Explore sweetness in wine with Walls’ suggestions
Lise et Bertrand Jousset, En Aparté Moelleux, Montlouis- sur- Loire,
France 2009 96 N/A UK www.domaine- jousset.fr A new estate with old vines and biodynamic methods. Joyful aromas of pineapple, apple compote and beeswax. Medium-sweet but you barely notice; it’s so fresh, pure, featherlight and perfectly balanced. Drink 2018-2025 Alcohol 11.5%
Szepsy, Betsek Tokaji Furmint,
Tokaj, Hungary 2015 95 £42.99 AG Wines, Top Selection ‘ Száraz’ on the label denotes a dry wine. Szepsy is the master. Floral notes, green apple and rhubarb. Cooling and calming yet electrifying on the palate. Stunning purity and finesse; this is quietly wonderful. Drink 2018-2033 Alc 13%
Trimbach, Riesling Cuvée Frédéric Emile, Alsace, France 2010 95 £ 38.50-£48 Berry Bros & Rudd, Exel, Great Western Wine
Unusually, the 2010 (grown organically) has a proportion of malolactic, giving a rounder, gentler feel. Unfurling now, with notes of apple, plum and turmeric. Full, dry, expressive, generous, complex – this is wonderful. Drink 2018-2035 Alc 13.5%
Domaine du Clos Naudin, Vouvray Sec, Vouvray, Loire,
France 2014 94 £ 32.95 Stannary St Wine Co Honeyed on the nose, with subtle quince and mushroom; fresh like snow. Very dry, with a driving mineral core. Understated, reserved and serious but unforgettable. A classical marble statue of a wine. Drink 2018-2026 Alc 13% Domaines Schlumberger, Pinot Gris Grand Cru Kitterlé, Alsace, France 2010 94 £ 34.99 Blanco & Gomez, D Byrne & Co, The Drink Shop Very full and flowing medium-sweet style, with balanced acidity. Honeyed quince, pear and shortcrust pastry. An incredibly long, intense and tangy finish. Great purity, concentration and impact. Give me foie gras! Drink 2018-2029 Alc 13% Fritz Haag, Brauneburger Juffer Sonnenuhr Riesling Trocken Grosses Gewächs, Mosel, Germany 2015 94 £ 30.20 Howard Ripley From the heart of the producer’s slate Brauneberg vineyard, this old-vine Riesling is dry but powerfully rich and mineral, revealing concentrated lime and mandarin fruit around a steely acid core. Drink 2018-2029 Alc 12.5% Huet, Vouvray Moelleux Le Haut Lieu, Loire, France 2016 93 £ 33.60 Armit Heady honeysuckle, honey and candied lemon aromas. This biodynamic wine is medium-bodied, rich, mouthfilling. It’s sweet, but far from dessert wine. Quince and crème pâtissière on the finish. Very well balanced. Drink 2018-2028 Alc 13%
Rolly Gassmann, Riesling, Alsace, France 2013 93 £ 18.95-£ 22.50 Berry Bros & Rudd, Harvey Nichols, Waitrose Cellar An increasingly rare medium dry Alsace Riesling. Kaffir lime leaf, lemon curd and flinty reductive aromas. Ripe acidity brings balance and structure. Weightless fresh finish with finger lime notes. Complex, compelling and characterful.
Drink 2018-2023 Alc 12.5%
Bruno Sorg, Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Eichberg, Alsace,
France 2016 92 £ 25.50 Tanners Bright, gentle varietal aromatics of rose and citrus. It’s mediumsweet, but this is secondary to the freshness, acidity and terroir expression. Finesse and precision, despite the richness. Drink 2018-2022 Alc 13.5% Ovum, Off the Grid Riesling, Oregon, US 2016 92 £ 23.55-£ 26.99 Exel, Highbury Vintners, Les Caves de Pyrene, The Grocery E2 Low-intervention Riesling with light, fresh aromas – lime blossom, hawthorn blossom – that follow onto the mediumdry palate. Floral nectar sweetness hits the tongue, just balanced by gentle acidity. Precise, pretty, very drinkable.
Drink 2018-2020 Alc 13.5% Willi Schaefer, Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, Germany 2016 92 £ 17.60-£ 19.95 Howard Ripley, Justerini & Brooks, Tanners A tiny 4ha estate with a big reputation. Elderflower and satsuma aromas; lifted and pure. Fresh like laundered sheets. Medium-sweet and light-bodied. Perfectly balanced: just a delight. Drink 2018-2023 Alc 7.5% Framingham, Pinot Gris, Marlborough, New Zealand 2016 91 £ 14.50-£ 17.40 Exel, Liberty Wines, The New Zealand Cellar, The Wine Reserve Gentle pear and blossom aromas. Full-bodied and medium-dry; tempered acidity adds to the impression of richness. Balance is achieved through inner tension, agreeable bitterness and a mineral edge. Drink 2018-2019 Alc 14%
Hexamer, Porphyr Riesling, Nahe,
Germany 2015 91 £ 13.17 The Vino Beano From Schlossböckelheimer In den Felsen’s volcanic soil with porphyry. Smoky lime, flint and grapefruit on the nose. The off-dry palate is rich in fruit, with keen acidity and a mineral grind. Great value. Drink 2018-2021 Alc 11.5%
August Kesseler, R Riesling, Rheingau,
Germany 2016 90 £ 10.10 Justerini & Brooks Very floral, with lime blossom and white pepper. Medium-dry, with good intensity and a subtle mineral undertow. Rheingau straightness and character with a light touch. Drink 2018-2021 Alc 10% Léon Beyer, Réserve Personelle Gewurztraminer, Alsace, France 2015 89 £ 17.25 Yapp Bros Like smelling a rose flecked with pink peppercorns. Keen acidity ups the sense of dryness. Not the longest, but precise, fresh and brisk. Drink 2018-2019 Alc 14%