Off-dry’s just kind of the tip of the residual-sugar iceberg in this compilation of sweet things to treat the tastebuds this July. Mostly German, almost exclusively Riesling and totally delicious, a lovely suite for any time of year.
CONTENTS – Read on for notes and reviews
THE BALANCE
2015 Charteris Hunt Vineyard Riesling Central Otago RRP $37
2015 Frankland Estate Smith Cullam Riesling Frankland River RRP $53
2013 Ostertag Pinot Gris Zellberg Alsace RRP $93
2016 TWR Gewürztraminer SV 5182 Marlborough RRP $43
THE GERMANS
Kabinett
2014 Ansgar Clüsserath Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Kabinett Mosel RRP $43
2012 Ansgar Clüsserath Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Feinherb Mosel RRP $53
2015 Dr. Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Kabinett Mosel RRP $40
2015 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett Mosel RRP $44
2015 Dr. Loosen Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Mosel RRP $44
2015 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett MAGNUM Mosel RRP $106
2015 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett Nahe RRP $44
2015 Gunderloch Jean Baptiste Riesling Kabinett Rheinhessen RRP $32
Spätlese
2015 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese Mosel RRP $65
2015 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese MAGNUM Mosel RRP $149
2015 Dr. Loosen Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese MAGNUM Mosel RRP $149
2015 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese MAGNUM Nahe RRP $239
2009 Gunderloch Nackenheimer Rothenberg Riesling Spätlese Rheinhessen RRP $58
Auslese
2015 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 187ml Mosel RRP $32
2015 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese 375ml Mosel RRP $64
2015 Georg Breuer Rheingau Riesling Auslese 375ml Rheingau RRP $39
2007 Koehler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Auslese Pfalz RRP $74
Beerenauslese
2013 Dr. Loosen Beerenauslese 375ml Mosel RRP $71
THE BALANCE
2015 Charteris Hunt Vineyard Riesling Central Otago RRP $37
PJ Charteris waxes lyrical over “geological Riesling pornography” when reflecting of this pocket of Central Otago heaven that mingles gneiss, loess, schist and gravels. At the other end of the process you have exquisite aromatics, utter purity and perfect balance from these digits: 2.81pH; 8.25g/L acidity; 11g/L residual sugar; 12% alcohol. With the earlier than usual harvest date, PJ Charteris seems to have unlocked a new suite of aromatics and flavours. The Granny Smith apple and lime characters that mark this vineyard are still there with the overlay of mineral salts and lavender. Gardenia and citrus floral notes add aromatic abundance. There are ever so subtle hints of sherbet and lime jelly crystals. The palate opens with volume and substance, generously polished with well-sculpted lines and edges. There is a fluidity and carry to the phenolics with counterbalanced acidity and liveliness. Long and polished, heaps of limey flavours giving persistence. The sweetness is subtle and balances with the acidity to create mouthwatering line and length.
2015 Frankland Estate Smith Cullam Riesling Frankland River RRP $53
Has well and truly established itself in the wine community; the finish is a magical blend of flint and fruit, the residual sugar perfectly balanced by titratable acidity; great length. 96 points. James Halliday Halliday Wine Companion 2017
2013 Ostertag Pinot Gris Zellberg Alsace RRP $93
Very clear and precise on the nose, the 2013 Pinot Gris Zellberg from a south-east facing site on calcareous soils offers a bright and subtle bouquet, with fine floral and herbal flavors, along with delicate white fruit and some nutty and lemon aromas. Rich, almost sweet (from the extract) and densely woven, this is a deep, full-bodied, highly elegant and quite Burgundian Pinot Gris. The finish is fruit intense and tension-filled, and the length is impressive as is the salivating salinity. 92 points. Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate October 2015
2016 TWR Gewürztraminer SV 5182 Marlborough RRP $43
This vineyard is claimed to have some of the oldest vines in Marlborough. Intense, moderately sweet gewürz with concentrated Turkish delight and anise flavours. Discreetly luscious with seductive purity, an ethereal texture and an incredibly lengthy finish. 95 points. Bob Campbell MW, Gourmet Traveller WINE June 2017
THE GERMANS
Kabinett
2014 Ansgar Clüsserath Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Kabinett Mosel RRP $43
Clüsserath’s 2014 Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Kabinett offers an invitingly clear and flinty bouquet of white fruits and herbal flavors. Light but juicy and racy-piquant on the palate, this is a round and delicate rather than sweet Kabinett, with a stimulating finish. Drinking this gorgeous Kabinett means a lot of fun for two. 89 points. Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate March 2016
2012 Ansgar Clüsserath Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Feinherb Mosel RRP $53
An old style of winemaking that has returned. Long ferments. Great expression of fruit, great expression of savoury. Smoke, honeycomb, dried apple, squeeze of citrus. Some bassline funk going on. Fleshiness to texture, slip of honeyed fruit, curvaceous, but still holds great freshness. Some concentration and drive here for sure. Finishes with a lilt of chalkiness, but the concentration and focus of flavour is all here. Intriguing. Dancing. 93 points. Mike Bennie, The Wine Front February 2015
2015 Dr. Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Kabinett Mosel RRP $40
MAGNUM RRP $106
Always close to the quality of the Wehlener, its bouquet is highly floral, with citrus and white flowers to the fore. Varietal fruit, residual sugar and residual sugar provide a three-way burst of sublime freshness and coherence. 7.5% alc; screwcap. Drink to 2030. 95 points. James Halliday, Weekend Australian June 2017
2015 Dr Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett Mosel RRP $44
MAGNUM RRP $106
Has that extra edge of quality that distinguishes it from its Bernkasteler and Graacher siblings, purity personified, vibrant, long and precise. Rose’s lime juice is perfectly balanced by mouthwatering acidity on the finish and aftertaste. 8.5% alc; screwcap. Drink to 2030. 96 points. James Halliday. Weekend Australian
2015 Dr. Loosen Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett Mosel RRP $44
A small village named Graach lies between two more-famous neighbours: Bernkastel and Wehlen. This vineyard’s steep, southwest-facing slopes and deep soils produce wines that combine the elegance of Wehlen with the rustic strength of Bernkastel. Because of the forceful minerality from the abundant blue slate in the soil, wines from Graach have excellent aging potential and will improve in the bottle for many decades.
2015 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett MAGNUM Mosel RRP $106
The 2015 Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Kabinett displays a very clear, pure and refined, but deep, complex and flinty bouquet; there are stony and lemon perfume aromas. On the palate, this is a very complex, firm and racy Riesling that is low in alcohol (8%), but high in tension and acidity. The finish is long, tight and very complex. I’d keep this Kabinett in the cellar for five or more years, but it can easily age for more than 20 years. 93 points. Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate April 2017
2015 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett Nahe RRP $44
Coming from argillaceous shale soils, the 2015 Oberhäuser Leistenberg Riesling Kabinett opens with a very clear and coolish, slightly flinty bouquet with white Riesling and some refreshing lemon flavors. Full-flavored and intense on the palate, this is a lovely, light-hearted, piquant and racy Riesling with intensity and persistency. The 40+ grams of residual sugar are almost fully eaten by the minerality and piquancy of this picture book Kabinett. 91 points. Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate December, 2016
2015 Gunderloch Jean Baptiste Riesling Kabinett Rheinhessen RRP $32
Flinty and fresh on the nose, with a bright and stony fruit aroma, the 2015 Riesling Kabinett Jean Baptiste is light and filigreed, round and piquant, as well as refreshingly salty in the finish. A delicious Kabinett. 89 points. Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate March 2017
Spätlese
2015 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese Mosel RRP $65
This offers a rather elegant nose of pear, white minerals and flowers. The wine is delicately creamy on the palate, with more minerals and a touch of sweetness still in need of integration. The finish proves however nicely vibrant and juicy. 2025-2040. 91 points. Jean Fisch & David Rayer, Mosel Fine Wines October 2016
2015 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese MAGNUM Mosel RRP $149
This offers a ripe nose of fresh herbs, spices, melon and pear. The wine is nicely ripe and juicy on the palate and leaves a gorgeous and delicately ripe feel on the palate and in the long and gorgeously zesty finish. 2025-2040. 92 points. Jean Fisch & David Rayer, Mosel Fine Wines October 2016
2015 Dr. Loosen Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese MAGNUM Mosel RRP $149
The 2015 Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spätlese opens with clear, precise, fresh and elegant, flinty flavored fruit aromas of ripe Riesling grapes. Round, piquant and not all too sweet, this is an elegant, lush, piquant and racy-mineral Spätlese. It has a lean, straight and pretty salty finish. Pure, piquant and stimulating, this is a gastronomic Spätlese with 8.5% alcohol and moderate sweetness, but a lot of grip. 91 points. Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate April 2017
2015 Dönnhoff Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese MAGNUM Nahe RRP $239
The 2015 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese opens with an aristocratic bouquet of coolish, flinty slate and citrus perfume along with concentrated Riesling flavors. There is great complexity and expression here! On the palate, this wine is highly elegant and its seamless, silky texture is like that of the Dellchen GG. Very salty, full of finesse and tension on the palate–this is a great, perfectly balanced Spätlese. There is no other Riesling in the Nahe that has such nobly aristocratic attitude. It’s one of the finest Spätlese Rieslings you can buy from this vintage. 95 points. Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate April 2017
2009 Gunderloch Nackenheimer Rothenberg Riesling Spätlese Rheinhessen RRP $74
There are only around 200 cases of Hasselbach’s 2009 Nackenheimer Rotenberg Spätlese – fewer than half of their normal crop in this category. “For us,” explains Fritz Hasselbach, “grapes for Spätlese have to have at least 100 Oechsle and not many of them managed that this year. We had to select rigorously.” On counter-examination, though, he acknowledged that much of what came in at 100 or more was needed for this year’s Grosse Gewachse. A nose of quince preserves, lemon candy, pink grapefruit and a profusion of musky, sweet floral perfume reminiscent of peony and rose petal could almost come from a hypothetical blend of Loire Chenin and Alsace Gewürztraminer. Buoyant to the point of delicacy; glossy, creamy, and texturally seductive yet consistently refreshing, cooling, indeed almost sorbet-like, this manages to barely balance its high residual sugar, with its citrus and quince aspects as well as haunting florality informing a seductively succulent finish. It ought to be worth re-visiting over the next two decades, if not longer, and I expect it to be even more winsome after some of its superficial sweetness dissipates in a decade or so. 92 points. David Schildknecht, Wine Advocate February 2011
Auslese
2015 Dr. Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 187ml Mosel RRP $32
Made with 50% of perfect botrytis that brought acidity, the 2015 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese displays a clear, fresh and concentrated nose with very fine raisin, lemon and grapefruit flavors. Light, piquant and salty on the palate, this is a concentrated and aromatic, yet super refreshing and well-structured Auslese. It has a pure and stimulatingly salty finish. The wine is elegant, crisp and very digestible, but can age for 20 and more years. It has 8.5% alcohol. 94 points. Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate April 2017
2015 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese 375ml Mosel RRP $64
The 2015 Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese is super clear, fresh and precise on the nose, which reveals flint and stony, as well as lemony fruit aromas. On the palate, this is a refreshing, piquant and vibrant Auslese made from perfectly selected grapes with 50% of botrytis. The wine is enormously vital and crisp, showing a very intense and long finish with tropical fruit aromas. Great aging potential and highly digestible. 94 points. Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate April 2017
2015 Georg Breuer Rheingau Riesling Auslese 375ml Rheingau RRP $39
Theresa Breuer’s lovely regional Auslese is pretty much an Aussie exclusive, and has a lot of dedicated fans here. There are some years in which botrytis cinerea (noble rot) settles in various grapes in the Rheingau vineyards, shrivelling individual grapes producing concentrated sugar and aroma levels. Through stringent hand selection during harvest, individual grapes are separated. The complete healthy, ripe grapes are sorted out for the dry wines and the individual affected grapes go to elegant, sweet dessert wines such as this.
2007 Koehler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Auslese Pfalz RRP $74
Pronounced nose reminiscent of creamed honey scones, glazed peach, and quince. Floral prettiness and a herbal tinge, too, plus nutty development. A bit like smelling Armagnac (minus the alcohol) with the earthiness, floral notes and pudding fruit. Soft and satiny in the mouth with a barley sugar sensation alongside dried peach, quince and orange zest that runs through the finish. Good depth, length and all round feel to this delicious aged Auslese. Ed Merrison, CellarHand
Beerenauslese
2013 Dr. Loosen Beerenauslese 375ml Mosel RRP $71
Beerenauslese (“berry select”) is a rich, honeyed dessert wine made from grapes that have been shrivelled by noble rot. These extremely concentrated, mouldy grapes are painstakingly separated from the unaffected fruit and vinified to make one of Germany’s most prized vinous treasures. The legal minimum for BA must weight is 110° Oechsle, but at Dr. Loosen it usually starts with a minimum of 120° Oechsle. This Beerenauslese, exclusively from estate-owned vineyards, has a juicy mouthful of ripe fruits with a finish that is long and satisfying, but never heavy. It is perfect as an aperitif, with foie gras, or with light desserts featuring fresh fruits.