Snake River Valley, Idaho, 12.5% ABV
$3 at the Berkeley, CA, store on 18 March. Also in the San Pablo store.
I had stayed away from this wine after disliking the 2008 bottling. However, another customer, who was loading up on it, persuaded me to try a bottle.
The wine has flavors of yellow flowers, ripe yellow pear and maybe some yellow apple, tart green apple, and a little sweet white pepper. There was perhaps a little softness of age, but no oxidation. It’s very pleasant to drink and great for the price.
On the Ste Chapelle web site, the description of this wine is: Our 2009 Riesling has aromas and flavors of lemon and fig, with a strong floral component. The wine is finished in the medium-sweet range and balanced with ample acidity. pH: 2.95 TA: 0.87 RS: 3.0% Alcohol: 13.5% Cases Produced: 33,000. I thought what sugar was there was reasonably well balanced with acid.
Had a bottle of this with Asian chicken katsu with sweet katsu sauce and onion fried tofu tonight….the perfect accompaniment. The sweet/tart flavors of the wine easily held up to the sweet sauce and spicy tofu. The flavors of this Riesling are much different than what I generally find in NW Rieslings…more citrusy lemon/lime and yellow pear and very little of the usual green apple. Quite delicious and refreshing and the higher sugar content was perfectly offset by the very tangy acidity. I bought four bottles, but I think I’ll head back to GO for more. Excellent value for three bucks.
Sorry to have been inattentive here, but I just noticed today that this bottling is the “Riesling,” whereas the 2008 bottling I recalled was the “Dry Riesling.” The 2009 “Dry Riesling” is also available (I saw it at the Oakland store this morning) for the same price. If anyone has tried both, how do they compare?
And of course I have yet to see this northwest Riesling up here in the northwest! : ~) Sounds right up my alley though.
A lot of this at the west Beaverton GO, much tastier than the ’08.
The 2009 Riesling (assumedly the one you reviewed here, BW) just showed up on my GO weekly ad at the Silverdale, WA store for $2.99. Have to get me some. 3% r.s. is really pretty sweet, but the crisp acidity makes all the difference in the world (as you mentioned).
Is this off-dry? Sweet?
I updated the post with I hope an answer to your question.