The Naked Grape Riesling 2009

This Riesling is from the Pfalz region of Germany, and is made be none other than Ernst Loosen of Dr. Loosen fame. It's an entry-level wine, and it seemed a perfect contender as an everyday table wine that I could pair with my home-made Chinese dishes.

The benchmark for this level of Riesling is the Loosen Bros. Dr. L Riesling, which is a brilliant bargain. How would this stand up to it?

I know it's not a contest, but at this price point competition is fierce, for me anyway. The clear winner is still Dr. L.

This was OK, but I felt it lacked the purity of the Mosel-made Dr. L. The Naked Grape had some residual flavours that made it a bit unappealing, like some grapey flavours and 'cheap' notes on the finish. From the first sip I knew it wasn't going to be a favourite.

It's not bad though, and if you can't get hold of Dr. L then by all means this is a good entry-level introduction to quality German Riesling. It's just really hard to beat Dr. L, which is also actually cheaper at £6.99 (at Sainsbury's).

The Naked Grape

Riesling 2009

Pfalz, Germany

Waitrose

£7.49

2.5/5