Yesterday I was sitting on a Riesling tasting panel in Walla Walla and we were comparing Riesling from some classic regions in the world versus Washington. It is clear in my mind that Washington has its own style and produces its own type of Riesling. Here are a few thoughts about the regions we have tasted yesterday that I have put down:

- Mosel: Great acid, large influence of Botrytis with great honey, waxy nose. Kabinett styles are the most distinctive from that region and they balance the acid very well. A very distinctive style.

- Australia (Clare Valley): Bone dry styles. Lots of lemon, some alcohol and often some petrol notes. Once again a very specific profile that one cannot miss.

- Alsace: Very mineral wines with some ripeness and body. Sometimes a hint of alcohol. Not always technically bone dry but tasting almost always dry .

- Washington: Rarely bone dry, often some sugar though always great acid to balance the sugar. More fruity than steely with Peach being a main component. Often in a wide range of sweetness.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 6th, 2009 at 11:32 am and is filed under Riesling fanaticsm, Scoop on Pacific Rim. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.