Dr. Loosen 2005 "Dr. L"

Everywhere I turn lately I hear about the German and Austrian Riesling, and it really seems like they are reviving to their former glory. For a while there the world forgot how fantastic Riesling can be, but it is now making it's comeback.
I have not had a lot of Rieslings in the last couple of years and thought it was time for me to start to taste more of this, according to some, greatest grape of white wine in the world.
So said and done, I decided to start with a "budget" Riesling from Dr. Loosen, which is probably the most known Riesling producer in the world. The Dr. Loosen Estate has been in the family for over 200 years and all the grapes they use come exclusively from the Mosel Valley in the south west of Germany. Riesling is the only grape they grow there and make wine from, and they do a great job doing it.
The Dr. Loosen 2005 Riesling Dr. L has white floral and sweet peach with a hint of rhubarb on the nose. It tastes of juicy subtle peach, pear and a hint of citrus. It is sweet but not overly so and has a burst of fresh acidity that balances it out very nicely. I got this wine at BevMo for $11.99 and think that this is a great value for a really good wine. You can find it at www.wine-searcher.com from $7.88 and at this price it is a true steal.
I will work my way up the ladder in the world of Riesling, so keep your eyes open for upcoming reviews.

Wine Spectator Great Wine Values, Part II

Tonight I have tasted and reviewed two more wines from the list of Wine Spectator's Great Wine Values in October's issue. See Part I with the first two wines reviewed at 11/15/06.
I started of with the 2005 Chateau Ste. Michelle-Dr. Loosen Riesling Colombia Valley, Eroica. It is the seventh vintage of this wine and they are getting better and better with narrowing it down and finding their style. It received 90 points from Wine Spectator and 92 from Wine Enthusiast. Sweet, white floral on the nose lead you to believe that it might be to sweet, but once in your mouth it is lively and crisp with ripe apple notes and transforms quickly to a sweeter peachy tone with a long finish. Very tasty! $19.99 at BevMo.
I had planned to taste an Australian Shiraz after this but upon opening the bottle I discovered that it had bled through the cork. I am not afraid to return these bottles as it might have affected the wine, and so I will.
Instead I moved on to the 2004 Bodega Catena Zapata Malbec Mendoza from Argentina. Nicola Catena, an Italian immigrant, planted the first vines in 1902. The third generation is now running the winery, striving to put Argentina on the map as one of the premium wine producing countries. And they are on their way. The nose reveals red cherry and berries, and black berries and dark fruit on the palate with a long finish. Wine Spectator rewarded this beauty with 90 points and I agree. $19.99 at BevMo.

Tomorrow: the Australian Shiraz...