Mmmmm....smell that mold.... Contrary to what you might expect, this is not actually a criticism of the wine. Botrytis cinerea is a fungus that, under certain conditions, can make some very luscious (and extremely expensive) white wines. Chateau d'Yquem, for example. The fungus bores tiny holes in the grape skin, letting the water evaporate and concentrating the sugars and acids in the grape; thus, many botrytized wines are very sweet - Sauternes, Tokaji, etc. But not all. Grapes that are affected by botrytis only moderately can retain enough water and be fermented dry, so you get a white table wine with the exotic floral, honey, and pineapple notes characteristic of a sweet botrytis wine.
This Alsatian riesling has all of these aromas, plus some delicous lime and orange blossom. It's a dark yellow-gold in the glass, due partly to it's age, I'm sure, but also to botrytis' influence. Honestly, I have no idea if it's going to be sweet or not on the palate. I do suspect the grapes were harvested late, which allowed the sugar levels to increase, so the wine could be sweet. Or it could have really high alcohol. Let's see, shall we?
It's half and half! It's a touch sweet, but by no means a sweet wine. Definitely some botrytis characters, some alcohol-related heat, and disappointingly low acid. This may be a result of the late harvest, since as sugar levels rise, acid levels decrease. It may also just be that the wine is a little past it's prime. While the actual levels of acid in wine don't really decrease with age, the molecules can enter into complexes with esters in alcohol, thus lowering one's perception of the acid. Once this process passes a certain point, the acid levels can seem too low and the wine feels flabby.
The wine is pretty tasty, though. I'd be happy to sit down to a glass of this, with or without food. It would have been even better 2 or 3 years ago.
Vintage: 2006
Grape: Riesling
Region: Alsace, France
Price: $12
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