Petrol and oak

This bottle was purchased at the Alte Wache (Haus der badischen Weine Freiburg) solely on the basis that this is a Riesling from Durbach, probably the only wine village in Baden genuinely famous for wines from this noble grape - as opposed to the Burgundian varietals.

Weingut DZ-Danner, Riesling Typ 2, 2007

This has a fair lick of petrol on the nose. I'm slightly surprised, given that 2007 is the vintage. I stop swirling the wine and let it settle. After a few minutes, I poke my nose into the glass and, what's this? Oak? But then I remember what I read while researching the wine on the Internet after we got back from Freiburg:

This winery has a very clear concept behind its product line. Firstly, it categorises those wines which have been vinified in stainless steel as Typ 1 (Grauburgunder, Riesling). Next comes Typ 2 (Grauburgunder, Riesling, Pinot Noir) which refers to wines that have - for wont of a better description - spent time in large(r), "German-style" style barrels. Finally, Typ 3 wines (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay) are matured in traditional barriques.

So, this "category 2" Riesling really has had a dose of wood.

There is a mineral core on both the nose and the palate. To me, the fruit component tastes like a compote of some type. In a leftfield sort of way, it reminds me of my mother's best rhubarb crumble. A day after opening the bottle, I taste the wine again, and the oak seems better integrated and the fruit is more apricot - or at least something along those lines.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to make of this oak-aged Riesling to begin with, but I think it's an acquired taste. I think I appreciated it more after tasting it again 24 hours later. There is barely any sense of sweetness in this wine, so I think it would be best suited to the dining table. Definitely thought-provoking.