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Karthäuserhof, Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg, Riesling Spätlese, 2007

torsten — Sun, 10 Aug 2014 10:44:43 +0000

Karthäuserhof, Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg, Riesling Spätlese, 2007

Drinking wine is expectation management. It is many other things too, and I would hope on most occasions the expectation management is invisible, but sometimes it can become centre stage when writing a wine review. If your expectations are low but the wine delivers, is there a risk you praise it too much? And if your expectations are very high, will you be led to write a review that compares the wine with your expectations instead of looking at it on its own merit? The above-pictured late harvest from the Mosel tributary Ruwer falls into one of these two categories for me, so approach with care.

torsten Sunday, 10/08/2014

Prinz von Hessen, Riesling Dachsfilet, 2010

torsten — Sat, 08 Feb 2014 18:52:15 +0000

Prinz von Hessen, Riesling Dachsfilet, 2010

This skin-contact Riesling is reviewed in more detail in our article Two Princes. The short summary, lacking horribly in context, is below.

torsten Saturday, 08/02/2014

Koehler-Ruprecht, Weißer Burgunder, Kabinett trocken, 2011

torsten — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:13:13 +0000

Koehler-Ruprecht, Weißer Burgunder, Kabinett trocken, 2011

It does not always have to be Mosel. Nor does it always have to be Riesling. Well, there would be worse things in the world than to be limited to Mosel Riesling, but thankfully no demonic power has so far decided to make me choose between German wine growing regions. If that ever were to happen one of the other contenders would have to be the Pfalz. The Palatinate, as some of you may know it, is as large as it is diverse: amongst king Riesling and a range of other white grapes we see more and more exciting reds coming from the region west of Mannheim.

Like this Pinot Blanc most of the wines are dry. The Weißburgunder, as the Germans call it, comes from Koehler-Ruprecht, one of the renowned Pfalz estates. And damn is it drinkable!

torsten Monday, 06/05/2013

Tesco Finest, Central Otago Pinot Noir, 2011

torsten — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:24:44 +0000

Tesco Finest, Central Otago Pinot Noir, 2011

Since the early days of the Wine Rambler I occasionally (and boldly I like to think) set out to explore the world of German wine as UK consumers experience it: in the supermarket. Despite many setbacks I have persevered, out of patriotic and journalistic duty. However, after the flop with German wine from Waitrose even I needed a break - and so I have switched both supermarket and country, in the hope that Tesco and New Zealand would deliver the goods.

And as if that was not enough firepower I also brought in the tenth most powerful woman in wine.

torsten Tuesday, 19/03/2013

Domaine Berthoumieu, Haute Tradition, 2007

Julian — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 22:21:38 +0000

Domaine Berthoumieu, Haute Tradition, 2007

I haven't been drinking any wine in January (why not? Read all about it). The coverage of the Wine Rambler extended full committee meeting that brought me out of this lenten phase in style is coming up soon, and it will hold novelties and discoveries well worth the wait. But first, since it's still winter outside, how about another foray into the greasy skillet, the red meat, and the hard-chested red wines of the French southwest? Read on, if you not be too faint of heart.

Julian Saturday, 09/02/2013

Danaris, Grüner Veltliner 2011

torsten — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 07:28:37 +0000

Danaris, Grüner Veltliner 2011

2013 has now begun in earnest, and for the Wine Rambler that means it is time to start regular service again and write about wine. With our focus on Germany you would naturally expect the first bottle of the year to be of Teutonic origin - but, behold!, it is not. Geographically and linguistically Austria may not be far away, but even if some see the Austrians as Bavarians with charm, the Austrians themselves insist on their independence. Every single screw cap or capsule of Austrian wine says so in proud colours.

So why not pick a German wine as the first in 2013 on this (mostly) German wine blog? Well, first of all because we are not *that* German, but more importantly because of: tradition, quality and availability.

torsten Wednesday, 09/01/2013

Weingut Tesch, Laubenheimer Remigiusberg, Riesling trocken, 2010

Julian — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 22:16:58 +0000

Weingut Tesch, Laubenheimer Remigiusberg, Riesling trocken, 2010

When we last heard of Martin Tesch, the brain behind the Tesch vinery of Germany's Nahe region, my fellow Wine Rambler Torsten reported on the young winemaker's gift for marketing and label design and, not least, his manic laugh. The bottle of 2010 dry Riesling from his St. Remigiusberg vineyard recently on this Rambler's kitchen table emitted no sound whatsoever, but the other qualities of its creator were very much in evidence:

With its mixture of the historical seriousness and visual overload associated with old-style German Riesling, the hint at family traditions in the stern look and the the sideburns of the Tesch ancestor who presides over it, and finally the memorable colouring of the screw cap, this is no doubt a very well-designed bottle of wine. Is it any good?

Julian Wednesday, 29/08/2012

Weingut Alzinger, Dürnsteiner Riesling Federspiel trocken, 2004

torsten — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 17:54:56 +0000

Weingut Alzinger, Dürnsteiner Riesling Federspiel trocken, 2004

My love of German Riesling clearly has crossed the fine line that separates "famous" from "infamous": earlier this week a wine acquaintance on Twitter apologised to me for looking forward to having an Australian Riesling! To improve my image I decided there had to be a token non-German Riesling review on the Wine Rambler asap to hide that fact the deep down we do of course believe that the only good Riesling is a German Riesling.

So what better country to turn to than Austria, a country that like Germany has a range of confusing quality levels for wine, that features labels of a similar style and that, if it was not for the Austrian colours on the cap of every bottle, would on account of the language probably be mistaken for German by most international customers anyway. Selecting an Austrian Riesling will surely boost our post-nationalist credentials!

torsten Friday, 17/08/2012

Jürgen Leiner, Chardonnay "Handwerk", 2011

torsten — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 07:35:14 +0000

Jürgen Leiner, Chardonnay "Handwerk", 2011

The German word "Handwerk" stands for the trades that build, that craft things with their hands. It can be translated as "craft", "handicraft" or "artisanry" and it has a very solid connotation. Solid work, handmade for the customer, set against industrial mass-production, this is the message that Sven Leiner's wine range "Handwerk" is meant to convey. Thankfully, Leiner's artisanry is not of the type that will put you out of pocket - priced below €9 these wines are perhaps not cheap enough for everyday drinking if you are on a budget, but also not expensive for a quality product that is also certified organic.

It all sounds rather nice and I would have reviewed a "Handwerk" much earlier, were it not for a not so pleasant encounter with a Leiner wine a few years ago from which I only remember an unbalanced acidity which had put me off. Can Sven win back my trust with his craftsmanship?

torsten Friday, 13/07/2012

A. Christmann, Riesling Pfalz, 2010

torsten — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 08:53:01 +0000

A. Christmann, Riesling Pfalz, 2010

This is the season to write about summer wines. You have to dig up something fresh and light and go on about how well it would go with a garden party or that fresh, light food we all enjoy under the blazing heat. It will either be a light white wine or a rosé that even those who dislike rosé will enjoy as it goes so well with summer. I am having none of that, and for two reasons. First of all there is no summer in London - as I am writing this post the wettest June in history is behind us and water is pouring down outside Wine Rambler London HQ into a wet and cold July.

More importantly perhaps the category "summer wine" would be unfair to a wine that is much more than just an accessory to the hot season. IF there was such a thing as a hot season in London of course.

torsten Sunday, 08/07/2012