Christmas Eve Wine Tasting

On Christmas Eve, we had a wine tasting with our neighbors, Steve and Diane Porterfield. Steve is the one who introduced us to the German Rieslings, so it was fun to do a tasting with him. Steve and I had gone to Davidsons over the weekend, where we each picked up 2-3 bottles. I had a Saint M already open, so we had a total of six wines to compare. We had an array of appetizers while we tried the wines, including a variety of fresh sausages (sweet Italian pork, Cajun chicken, chicken and apple, and Polish pork) from Sunflower Market, Italian meatballs, Buffalo wings, chips with various dips, and a fresh vegetable tray. Here is what we tried:

Dr. Loosen 2005 Blue Slate Riesling - Mosel Saar Ruwer
Qualitätswein - Produce of Germany
Produced and bottled by Dr. Loosen D-54470 Bernkastel/Mosel
A. P. Nr. 3 576 162 1306
Imported by Loosen Bros. USA Ltd. Salem, Oregon
Blue Slate Riesling comes entirely from steep blue slate vineyards in the Mosel valley. These vineyards are noted for their delicate aromas and vivacious personalities, which are quintessential expression of the Mosel. Blue Slate Riesling, made in the classic, off-dry style.
Alcohol 8.5%
Price: $12.99

Tasting Notes:

Had a good balance of sweetness and acidity, slightly sweet, fairly light body, with a discernable citrus note. This wine was very smooth. I think that it compares well with the Mönchhof Mosel Slate, which has been my favorite, especially at 2/3 the price!

Steve said: A blast of sweetness carried by a burst of tangy citrus to a lovely finish...

This was Steve’s favorite of the night, and my (close) second favorite. This was Jeannette’s favorite as well. I liked it enough to buy another bottle for New Years’s Eve. The only drawback was that the champagne we opened at midnight was disappointing compared to this lovely Riesling!


Wegeler 2003 Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Spätlese - Rheingau
Weingüter Wegeler - D-65375 Oestrich-Winkel
Rheingau - Qualitätswein mit Prädikat
Gutsabfüllung A.P. Nr. 002902401104 - Produce of Germany
In 1882 Julius Wegeler established the Wegeler Family Estates which are now operated in the fourth generation. Know-how, garnered in over a century both in the cellar and vineyard evolved a winemaking philosophy that strives to produce great Rieslings that reflect the signature of both estate and vineyard.
Imported by Cellars International, Inc.
San Marcos, CA 92069 USA
for Rudi Wiest
Alcohol 8.0%
Price: $12.99

Tasting Notes:

Had a nice heavy body, full of citrus flavors, loads of sweetness, with a definite mineral bite. Had a bit of a “sour apple” tart finish. This also compares well with the Mönchhof Mosel Slate, like the Loosen Blue Slate. This may become my new favorite! (I’ve already bought another bottle...)

Steve said: A bold mineral presence mixed with a subdued sweetness and tartness with a short, fading finish.

I ranked this as my favorite of the night, and Steve placed it second. I liked the heavier body, but Steve thought it was too heavy!


Saint M 2006 Riesling - Pfalz region
11% alcohol
Bottled by Villa Wolf property of Ernst Loosen for Chateau Ste. Michelle
Qualitätswein
Product of Germany - Bottled by D-RP 142 463 in D-07231134
A. P. Nr. 5 142 463 01 07
Shipped and imported by Chateau Ste. Michelle, Woodinville, WA, USA
Price: $7.99 from Davidsons

Tasting Notes:
Light gold color, medium body. slightly sweet, off dry, a bit of a tart/acidic finish. A well balanced combination of sweetness, tart apple, mineral and acidity.

Steve said: A smooth, almost halbtrocken combination of mineral, sweetness, citrus, well balanced yet light and very tasteful.

Both Steve and I ranked this as our third pick of the night. We enjoyed the Saint M more than the Flying Ace, Rosch or Detonation, and the Saint M is considerably less money!


Josef Rosch 2005 Halbtrocken Liewen Klostergarten
(Need to get the details from the label)
Price: $16.99 at Davidsons

Tasting Notes:
A sharp attack of mineral and acid, with a tart finish. Not as well balanced as the other wines we tasted. Disappointing for the price point.

Steve said: A halbtrocken with a smooth balance yet Stronger on mineral strength, lesser on sweetness and citrus. Medium finish - not remarkable.

Both Steve and I ranked this in fourth place, after the Saint M. For the same money, I would buy two bottles of the Saint M instead of buying this again.


Flying Ace 2006 Riesling - Rheingau
Qualitätswein
The Red Baron was the original Top Gun, known for his skill and courage. Flying Ace is a deftly made half-dry Riesling from the land where this grape reigns supreme. Flavors of golden delicious apples mingle with ripe peaches and tangerine, followed by a refreshingly crisp finish. This is a versitile, food-friendly Riesling that can pair with poultry dishes, salads, and Asian cuisine. Prost!
A.P. NR. 3107102307
White Wine - Product of Germany
Bottled by Weingut Karl-Joh. Molitor
65346 Eltville-Hattenheim
Alcohol 11%
Imported by Magellan Wine Imports, Inc.
Centennial, CO 80122
Price: $12.99

Tasting Notes:
Overwhelming sour apple flavors, strong mineral component, no discernable sweetness, very flat finish...

Steve said: A definite halbtrocken not withstanding, fair balance of mineral, sweetness and citrus. A half finish as well...

We both ranked this wine as our fifth pick, although neither of us expect to buy this again...


Batterieberg 2006 Detonation Riesling - Rheinhessen
Qualitätswein - White Wine - Product of Germany
A. P. Nr. 1 907 133 190 07 - Bottled by D-RP 907 133 in D-07 135 092
Shipped by Weinhaus C.A. Immich-Batterieberg, D-56850 Enkrich
Imported by Magellan Wine Imports, Inc.
Centennial, CO 80122
Housed in a 1,000 year-old castle, the estate of Batterieberg (Cannon Hill) takes its name from its vineyard that was created in the 19th century by blasting away a mountainside with dynamite. The blasting echoed like 100 cannons in the valley and revealed the pure blue slate that the vines grow in today. Detonation Riesling pays homage to the vineyard created with dynamite.
Alcohol 11%
Price: $11.99

Tasting Notes:

Sharp mineral bite, lacking discernable sweetness, lacking balance. Perhaps too dry for my taste? Very disappointing for the price.

Steve said: Subdued mineral tastes blended with sweetness, absent of citrus, no real finish

We both ranked this as our last pick. Certainly, for the money, I would rather spend an extra dollar or two for the Dr. Loosen or the Wegeler, or even save a few bucks and get the Saint M, which is more enjoyable. This is not a wine that I would expect to buy again, and it may steer me away from other Batteriebergs, although their higher end wines are well rated... Perhaps I’ll have to try another sometime...

I finished this bottle over the days following our tasting, and it seemed to improve a bit... Perhaps it needed to breathe a little, or perhaps our palattes were overwhelmed by the Dr. Loosen or Wegeler Spätlese that we tasted first? I still didn’t like this as well as the Saint M, so it didn’t change my opinion much... Perhaps enough to tie with the Rosch?

Conclusions:

As I have developed a taste for German Rieslings, and gained some exposure to different producers and regions, I have come up with some criteria for rating them. First, do I enjoy the wine, and find it interesting? Is it good enough that I would like to have it again? Then, do I like it more than other wines in the price range? If I don’t like it more than another wine that is the same price, or less, then I wouldn’t rank it highly. So, the first cut is a pass/fail test: would I buy it again? Next question is would I spend more money for this wine that another that I like?

I noted our rankings in the notes above. The top three wines all make the cut - I would definately buy them again. In fact, I already have! The lower three wines definately fail that test - I would certainly NOT buy any of them again.

Ranking the top three picks by the second criteria is perhaps a bit more difficult. Since October, my absolute favorite Riesling has been the Mönchhof Mosel Slate, which is about $18 a bottle locally. Both of the top two from this flight are about $13 each. I definately like them as well as the Mönchhof, and since they are about 30% less expensive, I’d have to say that I expect to buy the Dr. Loosen Blue Slate or Wegeler Spätlese more frequently than the Mönchhof. The Saint M has been one of my preferred wines for “everyday” (or in my case, weekend). It goes nicely with food or by itself, and at $8 is easy to afford.

This tasting was interesting for several reasons. Most of the Rieslings that I’ve had so far have been from the Mosel region. This time we included Rheinhessen and Rheingau regions as well as the Saint M from Pfalz. Also, most of the Rieslings I’ve had before this were QbA or Spätlese, where several of these wines were “halbtrocken,” the German term meaning “half-dry.” I think that both Steve and I came to conclusion that neither of us like the halbtrocken styles. If you prefer a dry white wine, then you might enjoy the Flying Ace, Rosch, or Detonation more than we did. Also, I think that both of our wifes like the sweeter wines better, which means that we wouldn’t get into so much trouble buying them, as long as we share! ;-)