Perfect start into the world of DRY RIESLING

_„Van Volxem Saar-Riesling 2009: I was blown off my feet by its energy and concentration. I gave it 16.5 out of 20, a very high score for such an inexpensive wine. Wonderfully well balanced and exciting; I could happily drink this for lunch today! Great nerve but lots of ripe fruit on the front palate though it finishes bone dry. Great white wine by any measure!” _

Jancis Robinson


2009 Van Volxem, Saar Riesling, Mosel

Perfect start into the world of Dry Riesling. Here we have with the „Saar Riesling“ the entry-level Riesling of the estate Van Volxem. Thanks to the gift of the winemaker Roman Niewodniczanski and the great vintage 2009 you will have a remarkable quality of dry Riesling in your glass. Enjoyable mix of ripe fruit (apricot), minerality (slate), blossoms (lilac), spice (anise) and of course acidity. Silky mouthfeeling and offers lovely drinking pleasure. BTW, presented best on Day 2. Impressive QPR for 10€. Last but not least, please use a big glass like Vinum Bordeaux or ZALTO „Universal“.


Dealer: http://www.wine-searcher.com/find/van+volxem+riesling+saar/2009

Thanks for the note.
I like dry Rieslings, so I will keep
an eye out for this.

Cheers
Rip

Martin, an absolutely terrific value riesling and I won’t try to say it any better than you have already. I guess my only comment would be to emphasize what a lovely introduction this wine is to Saar, as well as “dry”, riesling. Coincidentally, I did have this for lunch yeasterday, and I want to alert any NYC readers that Grammercy Tavern has recently been serving this by the glass and half-glass!

Great to hear Carl. No doubt, a wonderful introduction to the Saar-region. YES, this Riesling is also a wonderful partner with several food. Maybe fantastic especially with seafood.

Thanks for the note, Martin - I will look for it. I very much liked the Van Volxem wines I have had in the past. I just did a post on my blog about 2009 rieslings tasted at Crush, and another dry riesling priced at entry level that I can recommend is the 2009 Steinmetz Wintricher Geierslay spatlese feinherb, which I thought competed quite well with a table of GGs from excellent producers like Willi Schaefer, F. Haag and Donnhoff, at only $16 a bottle! Lots of chalky, slatey mineral with just a touch of spatlese sweetness.

Please keep those riesling recommendations coming! By the way, I also fell in love with the '09 Egon Muller Scharzhofberger spatlese, but it’s out of my price range. Can you recommend any more affordable wines that you find to be in a similar style? I have not had the 2009 Egon Muller regular riesling, have you had it?

The Rieslings from Egon Müller are expensive in Germany too. 09 Kabinett for 30-35 Euro.

I strongly recommend you 2009 Zilliken “Rausch” Kabinett. Here is my TN:

In addition:

09 Haart “Goldtröpfchen” Kabinett and Spätlese
09 Willi Schaefer ”Graacher Domprobst” Kabinett and Spätlese
09 Schloss Lieser Kabinett
09 Schloss Lieser “Juffer Sonnenuhr” Spätlese

Thanks for those ideas, Martin. I did have taste a few of your recommendations - I liked the Zilliken and the Reinhold Haart a lot, though I ultimately preferred the F. Haag Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr spatlese by a bit, and bought that one. I imagine I will revisit all of them, and check out the Schloss Liesers at some point too.

Schloss Lieser beat Fritz Haag…or Thomas Haag beats his brother Oliver Haag in the vintage 2009.

Drinking a Schloss Lieser 2009 Riesling and loving it! This wine smells deliciously of pineapple and wet river rock. Tastes like a barely ripe Red Haven peach with plenty of acid lifting it up. It does have a touch of residual sugar but is not sweet.
This wine paired perfectly with Thai Curry.
I got this as a recommendation from Lyle Fass for $13.99 and this bottle makes me want another case. Easy porch pounder in the Summer. [cheers.gif]

But is it a Donnhoff?

It is not. I am counting on you for that! [cheers.gif]

I knew it, you just love me for my Donnhoff. [swoon.gif]

Kimberly, not to be competitive but you can count on me for Donnhoff as well. The 07 Dellchen has been among my favorite young trockens for current drinking for over a year, and last nite I opened my first bottle of the 09 next to it. At this early stage it is showing neither the richness nor the exuberant nose of its “older” sibling, but what a future! Beautifully clean, abundantly mineralled, focussed and long, but even at this very early stage giving signs of the Donnhoff breadth of flavor that awaits the patient. Unfortunately it was so good that for me at least patience may not be in the cards, and I may have a new “favorite young trocken for current drinking”.

Sorry for the thread drift.

Nah, she loves you cause you call her Kim. neener

Martin,
Haven’t tried the basic Van Volxem Saar, but had the Scharzhofberger (the regular AP#14, not the P bottling) and the Gottesfuss Alte Reben recently. Scharzhofberger was very, very good; Gottesfuss was a bit disappointing for my expectations - the '08 of that is one of the best dry tasting Rieslings I’ve had from that vintage, but the '09 had a lot of baby fat and wasn’t showing the same complexity or focus. Will be checking into the Volz and Goldberg bottlings pretty soon, and then putting the rest of my '09 Van Volxems away for some years. Any impressions on the single vineyard/parcel bottlings, or the Saar Alte Reben?

And agree on the '09 Lieser wines being outstanding. Have you tried the Spatlese trocken? One of the best dry wines I’ve had from '09 - lighter on its feet than most of the GGs, more elegant and really precise.

Just pulled an 09 Donnhoff for dinner tonight. It is just the basic Nahe but I figured I would give it a go after your glowing 09 review. I will keep an eye out for the Dellchen. I went long on '09 Riesling and am trying hard to let them age.