2015 Charles Smith Wines Riesling Kung Fu Girl
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Tasting notes
Neutral nose and then fresh limey fruit that’s off dry. Perfectly fine as a commercial wine. Bit chewy, but minty and interesting. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
Pale, bright yellow. Peach and apricot on the nose, plus a slight fusel complexity. Modest sweetness (actually 14 grams per liter residual sugar) is nicely countered by strong acidity (the pH here is 3.04) and a touch of minerality, giving this fruit bomb good energy and grip. Always a top value, this is marketing genius Charles Smith's most famous cash cow and it's not at all overdone. Since I tasted it this summer, Smith sold Kung Fu Girl and several of his other hugely successful low-priced brands (e.g., Boom Boom! Syrah, The Velvet Devil Merlot) to Constellation Brands for an ungodly sum.
Juicy and lively, with lots citrus blossom, lychee and a touch of lime, the 2015 Riesling Kung Fu Girl is medium-bodied, vibrant and crisp on the palate, with terrific purity, integrated acidity and a great finish. It's a steal at the price and will drink nicely for a year or more.