August Wines of Germany

It's been a busy month here in the River City, and I'm still a dozen wines behind in my reviews... But a pleasant regular visitor showed up: my quarterly mailing from Wines of Germany. Every three months my doorstep is blessed with a pair of interesting wines from Deutschland. Mostly Riesling, but there have been some other grapes represented in the past.

2011 C.H. Berres Erdener Treppchen Riesling Kabinett
100% Riesling
Mosel
$20, 11% abv.

Dominant aroma of ripe green apple, but with lower acidity than I was expecting. Instead it is smooth and mellow, with a refreshing character particularly on a hot August afternoon. Normally I'd suggest some complicated dish to serve this with, but a ham and Swiss on rye with a side of potato salad proved to be perfect with this particular bottle.

2009 Hans Lang Vom Bunten Schiefer Riesling Dry
100% Riesling
Rheingau
$22, 12.5% abv.

The second wine was far more complex, with a nose featuring lemon verbena, petrol, and citrus peel. Crisp and clean with a medium length finish. I certainly enjoyed sipping and swirling this for a while, and found that it worked out well with a dish of Peking-style pork and fried rice.

Note: These wines were provided as samples.