Rieslings

I am clearly handicapped: there's much current love being directed at Australian Rieslings, and much of the love seems to center on their absolute dryness. I'll admit up front that I just don't get it: to my palate, a touch of residual sugar brings out both the fruit and the texture of a great Riesling, and the painfully dry instances enjoying current popularity are lean, angular, anorexic hags by comparison.

So take it in context that I did not much enjoy the Kilikanoon Mort's Block Watervale Riesling '06, #29262. What others appear to taste as discipline, I just feel as an absence of body, texture, and, frankly, pleasure.

Given that, you'd imagine that the Kallfelz '06 Kabinett, #26916, would please me better, since it's gotten good notices as an off-dry German alternative. Unfortunately, this wine suffered from the sort of slightly-sour overripe fruit flavors I tend to associate with inexpensive US Rieslings. Given that this particular bottle had also undergone a touch of secondary fermentation, it is possible this was just a case of bottle variation.

I won't be checking on that, however, because I found a third alternative that satisfied my need for an inexpensive, fun, food-friendly Riesling: the Rudi Wiest "Mosel River" '07, a negociant bottling that I first tried by the glass at Philadelphia's snackbar. I was charmed by its pure apple-and-peach flavors, the light sweetness perfectly balanced by sharp acidity, and just general all-around lip-smacking cheerful goodness. I checked into it, and it's available as an SLO, #52059, for $11.69/btl, with a case minimum. I know that sounds like a big commitment, but trust me: they'll be gone long before you're ready for it.

In fact, I'm so sure of that, that I'll take any you want to get rid of off your hands, and gladly. Not that I expect to have to back that up.