Red Newt Cellars 2008 Semi-Dry Riesling
By Lenn Thompson, Editor-in-Chief
Red Newt Cellars' entree into the $12 riesling market. Today, we review their Red Newt Cellars 2008 Semi-Dry Riesling ($14) which is only a couple bucks more.
And I like it a bit better as well, and despite being labeled semi-dry I think the residual sugar (1%) and balancing acidity make this a wine that will appeal to those who prefer their riesling on the drier side.
The nose effusive and shows ripe peach and apricot primary aromas with citrus blossom, vanilla-mint and anise notes beneath.
Juicy peach and pear flavors lead the way on a fruity, fresh palate with just a little candy shell and sweet-tart lemon nuance. The finish is medium-long and ends almost dry with a crisp pear note.
Though not as focused as some Finger Lakes rieslings, this is a great value, even if "semi-dry" is even more than a little ambiguous in this case.
Producer: Red Newt Cellars
ABV: 11.4%
RS: 1%
TA: 8.7 g/l
pH: 3.00
Case Production: 233
Price:
$14*
Rating:
87
mmm… Red Newt entrees… can’t beat the Bistro!
Check out the International Riesling Foundation scale on many FLX Rieslings (including this one). 2008 Red Newt Semi Dry checks out as “medium dry” according to IRF guidelines.
Probably could have called it dry, since the balance is crisp and focused, but “semi-dry” seemed more consistent with the IRF philosophy. And our 2008 Dry Riesling is definitely more dry and racy than this one. Is there a better designation for wines that might fall between “dry” and “semi-dry”? I have used the term “off-dry” in the past, but that term is not too popular with consumers, and probably even more confusing for some.