray of citrusy flavor and acidity that would slice cleanly through scallop sashimi. § Winesellers, Niles, IL 191712 2012 Mosel Erdener Treppchen Riesling QbA Feinherb ^ This is long and lean, holding a burst of pink grapefruit flavor in its center. What lasts longest is the sense of slate, of mineral-water hardness and clarity powering it through the finish. § Vinum Cos, Buffalo Grove, IL 192464 88 | Max Ferdinand Richter $15 2012 Mosel Mülheimer Sonnenlay Zeppelin Riesling QbA (Best Buy) ^ Mango-ripe, this is round and tropical, a sunny riesling with enough acidity to keep it buoyant. § Massanois Imports, Washington, DC DECEMBER 2013 193027 92 | Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier $30 2012 Mosel Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett ^ This amalgam of three estates, combined in 1966 and now owned by the VDP, counts 235 acres in its holdings. Its Scharzhofberg vineyards gave a glowing wine in 2012, as ripe as pineapple yet with the site's hallmark steely acidity. That acidity, and its smooth slate minerality, hold it long and graceful, and will continue to do so as it picks up complexity in the cellar over the next decade. § Schmitt Söhne, Millersville, MD 193028 91 | Bischöfliche Weingüter Trier $65 2011 Mosel Scharzhofberger Grosses Gewächs Riesling ^ Decant this wine before serving to give the rich citrus flavors some time to unpack and lengthen, unfurling along a mineral path. The alcohol is a little peppery, but it feels in keeping with the wine's austere power. A wine for choucroute. § Valckenberg Int'l., Tulsa, OK 191783 86 | Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler KABINETT 191791 192805 87 | S.A. Prüm $13 2012 Mosel Riesling QbA Essence (Best Buy) ^ Sweet-tart and gentle as a lemon bar, this is an easy riesling with just enough acidity to give it shape. § Palm Bay Int'l., Boca Raton, FL 192463 86 | Max Ferdinand Richter $17 2011 Mosel Riesling QbA Classic (Best Buy) ^ This is stolid and thick, dense with pineapple and mineral flavor. § Massanois Imports, Washington, DC $23 90 | Dr. HeidemannsBergweiler $28 2012 Mosel Ayler Kupp Riesling Kabinett ^ This mouthwatering wine is opulent and ripe, the green plum fruit reaching toward cassis as it gains air. The gingery acidity adds spark, the wine feeling lively despite its richness. For a holiday roast turkey. § Schmitt Söhne, Millersville, MD 191641 2012 Mosel Bernkasteler alte Badstube am Doctorberg Riesling Kabinett ^ This tiny, warm, red-rocked vineyard gave a dense riesling in 2012. It tastes of warm stone and http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com http://www.bischoeflicheweingueter.de/en/home.html http://www.bischoeflicheweingueter.de/en/home.html http://www.palmbay.com/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - December 2013

Wine & Spirits - December 2013
Editor’s Note
Happenings
Contents
Fined & Filtered
Acid Trips
The Great Whiskey Shortage of 2013
Spirits
Gadgets and Gi
New Destinations
Where to Eat & Drink in Seattle
Turning Champagne into Wine
Barolo & Formaggio
Douro, No Apologies
Walla Walla Cabernet
The Best for $10 or Less
Overview
Champagne
US Sparkling Wine
US Cabernet Sauvignon
Alsace
German Riesling
2011 Vintage Port
Barolo & Barbaresco
Rioja
US New Releases
International New Releases
Wine & Spirits Top 100

Wine & Spirits - December 2013