Weingut Künstler, Hochheimer Hölle, Riesling Kabinett trocken 2008
I would like to recommend this wine to all Anglo-Saxon wine lovers who enjoy the uniqueness of German wine labelling and, especially, naming. You might know that trocken means 'dry' and that Kabinett indicates that this wine is to be ranked among the quality wines. However, this is just the boring part of the classification system. Much more interesting is the name of the wine - artist's hell. How do the serious Germans come to such an usual name?
Well, actually they do it by being very serious. First of all the 'artist' part. The wine was made by winemaker Künstler, which is German for 'artist'. And the grapes for this Riesling come from a vineyard near the town of Hochheim that is call Hölle - 'hell'. As you can see, this is all quite orderly and no pun is intended. Very serious and systematic German classification at work.
And now the wine: A nose of peach and citrus fruit combined with elderflower and some mineral. While there is some mineral in the mouth too, think flint stone, the Künstler is not dominated by it. Lively acid, zesty lime, apple and citrus, elderflower and vegetable notes, well balanced with a pleasant zing on the palate and a good finish.
If you find this appetising but do not want to order from Germany, Waitrose are also offering this wine in the UK: http://www.waitrosewine.com/230495480/Product.aspx