I really enjoy Riesling, but over the years I've had a hard time finding well priced examples that impress on any level. Too often the offerings on US shelves at an everyday drinking price-point are one dimensional and uninteresting at best. In many casing that single dimension is sweetness. While I enjoy this in a dessert wine, it's not something I generally look for in table wines.
The 2008 Clean Slate Riesling is from Mosel Germany. The fruit was sourced from a number of vineyards throughout different sections of the Mosel. This wine most often sells for right around $10.
Stone fruit and citrus highlight the aromatic nose of this wine. Throughout the palate white peach notes are prominent and accompanied by underlying touches of lemon zest, tangerine and spice. Terrific acidity, mineral, flint and continued spice are all part of a nice finish. This wine is tasty on its own but it's really tailor made to pair with food. While Thai cuisine might be the obvious choice, I found it to be an excellent match with a range of Indian dishes I was sampling along with it.
What stands out most to me in this wine is the acidity. It provides a great backbone and gives it the structure to stand up to a variety of foods. This is also a refreshing wine that will keep you coming back to the glass for additional sips. A far cry from the host of cloying and borderline syrupy selections that have often clogged up store shelves over the years. As an everyday selection this provides nice varietal character and represents a solid value.