Jane's Weekly Wines from the Atlanta Wine School PRINT AND GO VERSION April 20th, 2006 Riesling Round-Up *************************************************************************************** RETAILERS WHO SUPPORT THIS COLUMN AND HAVE HAD THIS LIST OF WINES IN ADVANCE. Pearson's Wines of Atlanta, 3072 Early St Nw Atlanta, GA 30305 -- 404-231-8752 Corner Wine & Art, 1402 N. Highland Avenue, Atlanta, GA 30306 -- 404-875-8810 Home Town Wine & Spirits, 4856 Hog Mountain Rd, Flowery Branch, GA --770-965-6058 The Colors of Wine, 2355 Cumberland Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30339 -- 770-432-2828 Sigman Bottle Shop, 425 Sigman Road - Conyers, GA 30012 -- 770-929-8797 Shiraz, 675 Pulaski Street, Suite 400, Athens, GA 30601 -- 706-208-0010 Windward Beverage, 12915 Hwy 9, Alpharetta, GA 30004 -- 678-566-3301 IS YOUR WINE SHOP NOT LISTED HERE? HAVE THEM CALL 770-668-0435 *************************************************************************************** Claar Cellars Johannisberg Riesling 2005 Columbia Valley, WA Medium-bodied off-dry white wine; medium pale straw. Aromas of peach and apricot, with sweet/tart peach flavors. Lively acidity keeps the palate clean. Brisk, crisp, mouthwatering finish. Sweetness, but not cloying. Complexity. Slight honey note in the finish (taste of honey, not sweetness of honey). RS 2.5 %, but acidity is high (7.2%) and ph low (3.15) creating the sweet/tart balance that makes this wine work with food. Excellent value. (Loathsome plastic cork should be replaced with screw cap.) Asian fare with some sweetness: dumplings with a soy-based dipping sauce; sesame chicken; sweet and sour pork or chicken; honey/orange-glazed roast chicken or pork tenderloin; moo shoo pork; honey chicken; Chinese barbecued steaks with sweet sautéed onoins; fried chicken tenders with honey-mustard dipping sauce; Continental Beverage $11 88 ************************************************************************************* Peter Lehman Riesling 2003 Eden Valley, Australia Medium-bodied dry white wine; medium pale straw. With a couple years of bottle age like this, aromas acquire Riesling's diesel character, with lime blossom and green apple fruit. Tart green apple flavors with lime notes fill the palate, and good acidity spreads throughout a mouth-watering brisk, crisp sensation following the fruit. Minerality adds complexity. Classically styled. Eden Valley has cool sites that make it appropriate for Riesling. The 2005 has been released in Australia, but the 2003 is what's current in our market. Assertive and exotic flavors: Asian dumplings with ponzu dipping sauce; grilled bacon-wrapped scallops with mustard-mayonnaise; chicken tenders with honey mustard; ramaki (bacon-wrapped chicken livers and water chestnuts); mild curried dishes; grilled chicken-apple sausages. Nice with a firm, mild cheese, such as Sweet Grass Dairy's Thomasville Tomme. Winery suggests oysters, fish 'n' chips, Thai style-crispy chicken, dishes with ginger, coriander and soy. Makes sense. Empire Distributing $19 91 ************************************************************************************* Weingut Kirsten Riesling Trocken 2003 Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany Medium-bodied dry white wine; medium deep gold. Clean, if somewhat shy, scent of tart apples and flavors that just bloom on the palate, emphasizing crisp apple. Excellent minerality--grown in shale, the grapes contribute to the wine a distinctive "stoniness"--with a slight hint of the taste (not the sweetness) of honey at the close. Good acidity helps keep the finish going. Wine fairly blooms in the glass, wrapping spice, ginger and quince into the flavor mix, so give it time to breathe. Great balance. Elegant and refined. (See the archive also for Weingut Kirsten sekt, or sparkling, made from Riesling, reviewed here February 16, 2006.) Straightforward, simple foods, gentle seasonings: Cornmeal-crusted fried oysters and shrimp; tortilla chips with roasted red pepper/sun-dried tomato dip (Whole Foods); crab legs; grilled chilled scallops; grilled chicken apple sausages; scallops and shrimp on grits with touch of garlic and a cream sauce; roasted or fried chicken; mild fish, such as crab-stuffed flounder or tilapia; Continental Beverage $15 89 ************************************************************************************* Paraiso Riesling 2004 Monterey, CA Light-bodied slightly off-dry white wine; medium straw. Aromas a bit shy, but suggest Riesling's white stone fruit character, which becomes more abundant on the palate. More acidity would give the wine a bit more lift, but what's there is correct and tasty. Mid-palate scores with fleshy stone fruit flavors, enhanced by a touch of minerality. Nice, clean, long finish. Tasty. Amazing food companion, with a wide range of pairings. Creamy chicken pot pie; coq au Riesling; Thai spicy catfish (not too hot); beef-filled Malaysian pancakes and similar fare. Korean seafood pancakes; mildly seasoned Indian vegetable and chicken dishes (chickpeas and butter chicken); mild curried chicken salad with apples and raisins; Chinese fare with aromatic, but not hot, seasoning Grape Expectations $15 87 ************************************************************************************* Spy Valley Dry Riesling 2004 Marlborough, NZ Medium-bodied dry white wine; medium straw. Enticing, fresh, clean aromas focused on citrus, followed by mineral-rich (stony, slate-like) citrus-caressed fruit flavors. Dry, acid-enhanced finish, with fruit and acid well integrated. High acid (.76) balanced against a bit of residual sugar (.5) creates a taut, lean, crisp wine. Zingy, snappy, fresh and mouthwatering, with a delightful long finish. An exemplary representative of the New Zealand approach to this grape. Steamed or fried dumplings with soy-based dipping sauce; light curried chicken salad with apple and raisin; savory Chinese fare rather than sweet, such as salt-and-pepper squid or shrimp; lo mein with vegetables or cold noodle dishes with peanut sauce; crab cakes; steamed crab legs with drawn butter; grilled scallops with mustard mayonnaise; cornmeal-crusted catfish or trout; fried chicken (with honey mustard dipping sauce good, too). Quality Wine & Spirits $21 91 ************************************************************************************* Domaine Bott-Geyl "Riquewihr" Riesling 2002 Alsace, France Medium-bodied off-dry white wine; medium gold. Aromas of tart apple and honey announce that the wine is affected by botrytis, or noble rot. Flavors blend apple and honey, and a fine thread of good acidity gives the wine structure and longevity, and combined with the low ph (3.18) aids in giving it balance against the residual sugar. The finish is dry and crisp, while the texture is silky. Complex and compelling. Botrytis or not, this is NOT a dessert wine. Excellent value. Riquewihr is a village in Alsace where this vineyard is planted. At the begging with creamy liver mousse or foie gras; braised chicken thighs with onions and garlic, grilled scallops with mustard mayonnaise; grilled chicken-apple sausages; Chinese barbecued beef steaks with sautéed onions, and at the end with strong cheeses, such as French Muenster. Guesswork here, but I'd bet on it with sautéed sweetbreads and pears. Quality Wine & Spirits $21 93