Unseasonal

So, it's over 30C outside. Time for a low-alcohol Riesling Kabinett, maybe, or at least something along those lines? After all, I've been meaning for some time to drink more Rieslings with residual sweetness, not least because the citrus intensity of some dry Rieslings don't always meet with my better half's approval. Without putting too fine a point on it, her face tends to contort when that citrus zing kicks in on the finish. I usually like the acidic part, within reason. However, I've heard that 2010 - a German vintage of skyrocketing, eyewatering acidity - is excellent for Rieslings with some residual sweetness. The same cannot be necessarily said for the "dry'uns".

Be that as it may, my exploration of Mosel Kabinett and its ilk will have to wait another day. Instead, I have a red wine from the Pfalz. How refreshing.

In my defence, I bought the following bottle for us to taste as a potential wine for our wedding meal later on this year (to precise, they call it "wedding breakfast", but don't ask me why). However, we already made our decision in terms of red wine a couple of weeks ago. I don't want to go into too much detail, but the wine we eventually chose is, like the following wine, a blended red from the Pfalz - and not the Spätburgunder from Baden I'd originally earmarked.

A case of "after the Lord Mayor's show", as us Brits would say. But still worth a try.

Weingut Dengler-Seyler, Cuvée Autumnus 2007, Pfalz
There is a white wine by the same name that combines Chardonnay with Auxerrois. This, its red counterpart, is a blend of Spätburgunder, Frühburgunder and the dreaded Dornfelder. I say "dreaded" because Dornfelders tend to taste rather green and stemmy if the yields are too high - which is often the case. On the other hand, it gives the wine a lot of dark pigment and can lend quite a charming rustic personality to blended reds. If handled correctly.

This is an interesting wine. The Spätburgunder is still very much to the fore, but the other constituents add some substance; less so the Frühburgunder, more the Dornfelder. Dark ruby in appearance, with cherry tones on the nose and a wild berry palate with a dollop of cream and some complexity. In point of fact, Autumnus is a good moniker for this wine. It does have a personality faintly reminiscent of autumn - think red leaves and undergrowth. Quite appealing. For my taste, the oak is well-integrated and unobtrusive, though my better half begged to differ on that count. Chacun(e) à son goût, as our Gallic cousins would say - and I still much prefer the wine we chose for the wedding - but for 10 euro (ordered online from a merchant in the Rhein-Neckar region) this offers good value.