NINE RIESLINGS, MOSTLY DRY, WITH SEVEN DC DOODS - DeeCee Columbia Heights (3/16/2023)
Went with the best white grape ever for this months roundup with two new Berserkers adding to the mix of local wine loving friends.
The blind tasting was overseen by our benevolent three year old dictator, who graciously allowed us to talk wine while he watched hamsters on YouTube. Occasionally interjecting to demand a new video, he mostly left us to enjoy the wines.
All six of the dry wines were dumped into generic carafes and through a mildly complicated system all tasters were at least single blind. Unlike other tastings where some wines have been less exciting, the general sense here was that everyone would have been very happy drinking every single one of these wines. The general level was fantastic in my view.
Conversational highlights included endives as multipurpose tools (shovel, towel) and bike racing team internal cancel culture.
Blind Dry Rieslings
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2021 Desire Lines Riesling Massa - USA, California, Central Coast, Carmel Valley
Pale straw color. Initially quite shy on the nose, this eventually opened to show white florals and lime o the nose. A very clean and linear wine with some lemon/lime citrus and a bright refreshing finish. Seems this one could use some time to find its full expression. (90 points) -
2012 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Winninger Uhlen Riesling "L" Laubach - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Golden color. A: intense petrol and smoke with ripe apple. F: big on entry, waxy texture ripe orchard fruits, moves to smoke and rocks with a long finish that could possibly use a touch more acid. #3 for me (93 points) -
2019 Sabelli-Frisch Riesling Obie Curtis Vineyard - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Ynez Valley
Gold. Bit closed down aromatics but eventually yields some tropical fruit and toast. Palate is rich, with barrel notes of caramel and vanilla on top of some ripe nearly red fruit notes. Acid is sneaky here as it is not in the forefront but surely is there give. The overall balance of the wine.
This was quite divisive in a bunch of dry rieslings, but several of the group remarked on how much they liked it on its own… as “really very good white wine”… as sentiment I would agree with. If looking for German kabinett, do not come here! (90 points) -
2016 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Winninger Uhlen Riesling "L" Laubach - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Light gold. Pineapple and coconut and floral nose. Really intense and lots of extract on palate with yellow orchard fruit and a long satisfying finish. My lowest of the three Laubach this time, but all were excellent. (92 points) -
2015 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Winninger Uhlen Riesling "L" Laubach - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Light gold. Lots of petrol and something earthy/mushroom/meaty…and a fresh spring stream and white flowers also mixed in somehow. This shows both the power and presence of the other Laubachs but weaves in loads of mineral citrus cut and that crystalline mandarin fruit that I love in Riesling. A real beauty. (94 points) -
2019 Hermann J. Wiemer Dry Riesling - USA, New York, Finger Lakes
Pale straw color. Soaring mineral and white floral components on the nose. Bright, energetic, refreshing mineral, crystal clear mandarin, some ripe green apple, and a persistent finish. Really surprisingly good amongst some strong German competition in this blind tasting… especially good value.
This was opened and dumped into a carafe about two hours prior to tasting. (93 points)
Off Dry non-blind
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2019 Weingut Max Ferd. Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Pale straw color. An absolute treat with plenty of classic honeysuckle and mandarin on the nose and a beautifully balanced mix of citrus, rocks, sweetness and acid. This was drinking so nicely and disappeared quite quickly. (92 points) -
2020 Weingut Max Ferd. Richter Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Pale straw color. Unlike the 2019, this doesn’t seem to be quite together at this time. Similar elements exist in the mineral, citrus, acid and sweetness. However, they sort of exist in their separate parts right now. It also seems that the acid is a bit lower than the 19 and so the wine came across a bit more plush. Still a very pleasurable wine, perhaps in need of a little time to settle in. (91 points) -
2019 Willi Schaefer Graacher Domprobst Riesling Spätlese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer
Light pale yellow. Pretty stone fruit and mineral nose, quite unctuous palate of ripe stone fruits. This has the extract and acid to carry the sweetness and makes for a juicy young Riesling. Quite nice balanced spatlese. (92 points)
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