Waitrose, £17.50
The proferred Prosecco had certainly taken an interesting Dadaist approach to the closure debate in opting for a beer bottle style cap, but being a man of both class and taste I was obviously not to be tempted.
Several years' worth of field data suggests that my life will be far, far too short to drink cheap fizzy wine. And I've never been one to argue with empiricism, even when I need an aperitif.
Happily a freezer and a bottle of posh Austrian Riesling were on hand, so I dug out the required receptacle and set about it.
I drink little white that isn't Riesling. I like the petrol, the acidity, the freshness, the variety, the intensity, and above all I love the smug confidence that I'm drinking something better than anybody else.
I love the grape but hate the way its complexity means I spend an evening smelling rather than drinking it, but with this example it seems I had struck gold.
Subtler on the nose than some; mineraltiy, oil, and a little green vegetable. In the mouth however is everything anyone could want: Tropical fruit, citrus fruit, apples, sugar (not cloying), acid (but no astringency), and beautifully balanced.
In an amusing, blurry, art-imitating-life kind of way, the bottle went imperceptibly quickly.
For the moment brevity's definitely got its upside.
Just very recently had a Reisling from New York state that someone gave to me as a gift. Wasn't expecting much, but it was delightful.
ReplyDeleteGood stuff, and good to have interesting friends.
ReplyDeleteI'm always amazed by how it can produce really decent wines in such disparate climates. Just waiting for someone to try it here in England.
Do you reckon it'd ripen properly to make a regular style?
You'd think if it'd work in Up-state New York it'd work in England.
ReplyDeleteThere is a vineyard by my brother's home on the Wirral...don't know what variety is grown there, but I am going to try to find out when I'm home in April.
On the Wirral! An ambitious venture for sure. Let us know over on Vinsanity.
ReplyDelete