Let’s face it, German wine can be a tough sell. The connotation of a saccharine sweet Riesling is still alive and well and continues to be my biggest hurdle when trying to convince people to give German Riesling its due chance. Listening to Terry Theise helps. He has a command of the spoken word that’s on a level practically unattainable to a mere wine mortal like myself. For those of you who need an introduction, Mr. Theise has been writing about and importing wine for over 30 years with a heavy emphasis on wines from Germany and Austria. Always one to push the envelope and provide an edgy point of view, his narratives are captivating, raw, and uncensored. Thus, when events centering around his portfolio come to town, I’m there.
Wine Buyer-Ryan Gerni (left), Wine Specialist-Don Ryan (right), and I comprised quite the tasting crew at The Bindery. The Terry Theise Estate Selections Summer Tour was hosted by Skurnik Wines and Spirits and Synergy Fine Wines.
So, how do you get through tasting 128 different wines that are mostly white, aromatic, and higher in acid? I don’t know, because I was only able to get through about 50 before my palate was shot. One thing that helped was the audio link we received before the tasting with Terry using colorful wine descriptors such as “angular” and ”kinky”, along with my favorite quote from his podcast “[the grape varietal] Scheurebe is like Riesling would be after a Kama Sutra wild weekend – untamed”. There was also a bit of discussion about preconceived and associative responses to hearing about the wines before trying them, but I personally liked listening about a few of the wines on the car ride to the event. If for nothing else, to learn that I’ve been mispronouncing so many German wines for years. Thanks to Terry’s narration, I can now say Scheurebe and Meulenhof correctly and with absolute confidence.
When the rocks and soil samples come out, you know things are getting serious.
The cool yet uncool thing about these wines, is the preparation and thought it takes to get them from the tasting table to the dining room table. Many of the wines can only be ordered one time per year and sometimes the timing doesn’t coincide with when the majority are purchased by the wine drinking public. Did I mention they also have to cross an ocean? So, what do we do about these wines that only a small segment of wine lovers are willing try, are sometimes challenging to keep in stock, and come with long words on their difficult to pronounce labels? We take a gamble. We bet that if enough people try the many different variants of Riesling, they too will see what Terry sees. What we see. That Riesling is truly one of those grapes that can be anything it wants to be. From beautifully dry to strikingly sweet and everything in between. Are there other German wines worth mentioning? Of course. But, for now, we’ll leave those like Scheurebe and Spatburgunder for another day and another post.
An entire table devoted to Selbach-Oster.
Here’s my short-list of standouts based on value and taste. If you can get your hands on the following Rieslings, I highly recommend snatching them up:
- Schlossgut Diel, Riesling Sekt, Brut, 2009 – Sparkling and simply stunning. Although the 91 months it spends on the lees had us scratching our heads as to why the hell such a random number. Spoiler alert – 7 years and 7 months immediately made more sense. Math is fun like that. The mid palate was also fun with the viscosity from the lees aging and the fruitiness of a varietally correct Riesling. After the pop of fruit, the wine then became bone-dry for the finish.
- Schlossgut Diel, Riesling Kabinett, 2017 – This winery has been part of the Diel family since 1802. Their Kabinett Riesling is a benchmark. Always consistent throughout vintages. Great balance between juicy and zesty.
- Selbach-Oster, Zeltinger Sonnenuhur, Riesling Spatlese, 2017 – Owning some of the oldest vineyard sites in the area, Selbach-Oster continues to impress. This is a softer version of a Spatlese style Riesling that is delicate and refined. A great mid-line Riesling from this producer.
- Selbach-Oster, Zeltinger Schlossberg, Riesling Spatlese, 2011 – Lovely concentration of the earthy and mineral elements found in quality Riesling. The Spatlese style provides just the right amount of residual sugar for an “opulent and tropical” note.
- Selbach-Oster, Zeltinger Himmelreich, Riesling “Anrecht”, 2016 – Not just single vineyard, but single parcel! Herbaceous, complex, fruity, and savory, this is one of those “thoughtful” wines that invites the taster to have another glass.
- Loewen Longuicher, Herrenberg, Riesling Kabinett, 2017 – Stone fruit and bright structure. Drier in style with a fun depiction of minerality due to the blue and grey slate in the soils.
Enjoy!
Header Image Credit - Peter Gudella / Shutterstock.com
