It’s been a while since I reviewed a wine, but I’ll try my best. What sparked this post? I’m listening to some jazz on Pandora. Feeling relaxed I decided to pour a glass of wine, from the same bottle I used to cook tonight’s dinner, Pasta Bolognese. Right now, The Gene Harris Quartet “I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling” is playing.
Moving on…
I picked up a bottle of Erste & Neue Müller-Thurgau 2009 at Eataly’s Wine Shop on opening day, and totally forgot about it, until my recipe called for a cup of white. This was the only bottle of white in my wine fridge, so I just had to open it.
The taste of the wine is sweet, and reminds me of a Riesling, but also a Gewurztraminer. Confused, I did a quick search online to see what I was drinking. What is this Müller-Thurgau varietal ? According to Insider Wine Tours:
Müller-Thurgau is a hybrid white wine grape variety that Swiss Dr. Hermann Müller-Thurgau developed in 1882 at the Geisenheim Institute in Germany. Dr. Müller-Thurgau’s goal was to create a vine that would produce grapes with Riesling’s quality, elegance, and complexity, along with Sylvaner’s early ripening and ease of growing. The vine produces a lot of fruit and is relatively easy to grow, but most often lacks Riesling’s desired qualities. Strangely, DNA studies show that Müller-Thurgau is, in fact, from Riesling and a version of Chasselas.
Where
Germany: Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Nahe, Pfalz, Rheinhessen
Italy: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Trentino-Alto Adige
Also: Austria, Croatia, England, Hungary, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Switzerland, USA (Oregon)
Principal Wines
Italy: Trentino-Alto Adige: Trentino DOC, Alto Adige or Dell’Alto Adige/Südtirol or Südtiroler DOC; Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Collio Goriziano or Collio DOC, Friuli-Aquileia DOC
Characteristics
Color: Straw yellow with green hues
Nose: Fruity (green apple, peach), Vegetal (herbs), Mineral
Palate: Light to medium body. Good balance between crispness and softness, as long as the grapes don’t ripen too much.
I guess I was close enough, if the wine is also referred to as Riesling-Sylvaner. I’ll say I’m a fan, and I’ll definitely try others to compare.
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