Sunday, December 11, 2005

Black Tower Rivaner 2002 (Wine Review) (PB)

“Billy” of this blog picked this up while he and (NW) also of this blog, were here for Thanksgiving when they made a wine run without me. It was one of the wines left here unopened once they departed. I opened this German wine thinking I was unfamiliar with this grape but found it is just another name for Müller-Thurgau, the second most planted grape in Germany.

It is named for Prof. Müller-Thurgau who created the grape in 1882 crossing Riesling and Gutedel. I am not widely experienced with this particular grape though I have had a few over the years. Irrespective of the type of grape used, this one is a good example of a bad wine.

In the glass it is a pale straw with a mandarin orange bouquet that is not unpleasant even if light. But there is a grapey undertone that always shows up in either very poorly made or very inexpensive wines; the kind smuggled into highschool football and basketball games by underage adolescents.

In the mouth this wine is flabby which is due to a lack of acid and consequently, the sweetness is cloying with that same grapey, cheap-wine finish. Ick. “Billy” paid $8 for it which was $9 too much.

Don’t raise a glass of this and quickly open something else to get the memory out of your head and off your palate!

3 comments:

  1. I'm sorry you didn't like this wine. This is my husband and my "wine," and it's got great sentimental value.

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  2. Well then, no one should drink or enjoy this wine!. Personally I have enjoyed this exact brand of wine since the early 80's when I was a young lad with limited finances and needed some wine for entertaining. I have never ever had any complaints for serving this, in any circumstance, and most people ask me where I bought it so they can start enjoying it as well. I guess I'm just not enough of a wine snob to really not know what I'm supposed to enjoy.

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  3. going to actually have to agree with the other commenters on this one -- its not complex but its fruity and goes down pretty well. most non-winos will like it.

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