SCHLOSS JOHANNISBERG | Gelblack | Riesling Rheingau | 2016
riesling
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Tonight we are finally getting to the Wine of Germany, as we’ve decided that the time has come for a very special wine – Gelblack Riesling Rheingau 2016 from Schloss Johannisberg. Riesling must be the world’s most misunderstood grape variety, which is acknowledged as the king of german vineyards. Wines made from riesling grapes are unlike any other – light in alcohol, high in natural acidity, with the ability to transmit the terrior through its extract and unique aroma and, what makes it stand out from the crowd, riesling wines are capable of ageing for decades. Relative to other internationally known varieties, riesling ripens quite early, so when planted in a hot climate its juice can be overripe and flabby, while in a cool climate it has the chance to stay on the vine late into the autumn, hence the german obsession with late harvest riesling wines. That said, let’s find out how good this wine is and where it stands in our ratings. On to the tasting!
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:
Visual
Pastel green color with pale white shades towards the rim of the glass.
Olfactory
The nose is strong, filled mostly with sweet fruits and honey flavours: soft petroleum scents, apple blossom, white pear, linden flower honey, acacia flower, daffodil, lemon, white grapefruit, apricot, canned peach, lychee, white melon and some hints of wormwood.
Gustatory
The wine is dry, with moderate alcohol level, high acidity and ripe tannin. It tastes crisp, ripe and and refreshing, maybe just a bit bitter, yet quite smooth and elegant. This is a quite complex, noble and supple wine, with a nuanced citrusy profile. The wine has a fair overall balance as it feels very fresh, with a quite delicate minerality.
Aftertaste
It has a medium-plus finish and a balanced, bitter-crisp aftertaste.
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This is definitely a great Wine of Germany and the overall rating says the same, with 91.5 points scored it is right there, among the best wines we’ve tasted so far. Please click on the chart icon on the left in order to get to the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines we’ve tasted to date.
Conclusion: this is definitely a wine in its prime form, a wine that is ready to drink now or in the next 12 months. We are pleasantly surprised by it’s quality, as this is a fine riesling wine indeed, one that has class written all over it, from the first sip to the last one. Our recommendation is to pair this wine with crispy-fried seafood with herb dipping sauce or with oven-grilled fish, as the oiliness and crispiness in the dish will be perfectly counter-balanced by the acidity and aromatics of the wine. It’s all about the balance, you know. Enjoy!
WineStatistics tasting results:
SCHLOSS JOHANNISBERG
Gelblack | Riesling Rheingau | 2016
grape: | riesling |
overall rating: | 91.5 |
conclusion: great | a must try
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© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. There are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.
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