F. J. Regnery, Riesling Kabinett trocken, 2007
Would you drink wine from a winemaker who is member of a group called 'Mosel Disciples', or Mosel Jünger in German, who market their wines as 'Mosel mal jünger' (Mosel a little younger for a change), or with the label 'Riesling Reloaded'? Well, I am doing it right now. I did not, however, buy the wine because of the marketing - I bought it earlier this morning because Philglas & Swiggot, one of my favourite wine merchants in London, recommended it. Only later did I find out that there really is group of Mosel winemakers called the Mosel Jünger. And the Regnery winery is part of that group. They promise a focus on quality in order to give the Mosel area a new and better image. http://www.moseljuenger.de/ So let's see what Regnery are up to.
Nice yellow colour, to start with, and a nose of minerally citrus fruit and apple, with some wooden notes (not your red wine vanilla wood though). The taste is pretty much identical to the bouquet, with a bit of vegetable in there too. The wine is well balanced, with a good dosage of mineral and acidity and a decent finish. Sweet wine sceptics will find it pleasantly dry, especially as the Mosel region has a reputation for being quite sweet.
Dry, mineral and citrus make a good Riesling, but also not an extraordinary one. So do not expect a new dimension of Riesling with this one ('Riesling Reloaded') - but as long as you don't you will find a decent companion.
Why the Mosel needs a better image I am still not sure though.