Malolactic fermentation and Riesling

[John_Morris]

Thanks, Lars.

[Stuart_BeauneHead_Niemtzow]

I wonder…as I know next to nothing about German riesling…whether they are usually more or less acidic at harvest than Alsace?

[Jurgens_E]

@D@vid Bu3ker

Meh. The Lingenfelder (I think it was a 1995 Auslese Trocken) was interesting for a few sips and then just fell flat as Riesling. I got to try a second bottle a year or so later and it had collapsed into mush.

I had one in Washington state back in 1999, but it was a complete travesty. The malolactic was the least of its issues. The biggest problem was the 100% new oak.

Oak, Riesling. I have a morbid curiosity. Never had an oaked Riesling but would be willing to try. I probably would hate it but made me think. Oaked Chardonnay is considered ok by many. Why not age Riesling in barrels?
Naive question. Perhaps there are great oaked Rieslings out there?

[David_Bu3ker]

@Stuart BeauneHead Niemtzow

I wonder…as I know next to nothing about German riesling…whether they are usually more or less acidic at harvest than Alsace?

More. Often much more.

[David_Bu3ker]

@Jurgens E.

@D@vid Bu3ker

Meh. The Lingenfelder (I think it was a 1995 Auslese Trocken) was interesting for a few sips and then just fell flat as Riesling. I got to try a second bottle a year or so later and it had collapsed into mush.

I had one in Washington state back in 1999, but it was a complete travesty. The malolactic was the least of its issues. The biggest problem was the 100% new oak.

Oak, Riesling. I have a morbid curiosity. Never had an oaked Riesling but would be willing to try. I probably would hate it but made me think. Oaked Chardonnay is considered ok by many. Why not age Riesling in barrels?
Naive question. Perhaps there are great oaked Rieslings out there?

Thankfully the producer of Washington oaked Riesling is no longer in business.

[Harry_Gruber]

@Jurgens E.

@D@vid Bu3ker

Meh. The Lingenfelder (I think it was a 1995 Auslese Trocken) was interesting for a few sips and then just fell flat as Riesling. I got to try a second bottle a year or so later and it had collapsed into mush.

I had one in Washington state back in 1999, but it was a complete travesty. The malolactic was the least of its issues. The biggest problem was the 100% new oak.

Oak, Riesling. I have a morbid curiosity. Never had an oaked Riesling but would be willing to try. I probably would hate it but made me think. Oaked Chardonnay is considered ok by many. Why not age Riesling in barrels?
Naive question. Perhaps there are great oaked Rieslings out there?

David Bruce, who was an “iconoclastic” winemaker, once bottled a heavily oaked dry Riesling that came in at a very high alcohol as well (IIRC, over 16%.) IMO, it was one of the worst ideas he ever had, and the wine was truly wretched.

[John_Morris]

@Jurgens E.

Oak, Riesling. I have a morbid curiosity. Never had an oaked Riesling but would be willing to try. I probably would hate it but made me think. Oaked Chardonnay is considered ok by many. Why not age Riesling in barrels?

Since chardonnay isn’t innately fragrant, oak can lend something to it. But who needs another layer of aromas masking riesling’s own?

[J_a_y_H_a_c_k]

I wonder how Riesling was “aged” before stainless steel was invented (post 1913).

[Berry_Crawford]

@J a y H a c k

I wonder how Riesling was “aged” before stainless steel was invented (post 1913).

Foeders. Still is often the case.

[GregT]

And clay. But don’t forget, the point of oak wasn’t to add flavor until recently. In years past, it was only to produce a useful container. Doesn’t have to be new oak barriques.

[Lars_Carlberg]

@John Morris

Thanks, Lars.

You’re welcome, John.

[Lars_Carlberg]

@Berry Crawford

@J a y H a c k

I wonder how Riesling was “aged” before stainless steel was invented (post 1913).

Foeders. Still is often the case.

In the Mosel region, the traditional oak cask is the 1,000-liter Fuder. The oval oak casks, such as the 600-liter Halbstück or 1,200-liter Stück, are more common in the Rhine regions.

[g.colangelo]

@Jurgens E.

@D@vid Bu3ker

Meh. The Lingenfelder (I think it was a 1995 Auslese Trocken) was interesting for a few sips and then just fell flat as Riesling. I got to try a second bottle a year or so later and it had collapsed into mush.

I had one in Washington state back in 1999, but it was a complete travesty. The malolactic was the least of its issues. The biggest problem was the 100% new oak.

Oak, Riesling. I have a morbid curiosity. Never had an oaked Riesling but would be willing to try. I probably would hate it but made me think. Oaked Chardonnay is considered ok by many. Why not age Riesling in barrels?
Naive question. Perhaps there are great oaked Rieslings out there?

von Winning Rieslings do some maturation in partly new oak. I think that the oak is clearly perceivable, but is done tastefully. Especially the 2012 have been highly and quite broadly praised.
FWIW I liked several of them a lot.

[DougS]

I tried a 2012 von Winning GG that had noticeable oak on it. I think it was a really complex, well-balanced wine, even impressive in some ways, but I didn’t appreciate the style at all. Several people loved it and called it great.