Lean, mean fighting machines.
Apropos of nothing at all, two local Rieslings last night: Buitenverwachting 2004 and Thelema 2002. If Sauvignon Blanc is ready with its favours and therefore sometimes a bit facile, then what was so enjoyable about these two wines was their restraint. The Buitenverwachting (abv 11.5%) showed firmness and an invigorating acidity, the Thelema (abv 12.5%) was a little fatter with a certain waxiness about it. Wines that aren’t simply about overt primary fruit can still be hugely rewarding.
Interesting that they were such old vintages, yet seemed to have withstood the ‘test of time’?