Ruhlmann, Vielles Vignes – Blettig, Riesling, 2020, 12% abv.
Nose: light green grape juice, a bit musty but nothing else seems to be going on. After a day in the fridge, there are maritime aromas, copper, iron, hint of aluminum, green grape jelly, then copper green grape jelly, a somewhat metallic preview of the copper apple juice aromas that it attenuates to.
Palate: light to medium body but closer to light, entry is light green grape juice, bit of apple juice enters at mid palate, transitions to a cloudy apple cider on subsequent sips, some copper, bitter cinnamon, back palate shows some caramel, some brown sugar, ends up being alcoholic apple cider. When left in the fridge for a day, I get grape jelly on top of the apple juice base and I swear I am getting chocolate, although brief.
Finish: medium, dry, goji berries, apple grounds, apple-grape juice, ethanol, generic alcohol.
Vernacular: nose is primary grape juice, light to medium bodied, dry, light to medium acidity, light secondary, medium but plentiful minerality, alcohol, and leads to a medium length finish with a fruity complexion and alcohol. Unstructured and not balanced.
I don't know why I was expecting some great sweet riesling. Notes might sound complex, but its just detail. As usual, served cold, served chilled, allowing it to hit room temperature allowed a presentation on the different aspects, although very incohesive and the alcohol was too distracting. It was more or less just alcoholic cuprumic apple cider. Got this for KRW₩20K, or about USD$15, in Busan, South Korea.
Grade: C
by starvinggigolo