St Gisbertus (Germany) Beerenauslese 2002
Aldi really does come up with some cracking wines at rock bottom prices, and also manages to offer some diversity with unusual styles from lesser known areas. Here we have a proper Beerenauslese wine from Rheinhessen, made not from Riesling, but from Ortega, a cross-bred grape with the specific properties of full body, vivid aroma and flavour and, most importantly, the ability to ripen early and acheive high must weight, suitable for dessert styles. That helps explain the low price. The colour is a medium gold, and the nose offers up aromas of honey and musky, floral notes, with some dried fig and herbal, tobacco scents. On the palate it is quite viscous and rich, with decent apricotty fruit and more of that honeyed flavour, and with 109 grammes of residual sugar, plenty of sweetness. There is no great length here, and the acidity rather flattens the finish, but at 2.99 for a very elegantly-packaged 50cl, what a little treat this is. £2.99, Aldi
