by Fredric Koeppel
The Commercial Appeal Wines made from riesling grapes always remind me of autumn. With their fresh fruitiness, the tension and balance between sweet and dry, their slightly overripe fleshiness and their woodsy earthy quality, rieslings contain many elements that mark the season of harvest and decay.
Rieslings pair well with such autumn foods as roast pork or veal with fruity sauces, sausages, braised rabbit and roasted game birds, and their spiciness and relative sweetness provide welcome relief from and resonance with heat-propelled Southeast Asian cuisine.
Of the grapes commonly acknowledged to produce the world's best wines - chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, nebbiolo, sangiovese, syrah - riesling is the least understood in America. Is it a sweet wine or a dry wine? Why do some labels say "white riesling" or "Johannisberg riesling"? Is it supposed to exude this rather "barnyardy" scent? And how are we supposed to comprehend German labels?
Unfortunately, those questions can be answered only ambiguously. Rieslings can be sweet or dry or anywhere in between, but most are mildly sweet with crisp acidity for a dry finish.
What's called white riesling in California is the true riesling grape of Germany 's Mosel and Rhine regions. California winemakers in the 19th century attached the name Johannisberg to riesling because of its association with the great Schloss Johannisberg estate in Germany; the word "Johannisberg," however, will not be allowed on American labels after 1999.
Because riesling grapes are often affected by the Botrytis cinerea mold, the "noble rot" that shrivels grapes and concentrates the sugar, many riesling wines will, indeed , possess a scent of overripe, damp earthiness or what's called "barnyard." It's an element that makes sipping the intense dessert wines made from riesling grapes so exciting.
Finally, reading German wine labels gives even the Germans trouble, a fact they are trying to remedy by label reform that, predictably, makes the labels even more confusing. Simplifying enormously: German wines generally are divided into two broad categories: the lower Qualitatswein bestimmer Anbaugebiete (QbA), wines that originate in one of the country's 13 designated regions; and Qualitatswein mit Pradikat (QmP ) or "quality wines with distinction." QmP wines list the village and vineyard on the label and the ripeness and sweetness factor of the grape, as in Kabinett, the driest, and on up the scale of Spatlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese and TroCkenbeerenauslese. TBAs, as they are known, are the sweetest and rarest of German dessert wines, the equivalent of French sauternes.
The classic areas for riesling-making are Germany's Mosel (or, officially Mosel -Saar-Ruwer) and Rheingau regions and Alsace in France. Great strides are being made with riesling in Australia's Clare Valley and McLaren Vale and to a lesser extent in New Zealand. California is capable of producing excellent rieslings if the vineyards are planted in the appropriate locations, but the majority of examples range from generic to insipid.
This handful of rieslings, the best I have tasted recently, rates Very good+ to Excellent.
- Lovely Rheinart Ayler Kupp Riesling Auslese 1995 displays a mature orange-mango and slightly petrolish bouquet. Its subtly rich citrus-pear flavors and its dense, silky texture slide elegantly through the mouth. Very good+. About $14.
- An incredible bouquet of pears and apricots with touches of banana, orange zest and blossom characterizes the rich and earthy Langwerth von Simmern Hattenheimer Mannberg Riesling Kabinett 1995, Rheingau. It's round and mouth-filling with citrus flavors, slightly sweet on entry but with a dry, limestone-drenched finish. Excellent. About $26.
- Apricot, peach and mango teem in a glass of the Langwerth von Simmern Hattenheimer Nussbrunnen Riesling Auslese 1996, Rheingau, a lovely, dense, silky wine that's ripe with citrus, peach and melon flavors touched with honey, almond blossom and wet stones. Utter purity and exquisite balance make it great. Excellent. About $28.
- The finely knit Robert Eymael Monchof Astor Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Kabinett 1998, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, is silky and juicy in the mouth, bursting with fresh, ripe peach and pear flavors; it's delicate but filled with character. Very good+. About $15, a Great Bargain.
- The Fritz Haag Brauneberger Juffler-Sonnenwehr Riesling Kabinett 1998, Mosel -Saar-Ruwer, offers a seductively ripe peachy-lychee nose that leans to earthiness and minerals. A lush, silken texture envelopes spiced peach, pear and melon flavors. Excellent. About $22.
- With its rose petal and petrol bouquet and pear-apricot fruit, the Franklin Estate Isolation Ridge Riesling 1998, Western Australia, seems pretty classic. The petrol-eraser character intensifies in the glass, an element American consumers have to get used to, but Australians love it. Excellent. About $18.
(E-mail koeppel@gomemphis.com or write The Commercial Appeal, PO Box 134, Memphis , TN 38101.)
Resources The Commercial Appeal newspaper
The Commercial Appeal
495 Union Ave.
Memphis, TN 38103
Toll Free Phone: 800-444-6397
URL:
www.gomemphis.com
)
