Schlink Haus is one of my personal favorite old-school German brands and has been around for five generations.
The Schlink family has been around since 1886, and their winery is located in the heart of German wine country, the Nahe.
The Nahe region is located right between the Mosel and the Rhein. The region boasts a wide variety of different soil types, including volcanic soils, sandstone, clay, limestone, and even slate!
All of this diversity helps lend complex flavors and depth to the wines which are produced here.
The Schlink family were pioneers in the wine industry, having been in the U.S. market for over thirty years.
The wines are all imported by Wein-Bauer, a group that has a talent for sourcing high-quality German wines from family-owned producers.
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Schlink Haus Riesling Auslese Review
Schlink Haus is classified as a “Pradikatswein.” These wines are classified by the ripeness of the grapes when they are harvested.
The sweeter the grape, the higher the potential alcohol and/or sweetness in the wine. Auslese, which translates to “select harvest” in German, is pretty close to the top of the pyramid, so to speak, in terms of sweetness.
They are incredibly rich, very sweet, and quite flavourful.
This particular type of wine features botrytis, or “noble rot.” This is a type of mold which grows on grapes and draws the moisture out of them.
The end result is grapes that are shriveled and raisin-like, with incredibly concentrated sugars and flavors.
Schlink Haus Riesling Auslese Summary
- Brand: Schlink Haus
- Country: Germany
- Region: Nahe
- Wine Type: White Wine
- Varietal: Riesling
- ABV: 8%
Appearance
The appearance of this wine immediately gives away its richness, boasting an intense canary-yellow hue to it.
The legs are frail when the wine is swirled, forming and falling incredibly quickly.
Smell
This wine is bursting with intense aromatics, which come streaming out of the glass readily.
Notes of papaya, overripe pineapples, petrol, and a minerally characteristic that is reminiscent of dusty gravel after a fresh rain come immediately to mind.
There are also notes of raw ginger, freshly harvested honey, and lemon drop candies floating around after a second sniff.
Taste
This wine is absolutely decadent in the best way possible. The body is still light, making this an incredibly drinkable after-dinner wine.
There are flavors that are in-step with the aromatics, including macerated pineapples, honeyed apricots, and a lively minerality that is nicely balanced with the sugar in the glass.
There are also notes of overripe golden apples, poached pears, and a bit of lemon and lime on the finish.
What Does Schlink Haus Riesling Auslese Pair With?
I would recommend pairing this wine with fruit tarts, particularly ones featuring green apples, lemons, limes, or strawberries, as this will help to compliment the flavor of the wine.
You just have to be careful that neither the wine nor the dessert overwhelms the other component of the pairing.
If you would like to pair this wine with the main dish of a meal, I recommend going with something that has some good spice characteristics to it.
Spicier Asian foods, such as Thai food and curry, are some of my personal favorites.
A Malay coconut curry with apricots would work especially well, as the spices in the curry will be nicely complimented by the wine, and the fruit characteristics of each will mingle nicely together.
What Wines Are Similar to Schlink Haus Riesling Auslese?
If you really want to double down on the sweetness and the richness of this bottle, look for wines labeled “beerenauslese,” meaning “select berry harvest.”
They will be the next step up on the pyramid regarding ripeness.
If you would like to try a different varietal altogether, I recommend finding late-harvest Gewurztraminer.
Gewurztraminer features plenty of tropical fruit notes, lychee characteristics, and a bit of a floral nose typically. The late-harvest style will be richer and sweeter, more in line with this particular bottle.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I personally enjoyed this wine. That said, I am not sure that it is something I would sit down for more than a few glasses of, as it was rather intense.
It may not be for everyone, particularly people who outright dislike sweet wines, but I found that the complexity and drinkability of it made it very pleasant.