Clear, light lemon-gold appearance. Clean, medium intensity nose with floral, lemon, and petrol qualities. Dry with the slightest bit of residual sugar; high acidity and medium body. Very nicely balanced citrus-mineral floral palate. 12.5% alcohol. Good length and complexity. Overall very good; definitely recommended. $44.90 at Marquis.
Riesling
My favourite grape.
Dönnhoff Riesling Trocken 2006
Medium yellow-gold with a mineral-dominated honey nose. Dry with strong acidity and fairly light body; lemon dominates with earthy qualities but the fruitiness comes through. A very nice dry Riesling. 12% alcohol. $35.90 at Marquis Wine Cellars. See Weingut Dönnhoff (warning: heavy use of Flash on this site).
Albert Mann Cuvée Albert Riesling 2007
Medium-light yellow-gold. Nice citrus-mineral floral nose. Dry, very nicely balanced subtle lemon, apple, and pineapple with light acidity that falls off quickly in a beautiful finish. Recommended. 12.5% alcohol. $37.90 at Marquis Wine Cellars. See Domaine Albert Mann.
Markus Molitor 2005 Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese Riesling Feinherb
Medium honey-gold colour and light honey-mineral nose. Deep sweet apricot acidic slate balanced tingling apple evolving transporting. As easy to drink as water. Not much else to say: I like it very much. 12% alcohol, higher than most I’ve tried from the region. $42.90 at Marquis Wine Cellars. See Weingut Markus Molitor.
Gray Monk 2008 Riesling
Medium gold appearance; light apple-citrus nose with a touch of mineral and honey. Medium body slightly off-dry with well-balanced stone fruit and citrus flavours, and good acidity. Straightforward but quite nice. 13.8% alcohol, quite high for a Riesling it seems to me. About $20 at Granville Liquor Store, 2658 Granville. See Gray Monk Estate Winery.
My father (born Blackall, Queensland; currently residing Vancouver, BC) bought me this bottle. Thanks, dad.
Martin’s Lane Riesling 2009
Medium pale silver-lemon appearance. A typical Okanagan nose: pineapple and a hint of sage brush, with subtle earth and mineral aromas. Muted acidity and well balanced; ever so slightly off-dry, with, again, a mixture of regional fruits: peach, apple, along with a bit of citrus, particularly lime; and mineral. Very enjoyable, and quite distinct; one of the better recent British Columbia Rieslings I’ve tasted. 13.0% alcohol. $27.90 at Marquis Wine Cellars. This wine is by Mission Hill but I couldn’t easily find mention of it on their site.
Alkoomi Frankland River Riesling 2005
Rich lemon-gold appearance. Subtle nose of citrus and green apple. Medium body with strong acidity, dry with mineral, lime, and grassy notes. Quite nicely done, actually; perhaps the best Aussie Riesling I’ve tried (but I haven’t tried many). Comparable to some of the French varietals I’ve tasted. 13.0% alcohol. See Alkoomi Wines, and their tasting notes for the vintage (PDF file). $29.00 at Steamworks Wine Thief.
Markus Molitor 2008 Haus Klosterberg Riesling Mosel
Clear medium lemon-gold. Wonderful apricot-mineral nose. Quite sweet with honey and stone fruit balanced nicely by a strong acidity. Not complex but very enjoyable; again, Mosel Rieslings are my weak spot. 9.5% alcohol. $27.10 at Crosstown. See Markus Molitor.
8th Generation Riesling Classic 2009
Very pale silver appearance with a light grapefruit-sage nose. Just off-dry, medium body, nice acidity, and a good balance of honey, stone fruit, and strong mineral notes. I think this is a step forward from the 2008, and remains one of my favourite BC Rieslings. 13.5% alcohol. $24.50 at Steamworks Wine Thief. See 8th Generation Vineyard.
Selbach-Oster 2008 Riesling Kabinett
Clear gold with a light mineral-honey nose. Medium body, medium-sweet with strong apricot and slightly muted acidity. Nice sweet lingering finish. Not complex, but very well balanced. This is the kind of Riesling I really enjoy. Recommended. 8.5% alcohol; $29.90 at Marquis Wine Cellars. See Selbach-Oster.