2010 Loosen Bros. Riesling

Today my first Riesling from the old country, specifically the Mosel Valley.  This bottle ran me $12 at the local Liquee Mart.

The label of this Loosen Bros. Riesling says it's "fruity, with a refreshingly crisp taste that cools the palate, making it an excellent wine for spicy foods."

I'd agree with that.  I'd also add that I caught a minerality to it.  I aerated the wine, and right out of the bottle it was sweet but not as apple juice sweet as some Rieslings I've drunk recently, with pear maybe?, and an acidity that hits you in the back of the throat.

Not my favorite wine of all time, but a nice Riesling, and I bet it would go well with Indian or Southeast Asian cuisine.

2010 Hogue, 2009 Clos du Bois, & 2010 14 Hands Rieslings

I'll start this time with the Riesling I liked least.  The 2009 Clos du Bois is a drier Riesling, but it doesn't have the grapefruit notes of the two I reviewed a couple weeks ago. This hails from Geyersville, CA, which is just up the road from Santa Rosa, and it ran me $12.

The label describes the Riesling as having a 'crisp acidity,' but I found it a little on the funky side, not entirely attractive.  After the wine had sat in the glass for a few minutes, it did open up a bit and become a little sweeter.  I'd say it has some minerality to it, like some wines made from the sauvignon blanc, but in general it was bland.  My least favorite Riesling that I've tried.  

Next up is a 2010 14 Hands Riesling from Paterson, WA, in the Columbia Valley, down on the border with Oregon.  It ran me $9.50

I didn't jot down notes for this wine, just that it's a sweet Riesling.  The label describes it as having apple and pear, and I'd agree with that.  Not a bad Riesling if you like the sweeter varieties.

Last, the 2010 Hogue from Prosser, WA, which is down in the central southern part of the state.  It ran me $11.  

I agree 100% with the label on this one:  honey, orange peel, apricots.  Maybe not the apricot; I got a lot more apple than apricot, but that mellowed out somewhat so it was less like very nice apple juice after it had aerated.

I got the honey, and the bite of orange, almost a bitter orange, added a nice note to it.  I'm not big on sweet wines, but this was quite good and would go well with fruit or cheese.

2010 Chateau St Michelle & 2010 Dr Konstantin Frank Rieslings

Today 2 Rieslings that I've been drinking in the last couple weeks: a 2010 Chateau St Michelle and a 2010 Dr Konstantin Frank.

The first (on the left in the picture) is from Woodinville in the Columbia Valley, a little northeast of Seattle.  Definitely a dry Riesling, although not pucker dry.  I got grapefruit from it, though the bottle label says mandarin orange, which may be what I was tasting.  A nice bottle of wine for about $10.

The Frank is from New York's Finger Lakes region.  I didn't know who Dr. Frank was till I looked him up, but he was a very interesting fellow.  A Russian from Odessa, he taught American wine makers how to grow the classic European varieties in cold weather climates.

This ran me $18, but it was worth it.  I got grapefruit again, though the label says citrus, apple blossoms [what does an apple blossom taste like?], and honey.  I didn't get honey, but it definitely opened up and turned a little sweeter.  I really liked this wine; the label says it's good with seafood [I can see that[, mild cheeses [ditto], and chicken [that would depend on the dish].

2010 Lot 259 Riesling Blend

So, starting off my spring and summer with a Riesling.  This first bottle is a 70-30 Riesling-Chenin Blanc blend from Cameron Hughes made from grapes in Washington's Columbia Valley.

The label on this 2010 blend is a good example of, umm, what's the term, "exuberant marketing":  "Lot 259 is layered with racy citrus and stone-fruit facets. [So it's a diamond in the rough?]  Sultry nectarine and white floral notes abound. [sounds like you get a lap dance] ... Stunning."

It's a nice enough wine but it's not this over the top, let alone "stunning."  A tad sweet for my taste, but I prefer Saharan wines.  I got a little acidity in the back of my throat but not huge subtlety of flavor.

At $10.75 or so it's drinkable, good for sipping on the patio this spring with smores.