OK, I’ll admit it. This one’s a bit of a cheat. It’s a wine I’ve had before, although not this vintage. It used to be on the wine bar list at Cambridge Wine Merchants, so they think it holds up ok. Nonetheless, I haven’t given it the critical examination I try to do here, and so figured it was time.
It should be noted that I did this review with a killer sore throat. (And hence why it didn’t make it up on Wednesday.) I don’t THINK it affected taste / smell much, but it was probably a factor at some level, especially since I’m a bit congested as well. The sore throat did also affect my general mood, which is a component that influences wine-tasting, even if no one really talks much about it.
In the glass
Clear, clean, bright, light, lemon. It looks much like an archetypal white wine. You know the sort – you want a wine to illustrate what a light lemon looks like. This is it. It’s a standard bearer for clear, light lemon wines. That’s not a bad thing. Just a thing, really. But one that sprang to mind.
The nose
At first, no. But then I let it warm up a bit, and give it a vigorous swirl. That helps. Now I pick up a bit of hay, and some light citrus. A lemon that had wandered past an apricot at some point, to be more specific.
The palate
Clean, dry, crisp, yummy. It has a lemony mouthfeel to it. Not in a sharp, sour way. I once knew a woman who liked to eat plain, raw lemons. She made me try once. It’s not like that. This is nice.
Refreshing. There’s nice acidity, rather restrained. Some Rieslings can be almost overpowering with their acidity. This one isn’t. It’s nicely balanced. The finish is decent, but I never quite figure out what it reminds me of.
Over the course of drinking, the lemon on the palate becomes more prominent. A lemon drops sort of lemon, although not in a confected way.
Rating
Yummy. Visually, It’s Wine. All in all, it’s a nice, easy-drinking wine. Goes well with food. The second part of the tasting was conducted with gnocchi in a blue cheese sauce with sausage. Yum.
Sustainability
Can’t find any information on their website or the bottle, so presume no real focus on sustainability.
The technical info
11.0% ABV. Riesling. £12.99 at Cambridge Wine Merchants.