Varietal: 100% Riesling
Region: Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany
Cost: $17 (SRP)
Winemaker’s Notes: Medium lemon color with a highly aromatic profile of peach, orange, lemon, papaya, pineapple, and mineral notes. On the palate, there is a vibrant and racy character with a layer of tropical, stone, and citrus fruit perfectly balanced and precise.
My Review: Happy 2016, and happy 7 years of running this site to me! Where does the time go? I’m kicking off 2016 with a wine that I admittedly don’t drink much of – Riesling. Now, to be fair, there are two reasons I don’t drink a ton of Riesling. First – having spent a number of years in Germany, I often associate the grape with the sweeter, more cloying wines that most people (erroneously) think of when considering Riesling. Second – I have a hard time getting quality Riesling where I currently live.
Fortunately, the 2013 Luminance was both available to me (as a sample), and not sweet at all, falling well into the dry range of Riesling that I actually quite enjoy when I get to have it.
In the glass the wine was a light yellow color, and on the nose I picked up lemon and pineapple predominantly. In the mouth the wine was dry, with nice notes of tropical fruits and mineral/stone notes and well balanced acidity.
My wife and I actually opened this bottle on New Years Eve (prior to the stroke of midnight), and while we didn’t pair it with anything, I think creamy cheeses or Asian/Thai Cuisine would be a good pairing with this wine.
If you’re one of those people that’s had a bad experience with sweeter Rieslings (or Gewurztraminer), this is definitely one to check out. It reminds me of the Finger Lakes Rieslings that I tried several years back on a trip to the region, and it’s a wine style that I enjoy and would happily recommend.
Editor’s Note: I received this wine as a free sample for review.
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