A Wine Lover"s Near Weekly Guide To $15 Wine - An Old Vines Riesling From Alsace
I tend to like Alsatian wines and I tend to like Rieslings, so this review may be a slam dunk. Maybe. This winemaker has been in the business for some fifty years. Actually it's a cooperative englobing over 200 wine growers. The city of Turckheim is surrounded by a medieval wall with three portes opening to the Munster Valley, the Porte des Vins, and the city of Colmar. If you are there between May and October check out the traditionally dressed night watchman making his rounds at about 10 pm singing traditional songs. And in mid-August make sure that you attend the Alsace Wine Fair. But don't drive. The companion wine is a Mosel, Germany sweet Riesling at about two-thirds the price.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed Cave de Turckheim Vielles Vignes Riesling 2009 12.5 % alcohol about $14.
We can start by quoting the marketing materials "Tasting Note: Fantastic characteristic notes of wet stone minerality and lime citrus with grapefruit and orange tones too. The nose is also beginning to show a very nice petrol quality. Quite racy in the mouth, with very strong reflections of the aroma profile. This old vine Alsatian is an impressive wine; try it out with friends and some deep-fried calamari. (VINTAGES panel, Aug. 2012)" And now for my review.
At the first sips this wine was long and almost sour with some of that famous (and really not all that likeable) Riesling petrol. The main dish was a baked chicken leg, which was spiced with cardamom, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, and onions. In response this liquid took on a bit of citrus and smoke. A side dish of baked onions softened this wine's acidity. It darkened and I got the taste of burnt. The libation did a good job of handing the grease in the accompanying potatoes but its acidity wasn't round enough. When paired with zesty guacamole smoke dominated the contents of my glass.
The second meal began with a homemade vegetable soup that rendered our Alsatian friend smoky and yet sweet. It was fairly long. The centerpiece was chicken and beef meatballs enlivened with a mixture of coriander, cumin, black pepper, garlic, and caraway seed. In response our fermented grape juice became smoky with a burnt taste and yet it was still sweet. Steamed quinoa strengthened this wine. Fresh strawberries muted the drink; the burnt taste remained, but nothing else.
The final meal focused on an omelet containing red pepper, black pepper, cumin, coriander, and flax seed. The libation responded with a dark burnt taste and pleasant acidity. It was quite long. The side dish of homemade roasted eggplant brought some wood and charcoal to the mix. Poached pears in allspice and cinnamon caused Whitey to weaken, offering some smoke and unbalanced acidity. When accompanying a slice of poppy seed cake the drink's harsh acidity was dominant. There was a burnt, smoky taste.
Final verdict. I was quite disappointed. Maybe I should have not brought along my expectations. They were not met.
OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.
Wine Reviewed Cave de Turckheim Vielles Vignes Riesling 2009 12.5 % alcohol about $14.
We can start by quoting the marketing materials "Tasting Note: Fantastic characteristic notes of wet stone minerality and lime citrus with grapefruit and orange tones too. The nose is also beginning to show a very nice petrol quality. Quite racy in the mouth, with very strong reflections of the aroma profile. This old vine Alsatian is an impressive wine; try it out with friends and some deep-fried calamari. (VINTAGES panel, Aug. 2012)" And now for my review.
At the first sips this wine was long and almost sour with some of that famous (and really not all that likeable) Riesling petrol. The main dish was a baked chicken leg, which was spiced with cardamom, cumin, garlic powder, black pepper, and onions. In response this liquid took on a bit of citrus and smoke. A side dish of baked onions softened this wine's acidity. It darkened and I got the taste of burnt. The libation did a good job of handing the grease in the accompanying potatoes but its acidity wasn't round enough. When paired with zesty guacamole smoke dominated the contents of my glass.
The second meal began with a homemade vegetable soup that rendered our Alsatian friend smoky and yet sweet. It was fairly long. The centerpiece was chicken and beef meatballs enlivened with a mixture of coriander, cumin, black pepper, garlic, and caraway seed. In response our fermented grape juice became smoky with a burnt taste and yet it was still sweet. Steamed quinoa strengthened this wine. Fresh strawberries muted the drink; the burnt taste remained, but nothing else.
The final meal focused on an omelet containing red pepper, black pepper, cumin, coriander, and flax seed. The libation responded with a dark burnt taste and pleasant acidity. It was quite long. The side dish of homemade roasted eggplant brought some wood and charcoal to the mix. Poached pears in allspice and cinnamon caused Whitey to weaken, offering some smoke and unbalanced acidity. When accompanying a slice of poppy seed cake the drink's harsh acidity was dominant. There was a burnt, smoky taste.
Final verdict. I was quite disappointed. Maybe I should have not brought along my expectations. They were not met.