MT. BEAUTIFUL RIESLING CHOSEN AS WINE OF THE DAY!
Bigger Than Your Head, Fredric Koeppel, July 2016
Wine of the Day, No. 155
“Last night, LL made a fabulous stir-fry with shrimp, snow-peas, red bell pepper and jalapeno. She made a broth from the shrimp shells and a bunch of vegetables and also gently heated canola oil in a small pan with chopped garlic and ginger and some red pepper flakes. Then she marinated the shrimp in that oil. After the stir-frying, she used the broth to thicken the sauce. The result was deep and wonderful flavors and textures. Of course we wanted a white wine, something that would balance the hint of spicy heat emanating from the red pepper flakes and jalapeno, so I opened a bottle of the Mt. Beautiful Riesling 2015, from New Zealand’s North Canterbury region. Made all in stainless steel, this riesling exudes freshness and immediate appeal, while just a suggestion of off-dryness in the entry provided an appropriate foil for the spiciness of the dish. The color is very pale gold; lovely aromas of pears and green apples are touched with notes of lychee, peach and jasmine, cloves and white pepper, and a few minutes in the glass bring in hints of tangerine, lime peel and roasted lemon, all of these elements perfectly integrated. The segue onto the palate is seamless, and from mid-course back through the finish the wine feels bone-dry, animated by chiming acidity and scintillating limestone minerality. A wine with the word “beautiful” in the name better live up to its billing; this one, golden and glittering, certainly does. 11.5 percent alcohol. Production was 1,100 cases. Drink now through 2019 to ’20. Excellent. About $22.”
2015 Mt. Beautiful Riesling
21.99 / bottle | 263.88 / case