Drink
A sip of great riesling lands on the tongue like the dangerous flit of a rapier's mark. The leading edge is painlessly delicious, with a seductive sweetness of ripe orchard fruit. But when riesling is at its wicked best, that kiss is backed by a cutting acidity from which all the grape's other flavors unfurl, a stony minerality, a quenchingly bitter pith, and finally, a lingering echo of honey to coax the glass to your lips again.
A sip of great riesling lands on the tongue like the dangerous flit of a rapier's mark. The leading edge is painlessly delicious, with a seductive sweetness of ripe orchard fruit. But when riesling is at its wicked best, that kiss is backed by a cutting acidity from which all the grape's other flavors unfurl, a stony minerality, a quenchingly bitter pith, and finally, a lingering echo of honey to coax the glass to your lips again.
The beauty of undervalued riesling, though, is that such complexity isn't limited to the prestige cuvees. The QbA house label from St. Urbans-Hof, one of the Mosel's most reliable wineries, delivers all those flavor moves at a satisfyingly reasonable price, usually around $15. From this gem of the 2007 vintage, I got the bright sweetness of white peach and blossoms on the nose, followed by a lemony, juicy pucker that bristled with white-pepper spice and a lingering, lip-smacking finish.
In Pennsylvania, where it's a special by-the-case-order for $16.79, there are plans to restock it for retail in late spring. Numerous stores in South Jersey, however, currently sell it at $12 to $14, including Wine Legend in Cherry Hill, Canal's Bottle Stop in Marlton, and Hops & Grapes in Glassboro.
- Craig LaBan