Riesling Aromas

As with any wine tasting experience, it begins with the aromas rising from the glass. For Riesling wine, the aromas can be intense even when the wine is ice cold. The initial aromas of a Riesling wine are orchard fruits like nectarine, honey-crisp apple, pear, and apricot. Plus, you might also note softer, more soothing scents like jasmine, honeycomb, or lime zest.

Along with these lighter scents, you will also experience a more noticeable aroma, like petrol or petroleum wax. This distinct scent comes from the natural compound known as TDN that develops as riesling wine ages. Depending on your preferences, riesling’s signature petrol note may be a pro or con.

Riesling Taste

When it comes to taste, riesling has a high acidity comparable to the acidity levels found in lemonade. Acidity to this level goes well with the wine’s typical citrus flavors and can be mellowed out by its floral undertones. Younger riesling wines, those produced with unripe grapes, can develop more of the sour fruity notes like green apple, lime, and lemon, along with flowery aromas like chamomile and jasmine.

A riesling made with ripe grapes is full of round and subtle aromas like peach, pear, grapefruit, apple, apricot, and other fruits. Sweeter riesling wines have stronger tastes of apricot and peach, whereas dry rieslings have more intense notes of apple and grapefruit.

Some sweet Riesling dessert wines can develop spicy aromas of ginger, cinnamon, and anise. A riesling that is given more time to age and refines itself often picks up hints of aromatic honey, honeybee wax, and even butter. While these sophisticated aromas may seem odd, they are surprisingly pleasing and offer a bit of extra style to the wine.

Vintage rieslings will likely have aromas of candied apricot, fruit jam, dried fruits, almond, walnut, and moss. Now, winemakers rarely age riesling in barrels but, doing so can give classic barrel aromas, like notes of toasted wood, vanilla, and chocolate.

Common Characteristics of Riesling

To quickly summarize what resiling tastes like, here are the most common characteristics you’ll see:

• Fruit flavors: Riesling wines have a wide range of fruity flavors, including nectarine, apricot, peach, pineapple, apple, pear, lemon, and lime.
• Other aromas: Along with fruity notes, riesling has other flowery or earthy flavors like jasmine, citrus blossom, ginger, honey, honeycomb, beeswax, and rubber.
• Aged flavors: An aged riesling will have a slight smell of petrol, diesel, or lanolin.
• Alcohol content: The alcohol content in Riesling wine is generally low, making it a pleasant wine to drink even in larger quantities.
• Acidity: Riesling wine usually has high acidity levels, giving it a crisper and more tart taste. Riesling’s high acidity also allows the wine to mature in its bottle for decades without going bad despite its low alcohol content.

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Cheers,
Natalie