By cork
A fundamentally sound American Riesling. That sounds a tad clinical but is meant as a high compliment. Because an un-fundamentally sound American Riesling that’s under $15 is one of the more wretched white wines you can find in large quantities out there. You’ll never confuse a Riesling made in the U.S. with one made in Germany. Rieslings from Germany, especially from the Mosel and Nahe regions, have a finesse, balance, elegance and purity of fruit that can’t be replicated. What differentiates the best of American Rieslings, however, is a certain roundness, assertiveness and ebullience. The Germans, after all, are not particularly known to be an ebullient bunch. Ebullience is a particularly American quality. And this 2012 ARBOR CREST Riesling, Dionysus Vineyard has ebullience in abundance. Rich lemon at its core and driving forward with peach and honeydew notes, this wine represents classic American value—approachable, pleasant, easygoing and fun. And, yes, fundamentally sound. –J.M.
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