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The Riesling grape
variety produces some of the finest white wines, in which high acidity
is balanced with residual sugar.
Austria saw the dawn
of a new era of winemaking in the 1980s. The best crus of Riesling
from the sunniest sites were harvested extremely late, yielding grape
musts with high sugar levels, concentrated fruit and typical Riesling
acidity levels. When fermented to dryness the resulting wine has an
alcoholic strength of 13-14%, with 2-4 grams of residual sugar. Fresh
acidity and high levels of mineral components can produce an intense
wine with wonderful peach aromas. The wine also ages exceptionally
well, with its colour changing slightly to give the typical hue of an
aged Riesling.
In search of the
shape that would best match this new style, Stuart Pigott, a British
wine journalist specializing in Riesling, put together a tasting of
the finest 1990 vintages from Germany, France and Austria. Riedel sent
a selection of glasses for evaluation, suspecting – correctly – that
their Chianti Classico (Item # 400/15) glass might prove ideal.
This tasting was
subsequently repeated in London, Paris and New York, raising awareness
among wine writers of the new Riesling styles.
The wines
were presented exclusively in this glass, which henceforth henceforth
also goes under the name of the Sommeliers
Riesling Grand Cru. |
