I have said it before (here and here) but I think one of the best bargains you can make along the Mosel are the Reuscher-Haart QbA wines, their basic rieslings. The wine is filled in a one liter bottle, so you get 25% 33% (oops, thanks for the pointer, Michael!) more than your usual bottle. Both wines are sold for around $5.50 at the winery, which makes them also quite affordable in the United States with the starting price $12.59 at one merchant.
It was interesting to taste the 2011 dry and sweet version of this wine against each other. They proved nicely the difference in a dry and sweet Mosel riesling, and why I like the sweeter rieslings better. Both wines are exceptional quality, and I highly recommend them. If a winemaker puts this much love in their simple estate wine, it speaks volumes about their work ethics.
The classic label (Photo credit: wine-searcher.com)
The 2011 Gutsriesling Trocken (trocken is the word for dry in German) was harvested from Piesporter Falkenberg. The grapes had a sugar level that would have qualified this wine for a spätlese, but Mario decided to make the dry gutsriesling out of them. The wine has 12% ABV and residual sugar of 6.7 grams/liter. It is light in color, with apple notes dominating the nose, exuding a freshness that was very welcome. On the palate, apple persisted strongly. The acidity in the wine was never overbearing and nicely tied to the apple notes. It was a very refreshing wine.
The 2011 Piesporter Riesling was not harvested in a specific vineyard, the grapes come from several lots in Piesport. The wine has 9% ABV, the residual sugar was not listed. The wine looked similar to its dry brother, but the nose showed more fruit aromas: there was gooseberry and kiwi, beside the apple notes that I find often in Mario’s wines. On the palate, the sweetness strengthened these aromas, and made the wine a great mouthful of fruit. The wine’s acidity ensures it is not too sweet on the palate. It is one of the most refreshing, easy drinking wines I know.
What does that comparison show? In my experience, more residual sugar in a wine (up to a certain extent!) brings out more fruit aromas, which is one of the greatest beauties of riesling for me. When I try a dry riesling I often find myself appreciating the wine but thinking: “If there was a bit more sugar here, it would be even better.” But, alas, that is my relationship with riesling…
You can order the wines at the winery here.
the winegetter 