Issue 20 October–December 2003
• Return to Grape
20 contents page
•
Return to
Grape home page
| Rating (real) riesling There is less riesling made in the Cape than there used to be - but standards of quality and value-for-money are high. Tim James reports on a gratifying tasting.
|
|
| There is, gladly,
room to doubt gloomy reports of riesling's imminent
demise in the Cape. True, vines have been ripped out and
wines culled at a great rate, but most of the best have
remained, a few new labels are appearing, and at least
one ambitious and exciting planting (on a high hillside
at Klein Constantia) is planned.
Cheered by the thought that we were not catching this great variety just before it disappears from our vineyards entirely, and with a fine array of wines, an enjoyable and interesting tasting was had by all. And no-one, by the way, referred to what was in their glasses as anything other than simply 'riesling', despite the 'Weisser' or 'Rhine' which the local authorities insist must precede it on the label. ('Riesling', by itself, is scandalously reserved here for that less-than-splendid grape properly known as cruchen blanc, also called Cape riesling, despite a total absence of connection with the German variety - but such is the devotion of the Wine and Spirit Board to quality). Nearly an exhaustive representation, then, of what the Cape can now offer in the way of dry or semi-dry riesling: fourteen currently available wines, from the last three vintages, ranging from bone-dry to 17 grams/litre of residual sugar. Absolute sugar levels can be misleading, of course; a wine with 10 grams/litre could even taste drier than an officially 'dry' one with half that amount, depending on the sugar-acid balance. The aim here was to exclude only wines not suitable for most savoury foods, which meant we did not taste the often excellent dessert wines that are made in the Cape from riesling. 'Overall, a very accomplished line-up', said a slightly surprised Christian Eedes, who does admire riesling, but seldom drinks it - largely because it is so seldom available in restaurants and wine bars. Chef Harald Bresselschmidt agreed. His Cape Town restaurant, Aubergine, must have the country's largest selection of both foreign (from Germany and Alsace) and local rieslings. Interestingly, and a little challenging conventional wisdom, he found the less-dry examples on this tasting more suitable for various food-matches than the dry - and reeled off some wonderful-sounding combinations. All the tasters agreed that the showing was impressive. 'The overall quality much higher, for example, than a comprehensive sauvignon blanc tasting would have offered', commented Angela Lloyd. 'The most exciting variety; so versatile', said Adam Mason - who will be making his own riesling next year at Klein Constantia, where he is the new winemaker. Ingrid Motteux commented on what a rare pleasure it is to taste a range of wines where none stood out as being too obviously over-alcoholic - eight of these wines were under 13%, with Villiera reaching 13.8% and Jack & Knox Snowline and Jordan marked at 13.5%. Jeff Grier, winemaker at Villiera, responded with pleasure to the wines. 'Few varieties can come across as clean and refreshing as these', he suggested. 'There were no poor wines here.' He pointed to the range of styles and flavours represented: some delicate, some fuller-flavoured wines; they were variously spicy, tropical and floral - and some rather neutral, perhaps. And, he pointed out, riesling 'lends itself to a bit of sugar, which can give richness to a vibrantly dry palate'. This very versatility - and the 'bit of sugar' - cause some of the problems encountered by riesling in the market-place. How is the consumer to know what to expect in terms of the level of sweetness, particularly as the effective sweetness can be conditioned as much by a compensating acidity as by the actual weight of residual sugar present? Grier marks his own wine on the label as 'dry' - a useful practice, and one which, he says, has certainly helped sales. There is generally little help given, incidentally, by bottle shape: we had the whole gamut - traditional Germanic flutes, burgundy and even bordeaux bottles. Only one, the stylish bottle of the Jack & Knox wine, was closed with the screwcap which now is almost standard on the large and successful range of Australian rieslings. This panel of tasters rewarded the whole selection of styles on offer here, the dry and the semi-dry. Some of the more notable wines included the new offering (rare this, in a time of culling of labels!) from Jack & Knox - a dry and undoubtedly modern interpretation of the theme, more likely to appeal to sauvignon devotees than some others here, with its crisp, dry tropicality. The top-scorer, a splendid effort from an apparently rejuvenating Nederburg, was also not entirely typical: an infusion of 13% gewürztraminer added further attractive fragrance to a well-made wine (whose origins remain hidden behind a 'Western Cape' origin given on the label). Ingrid Motteux noted a difference in aim among the wines: some, like the Nederburg for example, were more friendly and 'commercial', while others - she instanced Thelema and Paul Cluver - were more classic and restrained - and perhaps ageworthy. There is evidence that riesling internationally is starting to pick up some of its former fashionability - although it tends to be wine-buffs who continue to be the most ardent champion of the grape. (Bressel-schmidt confirms that it is mostly the genuinely 'wine-oriented' diners at his restaurant who order riesling.) But it continues to be for producers either something so much less profitable than, say, sauvignon blanc, that it gets ripped out, or it must be a product for a niche market. Riesling therefore tends to be underpriced, generally selling for less than sauvignon blanc, which is less expensive to produce. Does this mean, Christian Eedes pertinently wondered, that winemakers are holding back to an extent? With a more enthusiastic market, and a more attentive press, would we be able to push beyond the current quality levels, and achieve real excellence? Perhaps (as Jeff Grier admitted).
But the interest that serious winemakers find in the
variety, and the classy note that a riesling can confer
on a cellar, mean that it is likely to keep at least a
small place in the Cape's vineyards, despite the steep
decline in production over the last decade. On the
evidence of this tasting, and particularly given the
excellent value most of these wines offer, that is cause
to celebrate this summer - glass of riesling in hand. |
THE WINES
Nederburg Rhine Riesling 2003 (Semi-dry; R25.50) ***½ Thelema Rhine Riesling 2002 (Dry; R30) Weltevrede Rhine Riesling 2001 (Dry; R29)
Klein Constantia Rhine Riesling 2001 (Semi-dry; R34)
Jack & Knox Snowline 2003 (Dry; R65 recommended retail)
Jordan Rhine Riesling 2003 (Semi-dry; R31.80)
De Wetshof Rhine Riesling 2002 (Semi-dry; R36)
Hartenberg Weisser Riesling 2002 (Semi-sweet;
R21) ***
Deetlefs Weisser Riesling 2002 (Semi-dry;
R32)
Paul Cluver Weisser Riesling 2002 (Semi-dry;
R35)
Villiera Rhine Riesling 2003 (Dry; R30)
Buitenverwachting Rhine Riesling 2003 (Semi-dry; R33) **½
Rhebokskloof Weisser Riesling 2003 (Dry;
R33)
Montpellier du Sud Private Bin 43 2003 (Semi-dry; R15)
|