Riesling – Page 4 – @sommeligay

I suck at wine: 2014 VIWF Blind Tasting Challenge

March 1, 2014June 24, 2016 by Josh

My 2014 Vancouver International Wine Festival activities begun on Wednesday! Insert majestic trumpet sounds here.

I was really scared for the Blind Tasting Challenge (at the Pacific Culinary Institute of Arts) on said morning . This mostly meant barely being able to keep my breakfast in my stomach, listening to Glee’s rendition of “Don’t Rain on My Parade” on repeat for high energy (do you hate me yet?), and then thinking that coffee was a bad idea. A classmate saw me looking at the water as I was listening to music and taking refreshing winter breaths of Granville Island air – she was just as nervous as I, but another classmate told us we were more jittery and nervous than we needed to be.… read more

WSET Diploma

“Love Shack” – The B-52s: NV Dr. Loosen Sparkling Riesling

January 30, 2014November 16, 2015 by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med lemon-green, bubbles
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, youthful, rubber, petrol, mineral, citrus, stone fruit, peach, apricot, apple, apple skin
Mouth: off-dry, creamy mousse, med+ intensity, med body, med alcohol, med+ acid, citrus, rubber, mineral, apple skin, stone fruit, med length. stony finish
All in all: Good quality: the sweeter and simple ripe stone fruits are balanced well with the bright acid, bubble, and Riesling mineral tones. Average length. Drink now, not suitable for ageing.
Identity Guess: Mid-priced Non-Vintage New World sparkling wine.
Is really: Mid-priced Non-Vintage Deutscher Sekt from Germany.

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 2 – Week 4]

Disclaimer: I liked this. Bite me.

This was the third wine in our six-wine flight and it was obvious that the first two were a traditionally-made blanc de noirs and a traditionally-made blanc de blancs.… read more

Quaffing

A ray of sunshine on a cold autumn morning: 2011 d’Arenberg “The Stump Jump” White

October 23, 2013November 16, 2015 by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon, legs
Nose: clean, youthful, med intensity, ripe citrus, minerality, peach pith, honey, melon, hint stony bitterness
Mouth: dry, med body, med+ acid, med+ intensity, med alcohol, med length, citrus, lemon, peach pith, just-ripe peach, savoury, touch of creaminess, honey, ripe citrus, minerality, floral
All in all: Good quality: a balance of structure frames direct fruit flavours and a present minerality, but there could be more complexity. Drink now; not suitable for ageing.

It is three weeks until my WSET Unit 1 coursework assignment is due and two weeks until my WSET Unit 4 spirits exam. And here I am reviewing wine, because number 1: I am crazy, and number 2: I miss wine. I miss wine.… read more

WSET Diploma

2009 Hiedler “Urgestein” Riesling

June 15, 2013November 16, 2015 by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med lemon, legs
Nose: clean, youthful, med intensity, mineral, citrus, lemon, lime, hint of petrol, slate, pear, white flowers
Mouth: dry, med body, high acid, med alcohol, med flavour intensity, med length, mineral-driven, citrus, lemon, lime, stony finish, green fruit
All in all: Good quality: there is a good concentration of flavours with a well-balanced structure that may benefit from some ageing, as the complexity is rather modest at the moment. Drink now, but has potential for short term ageing.
Identity Guess: High-priced (Riesling/Pinot Gris/Muscat/Gewurztraminer/Chenin Blanc) from Germany; 2 years old.
Is really: Mid-priced Riesling from Austria; 4 years old.

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 10]

At the very start of this day’s class, we were polled by the instructor: what did we consider the “most noble” white grape variety?… read more

WSET Diploma

2010 St Urbans-Hof Okfener Bockstein Riesling Kabinett

May 27, 2013November 16, 2015 by Josh

Tasting Note:

(Apparently slightly corked. A little hard for me to pick up)

Eyes: clear, med lemon, legs
Nose: clean (but I guess not then), med intensity, youthful, citrus, mineral, lemon, lime, petrol
Mouth: medium-dry, med body, high acidity, low alcohol, med- length, high flavour intensity, citrus, mineral, lemon, lime
All in all: I had this as good quality, especially because of the great balance between sweetness and acidity, but apparently this was corked.

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 7]

The first sniff by the instructor was followed by a warning – I thought it was just a false alarm, and I still couldn’t fully pick it up after the good-as-gone red light, but apparently this poor little German Riesling was slightly corked.… read more

Quaffing

2011 Intrigue Riesling

May 6, 2013November 16, 2015 by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon
Nose: med+ intensity, developing, citrus, pineapple, petrol, yeast (crackers)
Mouth: off-dry, med- body, med acid, med- alcohol, med intensity, med- length, citrus
All in all: Good quality, drink now.

This has quite an intriguing nose (ZING!). I finally see some stronger aromatic character compared to the various Rieslings I’ve tried lately, and a bit of fruity petrol character is what I notice right off the bat. There is a significant amount of an off-beat cracker-like aroma, which I can only assume stems from yeast character. Unlike some wines I think this weird aroma adds complexity.

The palate is juicy, light and has a bit of tartness. I prefer more zip to my off-dry Riesling, but the slightly more tropical expression coupled with the low acid gives this wine a bit more of a relaxed edge, almost like a Riesling-Torrontes lovechild.… read more

Quaffing

2010 Marcel Deiss Riesling

April 24, 2013November 16, 2015 by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med lemon, legs
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, youthful, honey, mineral, lemon, lime, floral, “butter”/musk/rubber, green apple
Mouth: dry, med bodied, high acid, med alcohol, med+ flavour intensity, long finish, mineral, green apple, hint of honey, lemon, lime, zest
All in all: Very good quality: along with a lengthy finish, an intense and concentrated nose and palate are further strengthened by a balanced and bright acidic structure, allowing this wine to age. As a result, though, this wine isn’t as complex as it can be in its years to come. Can drink now, but has potential for ageing.

I’ve officially worked at this wine job for a year! This wine was one for celebrating, plus served as a lifting brightness for one of those weeks that wasn’t so bad in theory but was shitty anyways.… read more

WSET Diploma

2011 Export Union GmbH Piesporter Treppchen Riesling

April 18, 2013November 16, 2015 by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, pale lemon-green, legs
Nose: clean, med- intensity, youthful, apple, light floral, peach, slight ginger spice
Mouth: off-dry (I still say medium-dry), med acid, low alcohol, med- body, med- flavour intensity, peach, lemon, med- finish, floral
All in all: Acceptable quality: the wine has enough acid to balance out the sweetness, but doesn’t have enough fruit to balance out either. The fruit that is there is merely simple. The length is rather short, and the wine seems relatively thin with a slightly bitter finish.
Identity Guess: Mid-priced Californian Moscato; 2 years old.
Is really: Inexpensive German Riesling; 2 years old.

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 2]

There was a bit of this spicy ginger-y burnt hair thing that I got off the nose which I remember smelling in some Moscato (who knows, maybe that’s the burnt match aroma of too much sulfites), so that’s where it took me.… read more

WSET Diploma

2010 Chapoutier Schieferkopf Lieu-Dit Fels Riesling

April 18, 2013November 16, 2015 by Josh

Tasting Note:

Eyes: clear, med+ lemon, legs
Nose: clean, med+ intensity, youthful, almond, butter, floral, green apple, citrus, stone fruit
Mouth: dry, high acid, med alcohol, med+ body, med+ flavour intensity, lemon, butter, oily, creamy, long finish, minerality, stone fruit
All in all: Very good quality: distinct and concentrated character on both the nose and palate. The acidity prevents the weighty character from being cloying, and there is a long length. The wine lacks a bit of complexity that prevents it from being outstanding. Can drink now, but has potential for ageing due to a firm structure and great intensity.
Identity guess: High-priced Australian Chardonnay; 2 years old.
Is really: Premium Alsatian Riesling; 3 years old.

[Tasted during WSET Diploma class – Section 1 – Week 2]

Oh God.… read more

Tasting

Joiefarm Wines – 2012

April 10, 2013November 16, 2015 by Josh

I had the opportunity to try six of Joiefarm’s wines today, all being part of the new 2012 vintage.

Hilariously pronounced by many customers (“Joey”) – some with confidence, some hesitant, and most with charm – these wines are popular with the locals, but personally, I’ve never been drawn to their wines. They take advantage of BC’s relatively cooler climate and vinify mostly white grapes, although their PTG has been praised by Jancis Robinson (all hail the queen). All good checkboxes for reasons to buy, but perhaps it’s the 20-30 dollar price point (which honestly, makes sense for some good BC wine anyways) or perhaps it’s the weird combination that the labels bring: simple but somehow ugly. That’s just me, though.… read more