Vinoculation

Hello all,

This is my first post on Vinoculation. Thank you to Max for inviting me to contribute. I thought the best way to start was with a tasting note on the grape variety I love - Riesling.

I picked this bottle up back in 2008 after an instore tasting. I quite liked the whole Muddy Water range, and acquired some to cellar for a while. And the funny thing is I’ve never seen them again at my local retail.

The statistics on the back label will tell you this is an Alsatian Vendage Tardive style - 13% ABV, 56g/l residual sugar, only botrytis affected bunches. Against a backdrop of of dry riesling from Germany and New Zealand, that’s a pretty ripe wine! It smells of orange marmalade and apricots, and has a real lift about it. There’s the unmistakeable dried apricot and spice of botrytis as well, along with some lanolin and lime. The palate is a rich, viscous textural delight. Dried apricots and ginger initially then some classic lemons and limes. The back palate is where the 13% alcohol shows in the form of some volatility and a touch of varnish. The acids are just right and wrap up the whole package nicely into a great wine for spicy food. Its rich, its spicy, its full of flavour. If I had just one wish, it would be for 11% alcohol rather than 13….

cheers

Andrew