Vile Riesling

[Saina Nieminen]

After 11 hours of non-stop translating from Finnish to English of a badly translated Russian document, what is the right thing to do to get back into a happy mood? Get a bottle of Riesling and a good book.

I still had two bottles of Robert Vile's Kiedrich Gräfenberg Riesling Spätlese 2004 so I opened one thinking I'd let the second rest for some years more. But the first had some sort of mechanical cork failure so the wine was brown and oxidized.

At which point I felt that the producer has an aptronym.

My reasoning thereafter went like this: Riesling improves with age, but it is wonderful in all stages of its life. So why not open the last one now? And so I did.

Wonderfully steely sweetness, a touch of honey and petrol; elegant, light, intense and wonderful in every way. And just as it was when younger and just as it will be in a decade, this was the perfect time to drink it.

 

[Yule Kim]

originally posted by Otto Nieminen:
My reasoning thereafter went like this: Riesling improves with age, but it is wonderful in all stages of its life. So why not open the last one now? And so I did.

Not to pick nits (but it would not be wine disorder otherwise), but I thought rieslings have a tendency to shut down between 2-10 years of age before opening up again.

Out of curiosity, does the shut down period apply to all types of rieslings, or just Mosel rieslings?

 

[maureen]

originally posted by Yule Kim:Not to pick nits (but it would not be wine disorder otherwise), but I thought rieslings have a tendency to shut down between 2-10 years of age before opening up again.

Out of curiosity, does the shut down period apply to all types of rieslings, or just Mosel rieslings?

oh, just like many other wines, they close down except when they don't - and sometimes they close down and then awaken for a bit before going back to sleep - and sometimes they taste delicious even when closed!

 

[robert ames]

Not to pick nits (but it would not be wine disorder otherwise), but I thought rieslings have a tendency to shut down between 2-10 years of age before opening up again.

Out of curiosity, does the shut down period apply to all types of rieslings, or just Mosel rieslings?

some vintages yes, some vintages no.

 

[MarkS]

I thought that was chenin that closes. I've never really had riesling shut tight, except for maybe the drier styles which seem to demand more time.

 

[Rahsaan]

originally posted by MarkS:
I thought that was chenin that closes. I've never really had riesling shut tight...

'Shut tight' is often in the eye/mouth/brain of the beholder and depends on what you are seeking in the wine.

 

[Unknown]

originally posted by maureen:


oh, just like many other wines, they close down except when they don't - and sometimes they close down and then awaken for a bit before going back to sleep - and sometimes they taste delicious even when closed!

wisdom.

nothing to add. the fatsink never sleeps.

fb.

 

[Claude Kolm]

2004s are showing very well right now. I was served a number in Germany last September and have since opened a number of truly outstanding wines, the most recent being a gorgeous Schloss Lieser Kabinett this past Saturday.The vintage demonstrates, yet again, that balance is more important than power or ripeness.

 

[John McIlwain]

originally posted by fatboy:

originally posted by maureen:


oh, just like many other wines, they close down except when they don't - and sometimes they close down and then awaken for a bit before going back to sleep - and sometimes they taste delicious even when closed!

wisdom.

nothing to add. the fatsink never sleeps.

fb.

Amen.

 

[Joel Stewart]

Well, one could add that "Vile Riesling" presents possibilities for a reasonably decent band name.