27 / 60
27
Pauletts Riesling, 2011,
Clare Valley, S. Australia
Unusual to find a mature
Riesling with seven years
bottle age for such a keen
price.
A fantastic bargain.
The cool breezes in the Clare
Valley enable the grapes to
ripen gradually and keep their
freshness and balance. This
2011 wine shows the classic
Germanic Riesling character,
intense kiwi and very ripe
tropical fruits, pungent almost.
The palate has amazing clarity
of flavour with a deft balance
of sweet fruit and acidity.
Classic stuff.
£15.99 per bottle
The Naked Grape,
Hungerford
Peter & Ulrich Dry Riesling,
Mosel, 2016
At the other end of the
spectrum we have a young
Riesling with lovely lively fruity
characteristics.
The rich fruit flavours and
refreshing acidity are perfectly
balanced to match salads,
fish or lightly-spiced meats. A
real gem here, with notes of
peach, apricot and ripe apple,
its perfect for those who love
German wine or are looking to
discover something new.
£11.99 per bottle
Majestic Wines, Newbury
Hochheimer Riesling 2014,
Domdechant Werner,
Rhine
From the wonderful south-facing
slopes of the Rheingau comes
this classic, this time showing the
off-dry style.
The Rheingau is a very traditional
region, with stunning views and
magnificent historic estates. The
Hochheim area, with its south facing slopes
and chalky, mineral rich soil, is renowned
for the outstanding quality of its Rieslings.
Dr Franz Werner Michel is the seventh
generation to head the Domdechant Werner
estate, comprising a stylish manor house
with surrounding vineyards overlooking the
picturesque city of Mainz and the Rhein-Main
landscape. Made purely from estate grown
fruit, this Domdechant Werner Riesling Classic
is off-dry in style, with a soft peach character
backed by racy acidity. A perfect apéritif, it is
a great partner for shellfish dishes or smoked
salmon salad.
£14.99 per bottle
Laithwaites, Theale
2014 Picnic Riesling,
Two Paddocks,
Central Otago
This just off-dry style of
Riesling is a real delight and
extremely more-ish.
Bright, pale silver-lemon in
colour, aromas are zesty, floral
and mouth-watering. The palate
is light in body, silky in texture
and very refreshing. With a
long, vivacious finish, this is
perfect to drink at lunchtime,
before a meal, or as a partner
to Thai-style cooking.
£14.95 Haynes,
Hanson & Clark, Whitchurch
Greetings everyone.
This month I’m going
to put a spotlight on
a grape; the Riesling
This wonderful variety makes a great variety of
wines, from dry to sweet and even to sparkling.
In Victorian London, the wines from the
Moselle and the Rhine used to command a
premium.
Recently a tasting was held of ancient bottles
of wine from Württemberg from the 1670s.
Some were still more than drinkable and the
best guesses were that these were made
from Riesling.
Literary records go back even further with
references to the grape being made in the
1400s.
Known mostly for wines from Germany,
it is now grown worldwide, with particularly
good examples coming from Australia and
New Zealand.
Riesling suffered owing to the craze for
Liebfraumilch with which it was (wrongly)
associated. But now, with some great vintages
and some dedicated growers, it is making a
storming comeback.
In their youth, Riesling wines are fresh and
zingy. As they age they develop a grapefruity,
kerosene quality, which is much prized.
Here are some great selections for Riesling to
be found around Newbury:
the Riesling grape
top
by
tipples
Riesling is experiencing something of a resurgence and
JAMES ALLEN has sourced some tasty recommendations
from local wine merchants