3 Rieslings

I got caught up with an illness of my mom's the last 3 weeks (and my sister going crazy) (crazier) so I got behind again.  Here are summaries of 3 rieslings, no pictures so I'll get this whipped off.

First is a 2009 Hogue Late Harvest riesling that ran me $11.50.  The label says these are late-season grapes and claims the wine tastes of orange peel, honeyed lemon (first time I've seen this), and apricot.

This wine has more acidity; I felt it at the back of my throat.  I got spice and a fruitiness, pear maybe.  This is on the sweet end of the riesling spectrum.  OK, but not my favorite riesling, though you, faithful reader, will know I'm not crazy about sweet wines.

(Note: I just noticed I drank this riesling back in April.  Couldn't prove it by me.  I liked that bottle better than this one.)

Second is a 2008 Brandborg riesling, which set me back $14.  Brandborg is located in Oregon's Umpqua Valley.  And where is that?  Entirely within Douglas County in southern Oregon.

The wine growers describe this riesling as "nearly dry" and tasting like "green apple, honeysuckle, lime blossom, apricots and toasted almonds."  I wish my palate was that sophisticated.  And knew what a lime blossom tastes like.

I jotted down that this one is sweet, not "nearly dry"  though more back of the throat acidity.  I wrote down that it doesn't have much subtlety of flavor, not the label's laundry list.  It would be good with cheese or dessert, but not a main meal.

Last, and best, is a 2007 Trinchero from Monterey County costing about $10.  I like this more than most of the other recent rieslings.  It didn't jump out of the glass and slap me in the face like a couple of the rieslings earlier this summer, but it had a good balance to it and wasn't too sweet or too dry.

The label is simplicity: "floral and citrus aromas," a "crisp palate and a hint of sweetness."  I agree 100%, plus their suggested pairing with seafood or spicy food.  A nice riesling.