Riesling is an aromatic white grape, prized for its vivid acidity and crystal-clear expression of place. It is grown around the world, but is best known from Germany, France, Australia, and New York. Wines made from the Riesling grape can span a wide range of style, from bone-dry, austere, and citrus-charged to luscious and sweet, often showing lime, green apple, peach, and jasmine aromas and flavors.The Riesling grape is cold hardy and late-budding, meaning that is able to thrive in cool climates, especially when planted in slate or limestone soils. Riesling wines can age beautifully for decades, often developing a distinctive “petrol” or gasoline note, as well as more common aromas and flavors of honey and marmalade.

Both wines presented in this blind tasting feature the expected aromas and flavors of apple, citrus, and peach, however the primary difference between these two wines is the sweetness level. The Trimbach Riesling was fermented to dryness, meaning that there is only .7 g/L of sugar remaining in the wine after fermentation completed, as opposed to the Dr. Thanisch Riesling, which contains 81.7 g/L of residual sugar. This high level of sugar in the Dr. Thanisch Riesling is balanced by the naturally high level of acidity that Riesling grapes possess, meaning that the wine tastes refreshing and balanced despite the increased sweetness and body from the residual sugar. 

Cabernet Sauvignon is arguably the most well known grape variety, and it is the most planted Vitis Vinifera variety in the world. A crossing between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, this thick skinned black grape variety is used to make blends and single varietal wines in Bordeaux, California, Tuscany, South Africa, Australia, Chile, and more. Because it is late budding and late ripening, Cabernet Sauvignon grapes tend to grow best in warmer climates, where they are able to fully ripen, producing medium to full-bodied wines with pronounced aromas of blackcurrant and black plum and high levels of tannin.

Both of these wines presented in this blind tasting feature the iconic black fruit and herbaceous flavors of Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as realtively high levels of tannin and alcohol. Both of the wines were matured in French oak barrels, resulting in aromas and flavors of cedar, baking spice, and vanilla. The Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon has lower alcohol, more acidity, and a more austere mouthfeel than the Rutherford Cabernet due to the overall cooler temperatures of Apalta. The Lapostolle is from a more recent vintage, and the fruit flavors are brighter, and the tannins present as grippier, whereas the Elizabeth Spencer Cabernet Sauvignon has softer tannins and more developed aromas and flavors, including dried black fruit, leather, forest floor, and earthier notes.