Wednesday, July 16, 2008

2005 Rieslings from St. Urbans-Hof

Been on a bit of a Riesling bender as of late, a huge increase in 2008 vs. prior years. Not sure why that is - I've always liked riesling, but maybe my deeper dive into the German stuff has me hooked...

Anyway, tonight's wines were a follow up to a great experience with a St. Urbans-Hof Piesporter a few months back. You see, the SAQ stocks a lesser St. Urbans-Hof Riesling, but the labels are nearly identical. Seeking to replace that great bottle I accidentally bought the lesser St. Urban-Hof Riesling - realizing my mistake I went back to buy the single vineyard bottling for yet another head to head:

The 2005 Weingut St. Urbans-Hof Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett (M-S-R) was just as compelling as the last time: powerful notes of petrol on the nose, floral and flintey/gravelly, pears, subtle honey, and an unidentified foreign spice. More structured than its inexpensive sibling below, with a sturdy acidic frame and subtle effervescence. It held up nicely over two days, and I suspect it could benefit from some time in the cellar.
cork. 9.5% alcohol
Score: 17.5/20
Price: C$22.65 (SAQ)

Despite the lower price point, the 2005 Weingut St. Urbans-Hof Riesling (M-S-R) was no slouch. A honey-glazed slab of granite on the nose, lemons and a touch of green as well. Soft and flavourful on the palate, green and chalky with more modest acidity, it was less structured but perfectly enjoyable - a terrific value. It may be better than the Piesporter without food, a perfect summer sipper. 
cork. 10% alcohol
Score: 16/20
Price: C$14.85 (SAQ)

German rieslings rock - I always thought you had to pay too much for the good stuff, but I am finding some terrific stuff in the $20 -30 range, and todays $14 special proves you can move even lower - throw away your Pinot Grigio!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi - I would just like to comment on the photograph of this post that I find it quite creative and different to the perfect bottle pictures you see on plain white backgrounds.

Keep it interesting! Nice!