2012 Saar Riesling, Van Volxem ($19)
The new world of German labels has become so confusing! For starters…a lot of the modern wines coming out of Germany are quite dry…but the winemakers are not united in presenting that information to the consumer. Some dry wines say “trocken” on the label. Some say “dry” instead. Some ask you to infer dryness from other contextual information. (Good luck!) The most consistent way of discerning dryness, I say, is looking at the alcohol level on the label: anything at 12% or above should indicate a dry wine. And that’s how I knew this very designation-light wine from the Mosel would be dry. It ain’t dry as a bone, mind you…but in this acid-etched corner of the Mosel, a mild touch of balancing sweetness is a good thing. Straw color with glint of green. Nose opens beautifully: tight, Alsace-like fruit at first, peach later, finally hints of honey and botrytis. Amazingly rich and mouth-caressing for a steely Saar wine…and mostly dry! Great flavors ricochet around your palate, ending in something like brown sugar (the flavor, not the sweetness).
Wine4Food
Glorious wine for roast pork, roast turkey, roast veal…along with side dishes that are a tiny bit sweet (like glazed carrots).
David’s Wine Manifesto
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