Lei-siling

Lei-siling, Rizling or Riesling depending on which side of the globe you find yourself on. In Argentina they would call this noble white grape Reeezlinn. Either way this Riesling-centric grape variety produces the most distinctive and noble wines of Alsace, the Mosel and the Rhine. The fruit is quite small, yellowish, not very juicy, but it is one of the great grapes of the world. Alsatian Rieslings are generally sold as such and the varietal name usually, but not always, appears one the label of the great German Rhine & Mosel Rieslings. You will also find good Riesling in Austria, California, Chile & Switzerland.

Last night we dedicated ourselves to seven of these wines from the northern hemisphere, and 3 wines from the southern bit, one Chilean & two from Argyland.

Being one of the most undervalued and certainly most often mispronounced grapes, and I understand from Deutsche Wein Institute it is best to try this one: ‘Reece-ling’ as a general give it a go tip. It is probably the finest of white grape varieties in the world today, still, on the basis of it´s wines longevity and the ability to transmit the characteristics of a vineyard without losing Riesling´s own inimitable style.

The two Argy Rieslings where palate adjusters and both very light, one was from the coast ‘Costa y Pampa’ and the other weirdly enough from the middle of the province of Buenos Aires called ‘La Espera‘. Both very quaffable white wines but not much to show for yet. Maybe when the vines become more established we can have another look at them.

Rieslings tasted…
2020 Casa Marin, San Antonio Valley, Chile
Soft beeswax finish with lemony, peach fruit and a hint of un-ripe pineapple.

2016 Selbach Oster, Mosel
Plump and juicy, Apricot and petroleo.

2020 Donnhoff Kabinett, Nahe
White peach and a little lime. Smoky and saline. Super seductive.

2019 Chateau Bela, Juznoslovenska, Slovakia (E.Muller)
Delicious hints of honey, apricot and apple. Limey astringency with a floral finish.

2019 Wiltinger Braune Kupp ´Le Gallais´, Scharzhof  (E.Muller)
Intense with steely precision. Ripe and long finish with mid palate moreishness. Keep going back for more.

2020 Egon Muller Offer
In stock* today we have 6 bottles of the 2020 Braune Kupp Kabinett @ £49 per bt/ib and also 6 bottles of the 2020 Braune Kupp Spatlese @ £89 per bt/ib
We tasted the 2020 Spatlese last year when it arrived at bond:
Ripe, lucious, complex grapefruit & orange peel. Quince and mango-pear with hints of herb. Everything to like here!
Offered, as usual, subject to remaining unsold*

2020 Scharzhof, Mosel (E.Muller)
Fresh and lemony, subtle oily notes and a great house white from this famous estate. Exceptional!

2016 Josmeyer Grand Cru, Hengst
Alsatian gentility personified with ripe pear, lemon zest, tangerine and orange peel. Bold and dry finish, and magnificent complexity.

2020 Schloss Johannisberg Grunlack Spatlese
Tropical fruits backed up with grapefuit. Long beeswaxy finish and young acidity. A keeper.

October 2022, Buenos Aires