Schmitt Söhne, Riesling Qualitätswein, 2008
Imagine my surprise when I found myself looking at a German Riesling in a supermarket in the outskirts of Alexandria, Virginia. Actually, there were several wines claiming to be 'German' Riesling, but I skipped two that were not bottled in Germany. I also skipped a 'Claret' made by Francis Ford Coppola - yes, THAT Coppola, another celebrity who ventured into wine making -, but as I was drinking 'with' a pregnant woman it seemed best to focus on something light that I could finish by myself, if need be. Still a shame not to have tried the Coppola, but there may be other times.
The Schmitt Söhne comes in a blue bottle that gives the wine an ethereal quality. This is quite fitting as the colour is very very light. As are the smell and taste: a little lemony acidity, a tiny tiny hint of mineral and some grapefruit - so light that the wine seemed more like an echo of a Riesling than an actual wine. Luckily though, the echo got stronger over time as the wine opened up, eventually presenting an airy, fresh wine that combines elderflower and grapefruit with (still not very intense) mineral and fresh citrus fruit.
Pleasant on a hot summer's eve and easy to drink, this wine is more of a crowd pleaser that lacks real depth or character to impress the Riesling lover. But at $10 and bought for a hot summer's eve (and it is quite hot here) with chicken salad on a porch in Virginia...
Comments
Virginia
Wow. Two words for relaxed cosmopolitan wine rambling: "Virginia porch". Were there chirping crickets and ladies in white cotton dresses?
In reply to Virginia by Julian
Virginia
There where lots of crickets - and even more fireflies, so it was all very civilised in that sense. Sadly though no ladies in white cotton dresses. I have seen a few ladies though who walked overweight dogs, if that counts...
In reply to Virginia by torsten
I'll invest in a cotton dress
I'll invest in a cotton dress :-) The wine was much nicer three days later!
In reply to I'll invest in a cotton dress by dot
I am pleased to hear that the
I am pleased to hear that the wine improved over time. And thumbs up for cotton dresses!