Weingut Clemens Busch Vom Grauen Schiefer Riesling 2009

Bought in Munich, Germany while traveling on business. We had it with some pad thai and it paired perfectly. This wine is silky smooth and well balanced. I often find Riesling to be on the sour side but this wine went down very easily. Vom grauen schiefer translates into "of the grey slate" which speaks to the terroir where this wine is produced in the Mosel wine region.

WILLM RIESLING 2008

I have always been intrigued by the long necked bottle and yellow label of wines from Alsace. They are some of the classic fragrant whites - Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Today I tried a Riesling from Willm. It has a very pronounced nose with notes of orange and pear. It shows flavours of Macintosh apples and lemon zest. Would go well with oysters.

THIRTY BENCH RIESLING 2006

Highly crisp and citrus-y, this Riesling is a great specimen of the Niagara region's best grape varietal. Its dryness is very noticeable in the beginning, so I would advise letting it breathe for a few minutes. It is an award winning wine: Silver Medal (Best in Class) - International Wine & Spirits Competition, UK 2008; and Silver Medal - Canadian Wine Awards 2007. Knowing that Thirty Bench is famous for its Rieslings, we saved this special bottle until the very last moment. (We are currently packing up to move to Boston, and so our reviews will soon feature wines available in shops around the city.) I don't expect to find any Thirty Bench in Massachusetts, which is a shame.

HENRY OF PELHAM - RIESLING 2006

It has been a while since our last post, as we have recently moved from Vancouver to London, Ontario. Naturally, things have been quite busy, and we haven't had the luxury of leisurely wine tastings.

Now that we are in Ontario, it is time to sample some of the local varieties. The Niagara Peninsula is the major wine appellation here, and is where Henry of Pelham Family Estate is located. Its sub-appellation is called Short Hills Bench.

We sampled a bottle of Riesling to have with some tortellini - probably not a great pairing, but what the heck. It had grapefruit, citrus, and quince on the nose, and the taste had strong flavours of granny smith apple. It was a very nice introduction to Ontario wine, and I can't wait for more.

Score:

MULLER BISHOP OF RIESLING 2006

RIESLING QBA BERNKASTEL - MULLER BISHOP OF RIESLING
A sweet wine with hints of honey and pear. Very flavourful with sour notes at the end. Julia appreciated the lack of oak. I noticed that the wine had some bubbles, possibly an indication of the presence of carbon dioxide left over from fermentation, according to Rodney Strong Vineyards. Would go well with Asian food.

Score: 84

BCL SKU #36111 / UPC #04006542053654