05 Freiherr von Heddesdorff Riesling Trocken

2005 Freiherr von Heddesdorff Riesling Trocken (Mosel)($15)

NOSE: A damp rock, and not an interesting rock, with a hint of bitter-smelling rotten melon. No citrus like the Barmes Buecher. Not delicious or interesting.

PALATE: Sweet. Good, crisp acidity, but still sweet. A nice bit of mild frizzante. The midpalate displays more bitter, overripe canteloupe. The viscosity is low to medium, with a faintly syrupy mouthfeel. Finishes with bitter, overripe melon, then fades to warmth, but it is not clean like Barmes Buecher, but ends with jousting sour and bitter notes. I now appreciate that the Barmes Buecher Riesling Tradition '06 was an exceptionally fruity, balanced, and clean-finishing wine. 12% Alcohol.

ASPECT: Clear, pale, with a faint tinge of yellow-gold.

WITH CURRY: Devolved into sweet, sour, and bitter. Any fruit was masked, though the acidity did cut through the mild curries. Aroma: eventually just bitter. Not appetizing.

CONCLUSION: Mr. Chapuis of the Corkscrew was dead-on with his caution that the aromatics are rather weak. However the woman who recommended it as dry was, I believe, mistaken. It seemed to have around the same sweetness as the Barmes Buecher as I recall. "Trocken" means "dry." Technically, it means R.S. is less than 4g/L, or R.S. is less than 9g/L provided T.A. is more than (R.S. - 2). That seems quite sweet compared to BM: 1.1 g/L or Yard Dog Red: .9 g/L. Not my cup of tea. SCORE: 60 RA