Just Riesling holds inaugural Riesling Competition

http://www.alawine.com/cgi-bin/wbn/rankem.cgi?action=in&id=miguel


Just Riesling

Media release

24 February 2009

Just Riesling holds inaugural Riesling Competition
Six local judges were joined by six renowned international riesling producers at Cellars Hohenort hotel, last Sunday 22nd February, to assess a line-up of 26 local rieslings.

The contest was organised by the Just Riesling association, formed in January 2007 by a group of riesling producers in the Cape, with the aim of furthering the interest of this noble variety.

The wines were divided into three categories:

DRY (under 10 grams per litre of residual sugar),

OFF-DRY (between 11 and 30g/ ℓ), .
and

SWEET (above 30g/ ℓ) - all of which were in the botrytised Noble Late Harvest style.

Most wines were from the 2005 to 2008 vintages, but a few older examples were included in the sweet class.

The first three places overall were taken by sweet wines, headed by the Paul Cluver Weisser Riesling Noble Late Harvest 2008, and followed by 2 vintages of De Wetshof Edeloes - the 1991 and the 1998 – in 2nd and 3rd place respectively.

Winemaker Andries Burger’s Paul Cluver Weisser Riesling 2008 also led the dry category, just pipping Thelema’s
2008 Sutherland offering, also from cool Elgin, while Jordan 2006 was 1st in the off-dry category.


Panelist and winemaker from legendary Mosel producer Dr Loosen, Ernst Loosen was fairly impressed with the line-up, considering many “pretty attractive”, especially those in the sweet category.

Other panelists included international judges: fellow Germans Hermann Donnhoff, Egon Muller & Philipp Wittmann, Austria’s Willi Brundlmayer, and Dirk van der Niepoort from Portugal’s Douro Valley;
and local judges: Cathy van Zyl MW (chair), Miguel Chan, Ginette de Fleuriot CWM, Tim James, Angela Lloyd & Ingrid Motteux.

The producers involved in this association intend to meet the challenge of raising the standard of local rieslings by advancing viticultural and oenological research, as well as increasing awareness of the variety by holding such competitions in future.
ENDS

Issued by Just Riesling

Contact: Thea Ackermann
021-689 5797

info@justriesling.co.za www.justriesling.co.za

Additional Information

Overall Winners
1. Paul Cluver Weisser Riesling Noble Late Harvest 2008
2. De Wetshof Edeloes 1991
3. De Wetshof Edeloes 1998
4. Jordan Riesling 2006

Category Winners

DRY <10g/ℓ residual sugar:

1. Paul Cluver Weisser Riesling 2008
2. Thelema Sutherland Riesling 2008
3. Villiera Woolworths Riesling 2007

OFF-DRY 11 - 30g/ ℓ residual sugar:

1. Jordan Riesling 2006
2. Thelema Rhine Riesling 2007
3. Deetlefs Weisser Riesling 2008

SWEET >31g / ℓ residual sugar:

1. Paul Cluver NLH 2008
2. De Wetshof Edeloes 1991
3. De Wetshof Edeloes 1998

Just Riesling committee members:

Paul Cluver, Paul Cluver Wines
Paddy Bomford, Hartenberg Estate
Lowell Jooste, Klein Constantia
Gary Jordan, Jordan Wines
Bruce Jack, Flagstone