70°F
weather icon Partly Cloudy

KM501 Rhein Riesling

Wine: KM501 Rhein Riesling.

Grape: riesling

Region: Rheingau, Germany

Vintage: 2011

Price: $8.99

In the glass: KM501 riesling wine is a faint citrine-yellow color with a clear, bright, light-greenish tinged core going out into a fine glass-clear meniscus (rim definition) with light to medium viscosity.

On the nose: There are fresh bright white fruit characteristics with pomelo pulp, white grape juice, ripe apples or applesauce, crushed apricots, brewer’s yeast, citrus rind and chalky minerals.

On the palate: The wine is light and refreshing and incredibly soft, with cooked pears, apricots, red apples, no discernible alcohol or wood, just pure sweetish white fruit meat with crushed white currants and applesauce through the midpalate. The finish is light and tasty with hints of minerality and just a lingering touch of bright acidity and apples.

Odds and ends: In the world of German rieslings, which can be among the greatest of white wines, there are seven “levels” from which to choose. All German wines are classified by degree of sweetness, known as Oechsle. The top level wines, meaning the sweetest, are called Trockenbeerenauslese, then comes Eiswein, Beerenauslese, Auslese, Spatlese, Kabinett and QbA wines. This method of classification has little to do with the quality of the wine, and there is a movement in Germany that seeks to have the wines classified like the Alsatians – who also make riesling-based wines – with Grand Cru and Premier Cru, based on the quality. The number 501 in this case refers to the starting point of the Rheingau, the largest and most famous riesling region of the world along the Rhine River, precisely 501 kilometers from its source in Switzerland. This is delicious by the glass alone or together with chicken piccata, for example. Drink it now through 2014.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz’s wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89106-0749, or email him at gil@winevegas.com.

Don't miss the big stories. Like us on Facebook.
MORE STORIES
THE LATEST
Top 10 things to do in Las Vegas this week

Nightmare on Q Street, the Vegas Valley Comic Book Festival, Bill Maher and National Nacho Day top this week’s entertainment lineup.

Netflix restaurant coming to Las Vegas Strip

The restaurant draws inspiration from hit Netflix titles and continues the launching of experiences by the streaming service.

Teen fights kidney failure after eating McDonald’s Quarter Pounders

A 15-year-old high school freshman is hospitalized with severe complications of food poisoning after eating McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers three times in the weeks before a deadly E. coli outbreak was detected.

 
New food and drink options for fall in Las Vegas

Look for a pecan pie shake, Peking duck, plant-based steaks, a bourbon banana cocktail, fried chicken with Champagne and more.

 
1st look inside beloved SoCal diner’s Vegas expansion

Highlights from the restaurant include a counter with orange stools, three dining areas, a terrace, unlimited beverages and El Benedicto eggs Benedict.

Top 10 things to do in Las Vegas this week

UNLV vs. Boise State, “Little Shop of Horrors,” Maxwell and Cypress Hill top this week’s entertainment lineup.