If there’s a white grape that I'd mark as the one to gift or to take to a neighbour, it would have to be a kabinett riesling from the Mosel.
Riesling comes in many guises, from bone dry to dentist-curdling sweet, with the kabinett style sitting somewhere in the middle. They tend to be beautifully aromatic with a waxy palate of apples and tropical fruits and for me, personally, they add nostalgia to the moment.
Lets face it, who didn’t start their wine journey with a Piersporter or Tiger milk?
It would be churlish to say the grape has come a long way from there because it hasn't. Riesling is one of those grapes that has always had a range of high quality wines behind the label for as long as Ive been alive, it's just that we tended not to notice the good ones. Then, by the time we had a bit of cash, the sexier Aussie Chardonnays had come on the market.
Anyway, with Spring in the air, perhaps the time is right to take a trip down memory lane, folks.
Dr Loosen Urziger Wurzgarten Risling Kabinett
A typically sublime wine from Loosen with soft but concentrated fruits on the palate and a spicy apple finish.
waitrosecellar.com £11.99
Elisenberger Riesling Kabinett
Wow, this one gets gold stars for the extra fruit and mouthfeel. I got tangerine and cream in addition to the norm and there’s something interesting on the nose, could be smoke, could be spice but I say again...wow!
oddbins.com £20
Follow me on Twitter @gerardfinewine
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