The nose promises delicate apple floral, grapefruit, and a mineral
base note. The sip can be bright with tropical citrus, bright
floral, and refreshing complexity. The soil of the vineyard is very
unusual for
Germany. It is red clay with bits of broken limestone,
then solid limestone below (similar to Coonawarra in
Australia).
Rebholz Riesling Spätlese Trocken, Pfalz 2004, $32
The nose can be rich with cashew butter and floral. The flavors are
likely of grapefruit, white fruit, tropical nut, floral, and
interesting mineral notes. This estate tends to harvest as late as
possible to achieve the biggest concentrations of flavor.
Rebholz "Kastanienbusch" Riesling Grosses Gewächs Pfalz 2004,
$32
The nose is predictably powerful with flint, laurel leaf, and maybe
a touch of lavender. The sip can offer lime, oily citrus, and
lightly baked apple. There will be numerous layers of complexity to
this white. The length will be long and subtly complex.
The Train Thang
American Airlines offers one flight daily to
Frankfurt from both
Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth. And because American codeshares on
the German high-speed rail service, you can book your combination
air/train ticket directly to Mannheim. It takes about an hour to
get from Frankfurt to Mannheim, and trains operate approximately
every half hour.
There is a special timetable between Mannheim and Bad Dürkheim
during the Wurstmarkt period, with trains running up to every 15
minutes around the clock. Because RHB (Rhein-Haardtbahn) is a
private rail line, tickets between Mannheim and Bad Dürkheim cannot
be purchased ahead of time in the U.S., but they cost approximately
$5 or less one-way.
For more information about American's codeshare service to
Mannheim, call (800) 433-7300 or visit www.aa.com
Reading the Wine Label