Tasting #1 - Ninety Plus Cellars Riesling

 

Name: Ninety Plus Cellars 

Varietal: Riesling

Region: Mosel

Country: Germany

Year: 2020

Price: $12.49

Professional Wine Review: Some bone-dry styles, even in the Mosel, are so high in acidity (due to the cool climate) that some people find them difficult to drink. For that reason, an off-dry style like 90+ Cellars Lot 66 Riesling is a great option. The acidity and off-dry style create a rhythmical balance on the palate. The mouth-watering sensation is comfortable and refreshing.
Tasting notes of white peach, nectarine and pear arise on the nose and across the palate for me when tasting Lot 66 Riesling. While quite affordable, this wine exceeds most other halbtrocken Rieslings I’ve tasted within the same price point, in terms of quality. It’s just barely sweet and low in alcohol, so I would recommend pairing it with blue cheese or Prosciutto and sipping on a warm afternoon.
Surely a Riesling drinker would agree when I say that it is inarguably one of the most food-friendly wines you can drink. The grape flourishes alongside an array of dishes from appetizers to dessert. Perhaps the most memorable Riesling pairing I experienced was an off-dry style with spicy, Korean Barbeque ribs. A close second would be salmon tartare, followed by the classic blue cheese and apple — as you can see from those three dishes alone, Riesling is incredibly versatile.
If you have a misconception about Riesling, I urge you to try a style you haven’t tasted, and make sure it’s from the Mosel. Of course, there are several countries producing this extraordinarily grape, but the many versions in Germany are sure to make a Riesling lover out of you. [1]

Wine Folly Review: From the Wine Folly website [2], the primary flavors are listed as lime, green apple, beeswax, jasmine, and... petroleum?? These flavors were not the flavors that I mention below, although now I can convince myself that perhaps I tasted lime and green apple primarily and confused them with peach and pear. Additionally, I have to mention petroleum! What is that? I did not find that flavor AT ALL. The Wine Folly website also states that Riesling is high in acidity, buy I did not find the wine to be acidic to a high degree. Perhaps a second tasting is needed to reclarify these findings?

Personal Wine Review: This was the first white wine that I have ever tried, and I've got to say that it was a very pleasant experience. I was not expecting the wine to be so smooth for my throat. Previously having only tried red wines, this was something I was not expecting. For some reason I had this misconception that white wine had a stronger, more piercing taste. The white wine, the Ninety Plus Cellars Riesling, was surprisingly lightly acidic and carbonated. I have never been a fan of carbonated beverages, so this wine being lightly carbonated was a nice surprise. Prior to consuming the wine, I inspected the smell and aroma of the wine. A strong sense of peach was notable in the aroma of the wine. That being said, the wine itself tastes more like a pear. This leads me to believe that the wine was created with a mixture of peach and pears, and possibly some other fruits. Overall, I would drink this wine again as I found it most enjoyable. This was consumed without any food.

References:

[1] https://www.ninetypluscellars.com/blogs/news/beyond-the-glass-riesling

[2] https://winefolly.com/grapes/riesling/