2011 Foundation Wine Course 5: Riesling

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Foundation Wine Course V

Riesling

20 July 2011Copyright © Brian Jamieson

Riesling wines Lutomer Riesling

Yugoslavia (now Slovenia)

Piesporter Germany, Mosel

Liebfraumilch Germany, Rhine

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Riesling A white grape variety originating in the Rhine

region of Germany. An aromatic grape variety displaying flowery,

almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet and

sparkling white wines. Riesling wines are usually varietally pure and are

seldom oaked. Riesling is a variety which is highly terroir-

expressive, meaning that the character of the wines is clearly influenced by its place of origin.

Origins Cross between two mediaeval German

varieties: Gouais Blanc and Traminer x wild vine

Literature references: 1435 in Rhiengau 1477 in Alsace

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Impact of Riesling

Riesling the world's 20th most grown variety at 48,700 hectares.

In terms of importance for quality wines, it is usually included in the "top three" white wine varieties together with Chardonnay and Sauvignon.

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Where? Riesling is most commonly grown in colder

regions and locations. Riesling is the most grown variety in Germany

(20.8%) in the French region of Alsace (21.9%)

Also in Austria, Luxembourg, northern Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Finger Lakes, USA, Canada, South Africa.

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Longevity Often consumed young. Riesling's naturally high acidity and range

of flavours make it suitable for extended ageing.

Ageing periods for quality Riesling wines would be 5–15 years for dry 10–20 years for semi-sweet and 10-30+ for sweet versions.

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Petroleum aroma in aged Riesling wines

With time, Riesling wines tend to acquire a petrol nose .

An integral part of the aroma profile of mature Riesling and sought after by many experienced drinkers.

Ageing product : 1,1,6-trimethyl-1,2-dihydronaphthalene TDN

German wine industry ambivalent about ‘petrol or kerosene’ nose.

Matching with food A Riesling's typical aromas are of flowers,

tropical fruits, and mineral stone. Riesling is a versatile wine for pairing with food,

because of its balance of sugar and acidity. It can be paired with white fish or pork, and is

one of the few wines that can stand up to the stronger flavours and spices of Thai and Chinese cuisine.

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German wines A big producer. Traditional off-dry wines with residual sugar

are now unfashionable. But 100 years ago Mosel and Rhine wines

were sought after and were often the most expensive on Edwardian wine lists.

Move to dry (Trocken) wines for local consumption.

Classification of Quality German wines (the Rubbish)

Wein – cheap blended wine made from grapes outside the EU!!

Tafelwein – Table wine from grapes of EU origin Deutscher Tafelwein – must be 100% German; 75%

from one region to have a regional name on label Landwein – some quality considerations begin to creep in;

from a specified region

Classification of Quality German wines

Qualitätswein Bestimmer Anbaugebeit (QbA) – must be from one of the 13 regions; min alc 5.9 %

Equivalent to French AOC

Germany’s 13 QbA wine regions

Ahr Baden Franken Hessische

bergstrasse Mittelrhein Mosel Nahe

Pfalz Rheingau Rheinhessen Saale-Unstrut Sachsen Wurttemburg

GERMANY

Wine 2Wines 1, 7 & 8

Classification of Quality German wines (Quality wines): QmP Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP)

[Prädikatswein since 2007] – QbA from a specified district, village of vineyard

Kabinett QmP- delicate medium-dry wines Spätlese QmP – late-picked grapes giving

sweeter wines with more body Auslese QmP – wines from selected grapes to

give enhanced intensity and richness

Three styles on one vine

Depends on ripeness,hence sugar content

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Kabinett

Spatlese

Auslese

Classification of Quality German wines (The Exotic)

Beerenauslese QmP – selected individual grapes usually showing ‘noble rot’; produces wines of great concentration; balancing acidity prevents ‘cloying’

Eiswein QmP – ‘Ice wine’; very ripe grapes are gathered individually, often in a cold December morning when the water content is still frozen; pressed immediately and the ice crystals are separated from the acid and sugars to give a wine that is very sweet but has fresh acidity.

Trockenbeerenauslese QmP – grapes that have been shrivelled almost to dryness due to noble rot; gathered individually late in the season to produce an intensely sweet nectar-like juice

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Mosel production

Wine 1 Dr L, Loosen Bros, Riesling, Qualitätswein,

Mosel, 2010 non-estate wine comes exclusively from traditional vineyards with

steep slopes and slate soil. 8.5% alc; 40 g/l residual sugar Aromas:

The nose suggests honey, apricot, apples. Palate:

Off-dry. Apricot, peach hints. Minerality?

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Dr Ernst Loosen Ernst Loosen is a German winemaking hero.

based in the Mosel grows only Riesling.

‘With plots in many of the region's most famous vineyards he makes fantastic wines that just scream fruit from the blue slate soils of these improbably steep slopes.’

Decanter Magazine's 'Man of the Year' in 2005.

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The Bereich (Districts)of the Mosel Ürzig

Traditional slopes

New land

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Wine 2

Prinz von Hessen, Riesling Kabinett, Rheingau, 2008

Trocken style, but still 8.7g/l residual sugar Colour: Pale yellow, green Aroma: Fresh, juicy fruits – peaches, citrus Palate: Orange blossom and grapefruit.

Well balanced fruit-acidity and fine mineral characteristics.

Liebfraumilch Liebfraumilch is probably Germany's most notorious wine

type. In principle a medium-quality wine designation although

more commonly perceived to be a low-quality wine both at home and on the export market.

A semi-sweet QbA from the Rheingau, Nahe, Rheinhessen or Pfalz, consisting at least 70% of the varieties Riesling, Müller-Thurgau, Silvaner or Kerner.

In practice there is very little Riesling in Liebfraumilch since varietally labelled Riesling wines tend to fetch a higher price.

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Jancis Robinson Interlude

Riesling The tragedy of German wines

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Wine 3 Josemeyer, Les Pierrets Riesling, Alsace

AOC, 2004 Les Pierrets = small stones also sparrows 35 year old vines Hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed Slow fermentation with natural yeast. Residual sugar 6 g/l Palate: Quince and peach with strong

minerality. ‘Conjures up a limestone cliff after a

thunderstorm’

Wine regions of Austria

Look for: Grüner Veltliner (spicy white) and Riesling from Lower Austria (Niederosterreich

Sweet wines fromNeusiedelersee

The anti-freeze scandal of 1980sDiethylene glycol, not Ethylene glycol (Anti-freeze), to sweeten wines

Wine 5

Wine 4 Domaene Gobelsburg, Riesling,

Qualitätswein, 2008 Niederösterreich, -- Kamptal A modern winery in a historic castle setting. Aroma:

Deep and luxuriously intense Riesling aroma with hints of apples, melon and peach.

Palate: Light to medium bodied. Trocken style Bracing acidity; noticeable minerality; any

oiliness?. 87 Parker points

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Barossa and Eden ValleysSth

Australia

Rockford

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Wine 5 Rockford, Hand-picked Riesling, Eden Valley, Sth

Australia 2003 German (Silesian) heritage Small producer in Barossa, Eden Valleys Hand-picked, selected grapes. Colour: Light straw-green Aroma : Apple-blossom, citrus (lime?); any petrol? Palate: Citrus combined with slatiness; long, fine

finish; ‘Still very youthful. 94 points’. [James Halliday]

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Rockford boutique winery

Vintage wine press

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New Zealand

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Wine 6

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Wine 6 Villa Maria Private Bin Marlborough Dry Riesling

2010 . Colour: Light straw-green. Aroma : floral bouquet of sweet citrus-lime and fresh

spring flowers. Palate: light bodied showing distinct fresh lime and

citrus mandarin flavours with excellent fruit sweetness.

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The Bereich (Districts)of the Mosel Ürzig

Okfen

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Wine 7 Staatlichen Ockfener Bockstein Riesling

Auslese , M-S-R, QmB, 1976 1976 a good year in the Mosel – (remember the

heatwave!) Colour: Dark yellow-orange? Nose: Citrus? Honey? Candied orange peel? Any

petrol? Palate: Ripe honeyed fruits; luscious; long finish; but

sweet enough? ‘It is drinking well now, and still seems quite young

and vibrant’.39

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Wine 8 Dr Loosen, Riesling Beerenauslese (BA),

QmB, Mosel, 2006 Made from hand- selected botrytised grapes

in an exceptional year (2006) Only made in years when conditions allow

botrytis Harvested at around 120 ° Oechsle (cf.110 °

needed) Only 6.5% alc; 160 g/l residual sugar

Nose: Apples, citrus? Palate: Ripe honeyed fruits; luscious; long finish

Residual sugar Dr Loosen, Riesling Beerenauslese (BA)160 g/l Dr L, Loosen Bros, Riesling, Qualitätswein 40

g/l Prinz von Hessen, Riesling ,Kabinett 8.7

g/l Villa Maria, Marlborough Dry Riesling 8.1

g/l Josemeyer, Les Pierrets Riesling, Alsace 6

g/l

Rockford, Hand-picked Riesling, Eden Valley Domaene Gobelsburg, Riesling, Qualitätswein Staatlichen Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Auslese

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Preferred style? Off-dry German style

Drier German Trocken, Alsace, Austrian style

High-fruit, acidic New World style

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Today’s wines1. Dr L, Loosen Bros, Riesling, Qualitätswein, Mosel 2010 £7.49 M

2. Prinz von Hessen, Riesling Kabinett, Rheingau, 2008 £9.99 M

3. Josemeyer, Les Pierrets, Riesling, Alsace AOC, 2004 £19.50 WS

4. Domaene Gobelsburg, Riesling, Qualitätswein, 2008 £10.50 WS

5. Rockford, Hand-picked Riesling, Eden Valley, Sth Australia 2003 £12.99 M

6. Villa Maria Private Bin Marlborough Dry Riesling, NZ, 2010 £8.99 W

7. Staatlichen Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Auslese, QmP, M-S-R, 1976 £4 - £25

8. Dr Loosen, Riesling Beerenauslese (BA), QmP , Mosel, 2006(Quarter bottles) £10.99 M

--------------------------------W Waitrose WS Wine Society M Majestic

Which of today’s wines? White Riesling Nose:

Fruit? Petrol? Minerality?

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Final session

Wednesday 24 August 2011 at 2.30pm

Matching Food and Wine