2012 Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen Riesling Eroica
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Tasting notes
Very smart packaging. Pale straw. Recognisable Riesling on the nose and just a little astringent on the palate. Solid but it looks a tad expensive compared with the NZ Rieslings. (Twas ever thus.) But no hurry to drink it. RS 16 g/l. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephen Tanzer, Vinous
More reviews and scores
(12% alcohol; 3.0 pH; 16.6 g/l r.s.): Pale, green-tinged yellow with CO2 in suspension. Lively aromas of lime peel, white peach, licorice and spring flowers are complicated by brown spices. Grapefruit and white peach flavors combined with bracing acidity and the firming effect of CO2 keep this intense riesling considerably drier than the numbers suggest; tastes like a very cool fermentation. Still a bit unyielding: give this wine a good aeration to dissipate the gas if you plan to open a bottle any time soon. At this level of quality, this is very reasonably priced.
And last of the whites and one of the top Rieslings I was able to taste from Washington, the 2012 Riesling Eroica offers up racy, well-defined aromas and flavors of star fruit, citrus rind, green apple and edgy minerality on the nose. Medium-bodied, off-dry through the mid-palate and clean and fresh on the finish, it’s a delicious, textbook Riesling that would be a prefect meal starter or to pair up with spicier fare. Drink bottles over the coming handful of years. Drink now-2015. Tel. (425) 415-3300; www.ste-michelle.com