RIESLING

Question 1

Alsace

Answer 1

Sight: straw to medium yellow.

Nose: ripe apple-pear and yellow peach fruit with sweet and tart citrus.
Wines with botrytis have honey and stone fruit elements along with floral and mushroom/earth notes.

Palate:
full-bodied and
dry to off-dry in style. Some “dry” wines are slightly sweet.

Structure:
alcohol: medium-plus sometimes bordering on high;
acid: medium to medium-plus.

ID Keys: Riesling flavours but with rich, ripe fruit, high alcohol, and medium acidity; more alcohol and richness than most German Rieslings with less acidity; also less opulently floral than German Riesling with a weightier and rounder mouth feel.

Question 2

Australia: Clare and Eden Valleys

Answer 2

Sight: medium straw with green highlights.

Nose: racy green apple, unripe green pear, lime zest, and mineral with a touch of white floral.

Palate:
medium-bodied, very dry and bracingly acidic with an austere character.
Structure:
medium alcohol
medium-plus to high acidity.

ID Keys: Clare and Eden Rieslings can be remarkably intense in character with bracing acidity and astonishing minerality not to mention their austerity and potential for long-term aging. Wines that do have age often show pronounced petrol or TDN notes.

Question 4

Germany Kabinett:

Answer 4

Sight: very pale straw green and brilliant in colour.

Nose: tart green apple and green pear with white peach, lime citrus, tropical fruits (pineapple, mango and more), and slate/mineral.

Palate:
Kabinetts tend to be light-bodied,
racy wines with a touch of residual sweetness. Flavours range from tart green apple and pear to white peach, tart citrus, tropical fruits, and slate/mineral. No wood influence.

Structure:
low alcohol
medium-plus to high acidity.

Question 4

Germany Auslese:

Answer 4

Sight: pale to medium straw with green highlights.

Nose: honey, ripe stone fruits (peach, apricot and nectarine), tropical fruits, sweet and tart citrus, and slate/ mineral.

Palate: medium-bodied and medium sweet to very sweet depending on the specific wine, producer and vintage.
No wood influence.

Structure:
low to medium-minus alcohol with
high acidity

Question 4

Germany Eiswein:

Answer 4

Sight: pale to medium straw green.

Nose: flavours include tart citrus (lemon, lime and grapefruit) with notes of tropical fruits, herb, and mineral.
Some wines show slight herbal/vegetal notes such as parsley or celery.
no botrytis elements in Eiswein.

Palate:
medium to full-bodied and very sweet in the style.
Structure:
low alcohol and very high acidity.
In fact, the acidity can be remarkably high, in some cases over 15 grams per litre. Eiswein is very intensely flavoured and the extreme acidity masks just how sweet the wines are.

Question 4

Germany Spätlese:

Answer 4

Sight: pale straw green and brilliant in colour.

Nose: tart apple and pear, white peach, stone fruits (apricot, peach and nectarine), honey (if botrytis is present), tropical fruits, tart citrus, and slate/mineral.

Palate:
light to medium-bodied
off-dry to slightly sweet in style.
No wood influence.

Structure:
low to medium-minus alcohol with
high acidity

Question 4

Germany Beerenauslese:

Answer 4

Sight: ranges in colour from pale straw to deep yellow with green, gold and even orange highlights depending on the specific wine.

Nose: botrytis flavours are usually found in the form of honey, ripe stone fruits, orange marmalade and preserved citrus; also pear oil, herbs, tropical fruits, and slate/earth and mineral.

Palate:
medium-plus to full-bodied and
very sweet in style.

Structure:
rich, unctuous, and intensely flavoured but at the same time with low alcohol, high acidity, and no
wood.
Beerenauslese show great length and persistence with the stamp of the vineyard in the form of pronounced minerality.

Question 5

Germany Trockenbeerenauslese:

Answer 5

Sight: medium straw to medium yellow to deep red amber depending on region, producer and vintage.

Nose: flavours include honey, citrus marmalade, tropical, roasted pear, marzipan, sweet baking spices, red fruits and much more.

Palate:
full-bodied and very sweet, often at over 200 grammes per litre residual sugar.

Structure:
low alcohol and very high acidity with the mineral stamp of the vineyard.

ID Keys: German Rieslings vary dramatically in style from light, delicate Kabinetts with just a touch of sweetness all the way to the noble sweet wines with amazingly high acidity and a wealth of residual sugar. Increasing residual sugar in each succeeding prädikat gives a richer, more unctuous mouth feel. The high acidity found in most wines also masks some of the residual sugar making the wine seem less sweet. Quality wines show the stamp of the vineyard regardless of the level of residual sugar, all without any trace of wood.
Older wines take on petrol notes (TDN) and other bottle complexities.