Grosset Polish Hill Riesling 2002

First off, there's petrol here in spades: yes, this wine is six years old and counting. After waiting a few minutes, the wine warmed up enough to give off a hint of lime rind, field honey, wet stone, mineral, and something almost like peaches. There's a real austerity here: this is not German (or even Washington) Riesling - it's stony faced and unforgiving.

In the mouth, this is a surprisingly full bodied Riesling - it's rich, not fat, but definitely a surprise after the nose. The acidity is generous, and the length is as well; the finish is long, smooth, and delicious, with lime rind and honey notes counterbalanced by a sense of rain on warm stones (really, I know this isn't a Moselle, but I couldn't help myself). As it warms up, it's beginning to veer over towards grapefruit; at any rate, this is an incredible value and an exceptional bottle of wine. In fact, there's a savory note on the finish as well - I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's almost like venison somehow - almost gamy, rich and strange, with orange blossoms hovering around the edges. There aren't many wines like this one: if you've never had a Grosset riesling, they're well worth hunting down.

Grosset
Price: US $25 [my best guess]
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: March 2008