These are two good value white wines that I tasted at home with a friend. My comments were compiled based on the “WSET Systematic Approach to Wine Tasting” that I described in my previous posting. As mentioned earlier, this is not the only way to evaluate wines and can at times seem a bit rigid since it does not employ the more artistic, or poetic style of writing that we tend to see on restaurant wine lists today.
To summarize, I think these wines are especially attractive because they are sold at reasonable price points and strongly reflect their sense of place. Both wines have a backbone of acidity and aromatic intensity that keeps the senses attuned.
2005 Schlossgut Diel Riesling Classic (Germany, Nahe) - $22 
Appearance and Nose
The wine is clear with a pale lemon-green core and water-white rim. The nose is clean, demonstrating medium plus intensity, and youthful aromas of citrus fruit such as lime, melon, kiwi, and pineapple.
Palate
The palate is dry with medium + acidity and no tannin. It has low alcohol, a light body, and crisp, steely flavors of lemon/lime, green pear, and grapefruit. The flavor intensity is medium as well as the length on the palate.
My Thoughts and Conclusions
This is a good quality wine because it is has balanced fruit and acidity levels but not a premium wine because it is not overly complex and lacks a long finish. This is meant to be an aperitif style wine that would pair nicely with an avocado salad, sautéed shrimp, or spicy Asian or Indian cuisine. The wine is drinking well now and should be consumed within the next one to two years. Recommended – Laura’s score: 90 points.
2005 Daniel & Martine Barraud Pouilly-Fuisse La Verchere (France, Burgundy) - $36
Appearance and Nose
The wine is clear revealing a medium gold core and long legs (or tears) when swirled in the glass. The nose is clean with medium aroma intensity. This youthful wine exhibits creamy aromas of citrus and green fruits including baked apple, vanilla, and Meyer lemon.
Palate
The palate is dry, displaying medium + acid, medium alcohol, and a medium to full body whose creamy texture coats your mouth. The intensity of flavor is pronounced exhibiting dairy and autolytic characteristics such as soft cheese, biscuit or toast, hazelnut, and a hint of coconut. These nut and toast flavors suggest the use of oak during the wine’s maturation, probably French oak by its subtlety and integration. There are also flavors of mineral and stone, a characteristic typical of white Burgundy. Although the wine is weighty on the palate, it is vibrant and fresh. This Pouilly-Fuisse has a long length on the palate that demonstrates its complexity of flavors and concentrated ripe fruit.
My Thoughts and Conclusions
I rate the quality to be good to outstanding. The wine has concentrated flavors and a long length. It has rich mineral and almost tropical flavors that evolve in the glass as it warms in temperature. This wine can be consumed now or within the next two to four years because it has the fruit and acidity to undergo modest aging.
I really enjoyed this wine because of its body and creamy texture. It proved a great pairing to my roasted chicken dinner and delighted me as it unveiled more complexity of flavor over the course of an hour. Highly recommended - Laura’s score: 92 points
