Working in the booze trade, you hear many many different pronunciations of wines, grape varieties and producers. I'm not innocent from saying things wrong - for years I said, for Vosne Romanee, "Vozne Romanee" instead of "Vone Romanee", but common errors include "GlenmorANgie" instead of "GlenMOrangie", "SAVingnon" instead of "SAUVignon" and
There is one that really gets on my nerves, and that is when someone pronounces Riesling as "Ryezling" instead of "Reesling". My skin crawls, I instantly hate them and I want to smack them in the head with a bottle of Beaujolais. People who use this pronunciation usually think they really know what they are talking about when it comes to wine, when their knowledge comes straight out of a Sunday supplement wine column. They are middle class university lecturers who will waffle for hours about the 'bouquet' whilst wearing a backpack and shopping in Oxfam for Fair Trade chocolate. Its like the sound of nails down a blackboard to me and I just want to kill the utterer of this most annoying of mispronunciation immediately.
But that doesn't make me stop wanting to drink Ryezling (sic). I love the stuff and it's versatility was shown when over a couple of days I tried ten wines from around the world. None of them were expensive, but it showed that this grape can produce everything from brilliant, sweet, clean Germans, through gloriously dry aromatic Alsatians and crap fat Kiwis!
A 2005 Trimbach Riesling started things off. A stunning, light, minerally wine with a super spice creeping through. Good lemon zest aroma and Granny Smith apples galore. The acidity just cleaned everything up in your mouth leaving you with a lemony tang. Great. 8/10
2003 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese from Friedrich Wilheim Gymnasium followed. This had aromas of coxes orange pippin apples, a musky, lemony smell too. The palate was so balanced, a lot of sweet, lemon marmalade and orange flavours - more apples too. There was a petrolly flavour coming along with an oriental spice. The sweetness was then gathered all up, and a beautiful acidity made your mouth wanting more. 8.5/10
Venturing to the New World (usually always a mistake after German and Alsation Rieslings), proved to live up to all expectations. 2005 Neudorf Riesling wasn't bad, it was just flabby. A mucky, stinky nose, with overripe sweet fruit, a harsh petrol aroma too led to a palate of pencil lead (nice), lemon zest (nice), lemon pith (nice), white pepper (nice) and a confected sweetness (buggers up the whole thing). As I said, flabby and ruined by a sweet element that shouldn't be there. 5/10
I needed cheered up, so went back to Alsace. 1999 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Riesling did the job. A rich, cheesy aroma with lots of lemon marmalade complementing it. The palate seemed quite young, a spicy, lean, lime flavour and a hunt of two-stroke engine oil. A lovely finish - very dry. 8.5/10
Back to New Zealand, and it got really bad. 2006 Wild Earth Riesling from Central Otago, proves that the land of the hobbit should not bother with Riesling. There are exceptions (Crater Rim) but generally, they should leave well alone. This mess of a wine had a stinky, yet sweet nose with cheap lemon marmalade. The palate is really horrid, with an unbalanced sweetness, lemon jelly beans on the palate, and so flabby. 4/10
"Save me" I cried, and Germany was there to hear my call! Not often one can say that about Germany really, but anyway. A pair of Schloss Johannisberger wines, a great 2002 Riesling Kabinett with petrolly musky aromas, a bit of lime pickle and pithy grapefruit. A dry palate, a little citrus, a lot of gravel dust flavour and a touch of burnt sugar. 8/10. The 2005 Riesling Spatlese from Schloss Johannisberger showed a lot of rich, roast lime and a bit of petrol. The sweet palate was nicely spiced - I got cinnamon - and a lot of citrus peel and a tiny bit of Jif lemon! 7.5/10
The penultimate wine was 2003 Leitz Rudesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling Spatlese. Now this was really good. Honey silkiness with tart apples, then rich apples and a touch of lime zest. The palate is so balanced, with gorgeous acidity clearing up your palate, a mass of sweetness, citrus fruit and a little pepper. Wonderful stuff. 9/10
Finally, a quarter bottle of 2006 Dr Loosen Riesling Beerenauslese. An intense little wine, with petrolium, citrus and honey all over your mouth. There is a heather honey on the nose too. It is a super little wine that is going to last so long, and just get dirtier and better. A great desert wine. 8.5/10
There is one that really gets on my nerves, and that is when someone pronounces Riesling as "Ryezling" instead of "Reesling". My skin crawls, I instantly hate them and I want to smack them in the head with a bottle of Beaujolais. People who use this pronunciation usually think they really know what they are talking about when it comes to wine, when their knowledge comes straight out of a Sunday supplement wine column. They are middle class university lecturers who will waffle for hours about the 'bouquet' whilst wearing a backpack and shopping in Oxfam for Fair Trade chocolate. Its like the sound of nails down a blackboard to me and I just want to kill the utterer of this most annoying of mispronunciation immediately.
But that doesn't make me stop wanting to drink Ryezling (sic). I love the stuff and it's versatility was shown when over a couple of days I tried ten wines from around the world. None of them were expensive, but it showed that this grape can produce everything from brilliant, sweet, clean Germans, through gloriously dry aromatic Alsatians and crap fat Kiwis!
A 2005 Trimbach Riesling started things off. A stunning, light, minerally wine with a super spice creeping through. Good lemon zest aroma and Granny Smith apples galore. The acidity just cleaned everything up in your mouth leaving you with a lemony tang. Great. 8/10
2003 Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese from Friedrich Wilheim Gymnasium followed. This had aromas of coxes orange pippin apples, a musky, lemony smell too. The palate was so balanced, a lot of sweet, lemon marmalade and orange flavours - more apples too. There was a petrolly flavour coming along with an oriental spice. The sweetness was then gathered all up, and a beautiful acidity made your mouth wanting more. 8.5/10
Venturing to the New World (usually always a mistake after German and Alsation Rieslings), proved to live up to all expectations. 2005 Neudorf Riesling wasn't bad, it was just flabby. A mucky, stinky nose, with overripe sweet fruit, a harsh petrol aroma too led to a palate of pencil lead (nice), lemon zest (nice), lemon pith (nice), white pepper (nice) and a confected sweetness (buggers up the whole thing). As I said, flabby and ruined by a sweet element that shouldn't be there. 5/10
I needed cheered up, so went back to Alsace. 1999 Trimbach Cuvee Frederic Emile Riesling did the job. A rich, cheesy aroma with lots of lemon marmalade complementing it. The palate seemed quite young, a spicy, lean, lime flavour and a hunt of two-stroke engine oil. A lovely finish - very dry. 8.5/10
Back to New Zealand, and it got really bad. 2006 Wild Earth Riesling from Central Otago, proves that the land of the hobbit should not bother with Riesling. There are exceptions (Crater Rim) but generally, they should leave well alone. This mess of a wine had a stinky, yet sweet nose with cheap lemon marmalade. The palate is really horrid, with an unbalanced sweetness, lemon jelly beans on the palate, and so flabby. 4/10
"Save me" I cried, and Germany was there to hear my call! Not often one can say that about Germany really, but anyway. A pair of Schloss Johannisberger wines, a great 2002 Riesling Kabinett with petrolly musky aromas, a bit of lime pickle and pithy grapefruit. A dry palate, a little citrus, a lot of gravel dust flavour and a touch of burnt sugar. 8/10. The 2005 Riesling Spatlese from Schloss Johannisberger showed a lot of rich, roast lime and a bit of petrol. The sweet palate was nicely spiced - I got cinnamon - and a lot of citrus peel and a tiny bit of Jif lemon! 7.5/10
The penultimate wine was 2003 Leitz Rudesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling Spatlese. Now this was really good. Honey silkiness with tart apples, then rich apples and a touch of lime zest. The palate is so balanced, with gorgeous acidity clearing up your palate, a mass of sweetness, citrus fruit and a little pepper. Wonderful stuff. 9/10
Finally, a quarter bottle of 2006 Dr Loosen Riesling Beerenauslese. An intense little wine, with petrolium, citrus and honey all over your mouth. There is a heather honey on the nose too. It is a super little wine that is going to last so long, and just get dirtier and better. A great desert wine. 8.5/10
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