Ch12 Riesling Flashcards
Riesling Grape
Aromatic
Fruity + Floral (not herbaceous like Sauvignon Blanc)
Ability to express terroir.
Slowly builds up sugars and retains natural acidity
Susceptible to Noble rot, which concentrates sugars and acids, making grape lusciously sweet
Riesling Flavours Aromas
- High Acidity + Intense Fruit = ages we well in bottle = honey + toast
- Smokey petrol flavours in old Riesling wines
Riesling Oak
New oak never used
Riesling Bulk
Not really bulk production - cheap sweet wines in Germany are not Riesling
Riesling Blended
Premium Riesling not blended - occasionally blended with Gewurztraminer in Australia to make fruity off-dry wines
Wines that are NOT Riesling
Welschriesling, Laski Rizling, Olaszrizling = NOT RIESLING
Riesling Cool Climate
- Fruit harvested when ripe, NOT overripe = Green fruit (green apple, grape) + Floral + Citrus (lemon, lime)
Riesling Moderate Climate
Citrus + Stone Fruit
Can smell strongly of lime or white peach
Riesling Warm Climate
- Because of slow build up of sutas and retention of acids, it’s suitable for late harvesting in areas with stable + dry + sunny autumns
- Stone fruit + Tropical fruit (peach, apricot, pineapple, mango)
German Riesling
Wide range of styles
Qualiteitswein Riesling
- Basic riesling classified as Qualiteitswein
- Light body = Dry + Fruity + Refreshing
- Includes most of Germany’s best Riesling
Pradikatswein categorised by
Pradikatswein categorised by sugar levels in grapes/must
Order of Pradikatswein
Kabinett Spatlese (late harvest) Auslese (bunch) Beerneauslese (single berry) Trockenbeerenauslese (dry single berry) Eiswein
Kabinett
Kabinett
- Light Body + High Acidity
- Green fruit (apple, grape).
- Medium sweet + Light Alcohol…but can be dry with medium alcohol
Spatlese
Spatlese (late harvest)
- More body than Kabinett
- CItrus + Exotic Fruit (lemon, pineapple)
Auslese
Auslese (bunch)
- Even more body
- Even more Exotic Fruit (pineapple, mango)
- Highest category to appear as dry wine….but most
- Auslese are medium or sweet
Beerneauslese
Beerneauslese (single berry)
- Sweet wine from Noble rot
Trockenbeerenauslese
Trockenbeerenauslese (dry single berry)
- Sweet wine from Noble rot
Eiswein
Eiswein
- Sweet wine made from frozen berries
German Riesling Regions
Mosel - Piesport + Bernkastel Lightest body Riesling. Kabinett + Spatlese Medium sweet + High acidity Rheingau Smaller region than Mosel Kabinett + Spatlese + Auslese Pfalz Forst + Deidesheim Large, southerly region close to Alsace Off-Dry + Medium Body Rheinhaussen Largest vineyards in Germany North of Pfalz Best vineyards on west bank of Rhine Fullest body Rieslings in Germany
Grosses Gewachs (Erstes Gewachs in Rheingau)
High quality dry wine made from riper grapes (equivalent to Spatlese but qualified as Qualiteitswein)
Grapes must come from one of the best individual named vineyards
Red wines are made from Spatburgunder and whites made from Riesling
Private labelling system set up by best german wine producers to indicate consider top vineyard sites
Mosel Characteristics
Mosel
- Piesport + Bernkastel
- Lightest body Riesling.
- Kabinett + Spatlese
- Medium sweet + High acidity
Rheingau Characteristics
Rheingau
- Smaller region than Mosel
- Kabinett + Spatlese + Auslese
Pfalz Characteristics
Pfalz
- Forst + Deidesheim
- Large, southerly region close to Alsace
- Off-Dry + Medium Body
Rheinhessen
Rheinhaussen
- Largest vineyards in Germany
- North of Pfalz
- Best vineyards are on west bank of Rhine
- Fullest body Rieslings in Germany
Grosses Gewachs
Grosses Gewachs (Erstes Gewachs in Rheingau) - High quality dry wine made from riper grapes (equivalent to Spatlese but qualified as Qualiteitswein)
- Grapes must come from one of the best individual named vineyards
- Red wines are made from Spatburgunder and whites made from Riesling
- Private labelling system set up by best german wine producers to indicate consider top vineyard sites
France Riesling Region
- Alsace
- Name of grape + appellation appears on label
Alsace AC and Alsace Grand Cru AC because of a wide range of soil types - wines can vary from site to site
Alsace Landscape and Climate
- In rainshadow of Vosges mountains in the west - protects from rain bearing winds blowing across north France.
- Vines planted on eastern foothills - for morning sun
- Long dry warm autumns
Alsace Riesling Characteristics
Dry + Medium Body
Green fruit + Citrus fruit + Stone fruit
Full body late harvest wines = more intense flavour + hint of sweetness
Alsace Riesling Ageing
Best wines benefit from bottle age = last for decades = smokey, honey complexity + petrol
Austria Riesling
- Medium and Full body + Dry + Medium or High Acidity
Citrus + Stone Fruit - Some vineyards = Smokey mineral aromas - helps gain complexity with age
- Occasionally blended with Gewurztraminer to make fruity off-dry wines
Australia Riesling Regions
Clare Valley and Eden Valley
Australia Riesling Characteristics
- Dry + Medium Body + High Acidity
- Pronounced Citrus (lime, lemon)
Australian Riesling Ageing
Ages well - honey + toast
Some wines rapidly develop smoky aromas similar to petrol - sweet wines made from this grape`
New Zealand Riesling
- South Island
- Dry or Off-dry + High Acidity
- Intense Green fruit + Citrus fruit (apple, grape, lime)
- Most best consumed young, but some develop honey with age
