2009 Saar Riesling Kanzemer Sonnenberg Spätlese Feinherb, Johann Peter Reinert‏

They say life's too short for a German wine label, so let's deconstruct this apparent mouthful of a name into layman's English.

Saar Riesling Kanzemer Sonnenberg Spätlese Feinherb, Johann Peter Reinert‏

It's a Riesling from Johann Peter Reinert, slightly off-dry, late-harvest from the Sunny Hill vineyard in Kanzem on the river Saar.

There, that wasn't too painful - was it ?

Bright yellow in the glass, the nose is understated but carries hints of tropical fruit, waxy honeycomb, white flowers and minerality.

The palate is lively, with sweet mouthwatering tropical pineapple, underpinned with slow-cooked nectarine flesh and lively, zippy acidity finished off with a dash of sherbert, lime zest and grapefruit.

At just 10.5%, it is not particularly long on either the palate or the finish and will match with only the lightest of foods - I fall back on my usual staples of smoked salmon or sushi.

It is, however, extremely well balanced and well-made with great elegance and delicacy - very delicious and perfect for sipping in the garden.

With only a couple of years in bottle, it is lively, fresh and youthful - excellent now, it will only improve and become mellower with age; a really lovely wine and a great introduction to Mosel Rieslings for anyone who wnats to know what all the fuss is about.

£11.30 from Cambridge Wine Merchants; provided for review.

Links

Cambridge Wine Merchants - http://www.cambridgewine.com/