2009 S.A. Prum Riesling QbA Mosel Essence

I almost didn't buy this wine. I have an aversion to wines from non-English-speaking countries that use English words in their names. The ostentatious "Essence" written upside the bottle nearly turned me off. It's too much like "Relax" riesling from Germany or, god forbid, "Blue Ridge" which you'd think would come from somewhere in the Appalachian mountains, but actually comes from Bulgaria.

But, it's Friday before a long weekend, it's 90 degrees out, I don't have air conditioning, or anything to do, and I wanted some cheap riesling. So there you have it. My standards are easily compromised.

The wine is a pale green-yellow in the glass (though I have to admit, I was looking more at the condensation on the outside of the glass, and thinking about how cool and refreshing it looked). The nose is intense with fruit - green apple, apricot - and floral notes, roses specifically. I also get a hint of...not petrol, exactly, more like pencil eraser, and something kind of like wet dog (though I suspect that's actually my dog, who is sitting beside me and who often plays in her water dish).

It's sweet on the palate, though not disproportionately so. The acid is right up there with it for balance, and there's a distinct tingle of effervescence on the tip of the tongue (thank you, screw top!). The finish is long and juicy, but there is a savory spice and minerality there, too, keeping the fruits in check. Pair this with some pad thai and you're in heaven.

All in all, best $14 I've spent in quite a while. Essence. Who knew?

Vintage: 2009
Grape: Riesling
Region: Mosel, Germany
Price: $14

2009 Heinrich Seebrich Riesling Kabinett Rheinhessen Niersteiner Ölberg

I am soooooo excited for this wine. I might be drinking it a bit on the early side; the high acidity in many German rieslings will allow the wine to age and improve for much longer than most white wines. I bet this wine will be even better in 5 or 10 years. Of course, I haven't yet tasted it, so perhaps I speak too soon.....

It's a light lemon yellow with hints of silver in the glass - I might think it was a sauvignon blanc if I guessed merely on sight. There is also a hint of effervescence, likely due to the screwcap. There is some hefty lime on the nose - I can tell it's going to be sour! - along with some yeasty, baking bread aromas. This comes from the winemaker leaving the dead yeast cells (lees) in with the wine while it ages, and will also allow a wine to age better, along with the high acidity. There are also some floral and herbaceous notes - dill, I think. (I'm terrible with flower aromas - I clearly need to smell more flowers.)

Oh, yeah, I was right. This is a wine that could age for a few years. In addition to the acidity (which is certainly present, but not overpowering or out of balance) and the lees, there is also a hint of sweetness - sugar can help a wine age more gracefully. The designation kabinett, unless otherwise noted, does indicate a slightly sweet wine, but it is the "driest" of the different levels of ripeness by which German wines are ranked by law. I chose this particular wine because I'm making pork chops with apricots for dinner and I needed a wine that was as least as sweet as my entree. Drinking a dry wine with food that has some sweetness to it can make a great wine taste sour and boring.

That said, this is not a sweet wine by any means. The flavors are savory, dominated by dill and lime, and a touch of that distinctive riesling petrol or rubbery aroma (which Germans claim their wines don't have, but they do). i can still sense the effervescence on my tongue, which adds to the piquancy of the wine.

Now I have to go cook dinner before I drink all the wine by itself!

Vintage: 2009
Grape: Riesling
Region: Rheinhessen, Germany
Price: $14
My rating: 90/100

2007 Dr. Burklin-Wolf Riesling QbA Pfalz Bürklin Estate

I didn't really feel like posting tonight, nor was I planning on opening another bottle of wine. But I ended up making some shrimp scampi that required me to open a bottle of white, and all I had on hand was this German riesling. I still wasn't planning on posting, but it turns out this wine is just too good not to share.

It's darker in color than I would expect from a German riesling, pure gold with a real brightness to it. The aromas do feature some of that petrol that rieslings often have (even though the Germans claim theirs never do), but there is more peach and caramel than anything else. I want to inhale this wine. The aromas are gorgeous.

And it's just as beautiful in the mouth. A tiny bit sweet, as many (but not all!) rieslings are, but with perfectly balanced acidity and fruit, and a medium-weighty mouthfeel which is just luxurious. The alcohol is higher than many German rieslings, likely because it comes from Pfalz, which is on the warmer side for riesling, but the wine is by no means "hot" in the mouth. The flavors in the mouth certainly include peach, but also something that I can only describe as muskmelon, which you probably don't know unless you're from Iowa. It's delicious, and I can't say enough good things about it. 90.