2017 Cave Spring Riesling Icewine 375ML

2017 Cave Spring Riesling Icewine

2017 Cave Spring Riesling Icewine A subtle but complex nose of Sultanna raisins, poached pear, comb honey, apple crumble and candied orange zest. The palate is lusciously sweet and unctuous up front, with preserved pineapple, dried apricot and mandarin orange flavours abounding. A clear citrus note emerges toward the middle of this 2017, with a discrete yet cleansing acidity that tightens the palate and leads into a very balanced finish of nectarine, fresh honeycomb and allspice.

Riesling

The Riesling grape was first produced in the Rhine winemaking region in Western Germany. Many originally thought that Riesling came from wild Rhine grape varieties, but recent DNA research has traced its origin to one Gouais blanc parent and one parent that is half wild, half Savagnin (the same grape to eventually produce Sauvignon Blanc). The first known reference to Riesling came in 1435, where it was noted in the storeroom of Count John IV of Katzenelnbogen. It became very popular with the German nobility at the time, and these nobles started the spread of Riesling as they carried it with them on their travels.

Riesling continues to have a strong presence in Germany after its centuries of storied history, and it is currently the most common grape variety grown there. The grape was brought to France’s Alsace region in 1477 at the urging of the Duke of Lorraine, and it remains immensely popular there as well. Finally, Riesling was brought to regions such as California, New York, Australia, and New Zealand in the mid-19th century.

Riesling has somewhat of a stigma in the United States due to a common belief that it is “too sweet.” However, Riesling is available in a wide variety that covers the entire spectrum of dry to sweet.