DURBACHER | Plauelrain | Klingelberger (Riesling) | 2018
riesling

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Today we are going to review a quite interesting wine from Germany – Plauelrain Klingelberger (Riesling) 2018 by Durbacher. Riesling is one of the the world’s most misunderstood varieties, as wines made from riesling grapes are unlike any other – light in alcohol, high in natural acidity, with the ability to transmit the terrior through its extract and unique aroma and, what makes it stand out from the crowd, riesling wines are capable of ageing for decades. Relative to other internationally known varieties, riesling ripens early, therefore if planted in a hot climate, its juice can be overripe and flabby, while in a cool climate it has the chance to stay on the vine late into the autumn, hence the german obsession with the late harvest riesling wines. That said, without further ado let’s move on, straight to the wine tasting results.
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Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
clarity: clear | hazy | cloudy | misty
brightness: dull | hazy | bright | starbright
concentration: translucent | pale | medium | deep | opaque
color: straw | green| yellow | gold | amber
hue: silver | green | yellow | orange | amber

//Sight
stain: light | medium | heavy
viscosity: low | medium | high
gas evidence: yes | no
sediment: yes | no

//Olfactory
outset: clean | faulty [TCA | sulphur | ethyl acetate | geosmin | brett | oxidation | VA]
intensity: delicate | light | moderate | rich | powerful
fruit profile: green fruits | citrus fruits | stone fruits | tropical fruits
__green fruits: gooseberry | kiwi | apple | pear | quince | wild apple | wild pear
__citrus fruits: orange | tangerine | grapefruit | pomelo | lemon | sweet lemon | lime
__stone fruits: apricot | peach | nectarine | pluot | mirabelle plum | white cherry
__tropical fruits: pineapple | mango | persimmon | passion fruit | lychee | dates | figs
fruit character: baked | unripe | ripe | overripe | jammy | dried

//Flavor
non fruit: floral | vegetal | herbal | spice | oak | sweet | lactic | earth
__floral: linden flower | acacia blossom | orange blossom | rose | lilac
__vegetal: hay | wheat | nettle | dill | bell pepper | asparagus
__herbal: straw grass | green grass | camomile | currant leaf
__spice: white pepper | cloves | anise | rosemary | ginger | mint
__oak: coconut | vanilla | dried banana | cinnamon | smoke | menthol
__sweet: corn | honey | caramel | toffee | marmalade | jam | candy
__lactic: baguette | crème brûlée | panna cotta | butter | yeast | yogurt
__earth (organic): soil dust | turf | forest floor | compost | mushrooms | truffle
__earth (inorganic): limestone | chalk | slate | flint | aspirin | petroleum | varnish
__wood: [old | new | none] / [dried | roasted | charred]
aroma: primary | secondary | tertiary

//Palate
sweetness: bone dry | dry | off dry | sweet | extra sweet
acidity: low | med(-) | medium | med(+) | high
alcohol: low | med(-) | medium | med(+) | high
tannin: low | med(-) | medium | med(+) | high
__grip: fine | ripe | firm | green | rough
texture: creamy | round | lean
body: light | medium | full
balance: bad | poor | fair | good | fine
__dominant: sugar | acidity | alcohol | tannin | none
complexity: simple | moderate | complex

//Taste
fruit profile: malic | citric | stone | tropical | lactic
fruit character: baked | unripe | ripe | overripe | jammy | dried
non fruit: floral | vegetal | herbal | spice | oak | sweet | animal | earth
aroma: primary | secondary | tertiary
finish: short | med(-) | medium | med(+) | long
aftertaste: rough | astringent | seedy | appealing | velvety

//Scoring
DURBACHER | Plauelrain | Klingelberger (Riesling) | 2018
variety: riesling
origin: old world | new world
climate: cool | moderate | warm
country: Germany
region: Baden
rating: 90.9

//Conclusion
maturity: on the rise | in its prime | past its prime | on the decline
verdict: fair | good | fine | great | exceptional
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This is definitely a fine wine of Germany and with a total of 90.9 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is definitely a riesling wine that is still on the rise, ready to be enjoyed today, but even better to be left for another year or two in the bottle. We are pleasantly surprised by it’s quality, as this is a fine riesling wine indeed, one that has class written all over it, from the first sip to the last one. It feels ripe, fruity and slightly seedy, with a medium body and a medium complexity, as it tastes crisp, noble and very appealing. On the palate the wine delivers refreshing citrusy notes and mouth-watering acidity, yet none of it is bothering – it’s all about the balance. A fine riesling wine indeed.

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© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.