Grapevine: New World rieslings fare well against old foes
A few weeks ago, Chateau Ste. Michelle and Germany’s Dr. Loosen estate hosted a three-day “Riesling Rendezvous” in Woodinville. More than four dozen riesling producers and winemakers from around the world contributed to a first-class event.
Winemakers and owners of such prestigious German estates as Gunderloch, J.J. Prüm, Maximin Grünhaus, Schloss Johannisberg, Schloss Schönborn, St. Urbans-Hof, von Othegraven and Wittmann joined vintners from Alsace, Austria, New York, Michigan, Washington, Oregon, California, British Columbia, Australia and New Zealand to pour – and relentlessly pore over – the subtleties and vagaries of the riesling grape.
The New World wines, though clearly overmatched by the great German estates, acquitted themselves quite well. It was apparent that Washington, Oregon and British Columbia rieslings have evolved along different lines, reflecting their varied grape-growing conditions. Still, what impressed me the most about these Pacific Northwest rieslings is that they are distinctly regional, with both purity and focus. They have what the French call typicity.
To my palate, the Canadian bottlings are the lightest, most elegant and Germanic. Oregon rieslings, which are grown west of the Cascades, capture somewhat similar flavors, but with additional fruit intensity and slightly lower acids.
Washington’s desert climate produces the ripest, most intensely fruity rieslings.
Ste. Michelle claims to make more riesling than any winery in the world – roughly 750,000 cases annually.
It has been said that riesling is the grape for people that know nothing about wine, and for those who know a great deal about wine. That leaves a big hole for those of us who know a little about wine and would just like to have a bottle of something cool, fresh, low in alcohol, and food-friendly with our dinner. I think riesling fits the bill.
The biggest problem that consumers face when buying riesling is that it is very difficult to tell if the wine is bone dry, dry or slightly sweet. Will it be floral, with scents of blossom and honey; or fruity, tasting of peaches and apricots? Basically, you can’t tell, because labels are vague and confusing. They may say dry, but dry is an unregulated term, and flavors can range from austerely dry to slightly sweet. Above one percent residual sugar, there is an even wider spectrum of off-dry styles before you reach the really sweet dessert rieslings.
You can get a quick idea of sweetness from the alcohol content, listed on the label. The higher the alcohol, the drier the riesling. If you want a dry Washington riesling, look for a bottle that is at least 13 percent alcohol. The driest German rieslings are labeled trocken, which is helpful, if you can find the word among the hundreds of syllables wandering around the label. And don’t miss the dry rieslings of Western Australia – to me the most textural and thrilling in the world.
Now there’s nothing wrong with off-dry, especially when the sweetness is set against stony minerality and bracing acids, as in the wines of Germany and Alsace.
You will be surprised at how well rieslings age. As good as they are when young, they evolve and often improve as well or better than any white wines in the world. Here are some that are sure to please:
Charles Smith Wines 2006 “Kungfu Girl” Riesling; $12. This is the first riesling from Walla Walla’s Charles Smith, of K Syrah fame. Scents of orange peel, pink grapefruit and flowers lead into a complex and invigorating wine.
Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Dry Riesling; $12. This is good juice, racy and textural, with tart, bracing fruit flavors. Not quite bone dry, it will hook up well with crab, scallops and mild cheeses.
St. Urbans-Hof 2006 Riesling QBA; $13. St. Urbans-Hof makes a full range of organically grown and traditionally vinified rieslings, all with thrilling scents and flavors of flower and rock. You might also try their 2006 Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Kabinett ($16) or the 2004 Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett ($19).
Kings Ridge 2006 Riesling; $14. Once the second label of Oregon’s Rex Hill, this is now a separate company. Borderline off-dry at just under one percent residual sugar, its crisp acids keep the flavors bright and spicy.
Canoe Ridge 2006 “Snipes Vineyard” Riesling; $17. From 20-year-old vines, this is as dry as riesling gets. Graceful and well-made, with 10 percent gewürztraminer in the blend.
Pewsey Vale 2006 “Individual Vineyard Selection” Riesling; $17. A dry, Australian bottling, clean and fresh, with a trace of fruit sweetness.
Elk Cove 2006 Estate Riesling; $19. This Willamette Valley producer makes an intense, bone dry riesling laced with lovely streaks of licorice. Interesting grace notes of citrus oil, tea and grapefruit wind through the finish.
Jean-Pierre Dirler 2004 Estate Riesling; $21. This biodynamic Alsatian producer’s estate riesling offers up a ripe, full, fleshy mix of fruit, spice and stone.