A riesling study: Robert Weil, Georg Breuer, Frank John, Clemens Busch, Ochota Barrels
Five Rieslings compared yesterday as part of a blending session with Daniel Primack and Ben Henshaw. Such an interesting variety.
Clemens Busch Riesling Vom Roten Schiefer Late Release VDP Ortswein 2015 Mosel, Germany
11.5% alcohol. Organically farmed, from red schist soils. Concentrated and nicely structured, this has textured citrus fruit with fine spices and nice minerality. It’s dry, but full and showing some richness. A really distinctive expression of dry Riesling with great intensity and focus. 94/100
Georg Breuer Estate Lorch 2019 Rheingau, Germany
12% alcohol. This is lively, dry and a bit pithy with lovely citrussy intensity and a real purity. It has keen acidity and a tapering lemony finish with a transparency to the fruit. Chiselled and focused. 93/100
Robert Weil Kiedrich Turmberg Riesling Trocken 2011 Rheingau, Germany
Turmberg translates as tower hill, and this is the name of a 3.8 hectare monopole owned by Robert Weil. Soils are grey slate, and quite bony. 13% alcohol. 7.5 g/l residual sugar. Complex and intense with lovely mandarin, peach and apricot, with some toast and spice notes, as well as fine herbal characters in the background. Lovely depth here with wonderful complexity and depth, as well as great concentration. Such a fine, expressive dry Riesling, now drinking perfectly. Remarkable stuff. 95/100
Frank John Riesling Trocken 2018 Pfalz, Germany
11.5% alcohol. Biodynamic. Very fine and limey with nice crystalline citrus fruit, showing a very fine mineral streak and a touch of white peach. Very smooth and textural with good weight. Lovely wine. 93/100
Ochota Barrels Kids of the Black Hole Riesling 2020 Adelaide Hills, Australia
12.5% alcohol. From a single acre plot on ironstone soil. Fine, fresh and lemony on the nose. Bright and lemony on the palate with a hint of fennel. Juicy and intense with amazing purity and purpose. Delicate and fine, showing transparency and a tapering mineral finish. 93/100
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