Riesling and Co. trade tasting 2010

This year's "Riesling & Co." trade tasting demonstrated impressively the excellence of German Riesling, especially of the 2009 vintage. A near perferct growing season produced wines of mineral vigorousness and irresistive acidity. High extracts have bestowed a somber elegance upon Rieslings which are ready to drink now but which also have a long and promising future in the cellar.

The tasting offered wines from over 70 producers. I chose a handful. And was impressed.

Weingut Becker-Steinhauer (Mosel)

Karsten Becker farms 8 ha in the Mosel amongst those one of the smallest vineyards in Germany, the Veldenzer Carlsberg, which is surrounded by a stone wall. The 2009 Rieslings of Becker-Steinhauer all had a nice sonorous character.

2009 Riesling dry

Nice aroma of fermented apple. Vibrant acidity. Grapefruit and mineral flavors, albeit a bit thin overall.

2009 Mülheimer Sonnenlay Riesling Kabinett halbtrocken

Apple and wet stones aroma, with a hint of smoke. Off-dry, with a medium intensity of bitter grapefruit and stones. Very linear, with a medium length that gains a spicy momentum during the finish.

2009 Veldenzer Kirchberg Riesling Kabinett

Slightly muted aroma of bruised apple. Off-dry, with a similar grapefruit flavor as the Sonnenlay, but with a less mineral, softer character.

2009 Veldenzer Carlsberg Riesling Spätlese

Already fairly developed Riesling from old vines. Aromas of bruised apple and flowers. Sweet and spicy on the palate, with lots of minerality and a crisp, well-integrated acidity. Ripe peach flavor. Medium(+) length with a mineral finish. Very good.

2009 Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Spätlese

Aromas of white peach, florals and honey. Sweet on the palate, but brimming with a vibrant acidity and ripe fruit. Still a bit nervous, needs some time to settle. Promising.

2009 Veldenzer Kirchberg Riesling Auslese

Interesting aroma of cherry fruit and chocolate. Pronounced intensity of spicy peach pulp flavors. Long length. Powerful Auslese.

2007 Veldenzer Kirchberg Riesling Beerenauslese

Beautiful deep golden color. The aroma is pronounced honey, spice and peach. Similar flavors of honey, orange peel, peach and minerality. Very long length with a spicy finish. Remarkable.

Weingut Kerpen (Mosel)

2009 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett halbtrocken

Aromas of quince and grapefruit. Nervous minerality on the palate, very fresh and steely with a dominant grapefruit character.

2009 Riesling Kabinett Wehlener Sonnenuhr

Peach fruit and minerals on the nose. Off-dry on the palate. High acidity, very slatey mineral flavors driving the stone fruit. Fairly long length. Very good Kabinett.

Weingut Carl Loewen (Mosel)

2009 Maximin Herrenberg "1896" Alte Reben Riesling

Quite complex smokey mineral grapefruit aroma with interlaced florals. Dry. High acidity giving the earthy and very mineral flavors a nice vibrancy. Bitter grapefruit shining through. Long length from ungrafted vines over a hundred years old!

2009 Laurentiuslay Riesling Spätlese

Aroma of apple flowers and stones. Dry, with a bitter flavors of quince and minerality. Fairly long length, albeit not as long as the Alte Reben.

Dr. Loosen (Mosel)

2008 Riesling Kabinett "Blue Slate"

Grapefruit aroma. Off-dry on the palate, with citrus fruit and minerality flavors, albeit with a rather short finish.

2008 Riesling Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese

Aroma of apricot jam and stones. Medium sweet with nice mineral flavors and spicy peach fruit. Medium length.

2006 Riesling Beerenauslese

Aroma of dried apricots, plum, honey and the enticing, secretive scent of a cool moist cathedral. Relatively light Beerenauslese, very fruity and elegantly balanced. Medium(+) length.

Markus Molitor (Mosel)

Elegant wines, all of which had a nice touch of bitterness to them, particularly pleasant in the wines that had some residual sugar.

2008 Riesling Haus Klosterberg trocken

Very fresh citrus and mineral aroma. Dry on the palate, very linear. Bitter grapefruit, minerality. High acidity. Medium(-) length.

2008 Bernkasteler Badstube Riesling Spätlese halbtrocken

Soft aroma of peach and minerals. Off-dry. Medium(+) acidity. Minerality and slightly bitter grapefruit. Medium length.

2008 Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese

Aroma of spicy peach, similar to the Sonnenuhr, but with hints of smoke. Sweet, soft palate, very pleasant mouthfeel. Spices, red apple and grapefruit. Medium(+) length. A spicy and bold yet elegant Spätlese.

2008 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese

Ripe peach aromas, slightly spicy. Sweet with beautifully balanced crisp acidity and endlessly elegant soft mouthfeel. Grapefruit and mineral flavors with a touch of bitterness. Wonderful Riesling!

2006 Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese

Elegant aroma of honey and petrol notes. Sweet, high acidity. Warm mouthfeel. Stone fruit, berry pulp and minerality. Hint of bitterness towards the end of the long finish. Very good.

Weingut Max Ferd. Richter (Mosel)

2008 Riesling Classic

Earthy aroma. Dry with citrus fruit and minerality. Thin mouthfeel and rather uninteresting overall.

2008 Graacher Domprobst Riesling Kabinett halbtrocken

Nice earthy, mineral aroma. Off-dry. Crisp acidity. Ripe peach flavor with a bitter touch on a medium(+) length. Fairly powerful Kabinett.

2008 Richter Estate Riesling

Pronounced mineral aroma. Off-dry on the palate with high acidity and spicy peach flavors. Medium length.

2008 Brauneberger Juffer Riesling Kabinett

Very jammy apricot aroma and minerality. Off-dry, light body with a fine balance of acidity and stone fruit flavors.

2008 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese

Nice earthy farmyard and red apple aromas. Sweet on the palate. Very fruity and elegant but also relatively simple.

2008 Brauneberger Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese

A very light Auslese style, with peach and stone fruit aromas, but still somewhat closed at this point.

Weingut Robert Weil (Rheingau)

The three 2008 Rieslings presented were all fairly powerful wines, at the cost of elegance. The Spätlese had a fine length, the Kabinetts were a bit unbalanced.

2008 Riesling trocken

Prnounced apple aroma. Dry on the palate, with nice spicy grapefruit flavors but also a slightly alcoholic finish.

2008 Riesling Kabinett halbtrocken

More stone fruit on the nose. Off-dry, with minerality on the palate. Not enough acidity to balance the sugar.

2008 Kiedrich Gräfenberg Riesling Spätlese

Aroma of very ripe peach, honey, florals and spice. Sweet on the palate, very soft and round but with a spicy touch. Medium(+) length.

Weingut Mathern (Nahe)

2009 Riesling "Red Rock" trocken

Aromas of ripe apple and woodruff. Lively acidity with pronounced mineral notes and bitter grapefruit flavors. Medium(+) length.

2009 Riesling "Blue Slate" halbtrocken

Nice earthy aroma, ripe peach. Off-dry on the palate with bitter grapefruit flavors. Medium length and very elegant.

2009 Riesling Kabinett "3 Stones"

Floral, fruity aroma. Semi-sweetness perfectly balanced by a crisp acidity. Somber ripe peach fruit and a medium(+) length.

2009 Riesling Spätlese "Old vines" trocken

Beautiful mineral aroma, saturated with quince and grapefruit and a hint of smoke. It is dry on the palate. Crisp acidity. Flavors of grapefruit and wet stones. Long length. Great, elegant Riesling!

2009 Rosenberg Riesling Spätlese

Floral, elegant Spätlese with crisp acidity and fairly long length.

2009 Rosenberg Riesling Auslese "Luisa"

Quite floral on the nose, with fruit and a hint of smoke. Very elegant, with spicy and mineral flavors. Stone fruit gains momentum through the crisp acidity. Long length. Very good!

Weingut Tesch (Nahe)

2008 Riesling "Unplugged"

Earthy aroma, peach and florals. Dry on the palate, with high acidity. Grapefruit and mineral flavors.

2008 Riesling Karthäser

Soft aroma of sweet florals and citrus fruit. Dry. Bitter grapefruit flavors, earthy and spicy. Long length. Very good.

2008 Riesling St. Remigiusberg

Pronounced earthy aroma. Grapefruit flavors, quite peppery and mineral. Long length. Very good.

Weingut Dreissigacker (Rheinhessen)

2008 Riesling dry

Nice earthy aroma. Very dry on the palate, steely, with somber grapefruit flavors. Medium(+) length, quite long for an entry-level Riesling. Yields of 25 hl/ha, quite radical for an entry-level Riesling.

Weingut K. F. Groebe (Rheinhessen)

2007 Aulerde Riesling Grosses Gewächs

Very delicate, well-balanced nose with earthy mineral aromas. Floras and herbs on the palate, still quite nervous due to its crisp acidity.