After receiving two very different Rieslings from Nik Weis, I decided to create my own side-by-side comparison of the two wines. One Riesling wine, the Urban Riesling and the other the St. Urbans-Hof Wiltinger “Alte Reben” Kabinett Feinherb Riesling each present a very different style.
Nik Weis, a third-generation winemaker owns St. Urbans-Hof, a winery located in the town of Leiwen in the Mosel Valley of Germany.
The St. Urban Riesling Wine
As an experiment, I first sampled the Urban Riesling wine. The wine exhibits itself as demi sweet. I then tasted the Wiltinger, a very dry Riesling. After I returned to the Urban and this time the sweetness disappeared. The dryness of the Wiltinger balanced out the flavors of the Urban making the wine less sweet. Just like food can make a difference in how a particular wine comes across to each of us so does different wine being sipped right after one another.
On its own, the Urban Riesling might be described as a family affair because it is derived from several different family-owned vineyards including one owned by Nik’s wife’s family. The wine is named for Saint Urban the patron saint of winemakers. Saint Urban is usually portrayed with grapes in one hand and birds gathered around his feet. Hence the bird on the Urban label. One smells and tastes the florals in the wine. This wine exhibits lots of minerality. I found this wine better suited when accompanied by food.
The St. Urbans-Hof Wiltinger “Alte Reben” Kabinett Feinherb Riesling is a more subtle yet complex wine. This wine comes from a lesser-known area for producing Rieslings, the Saar Valley. The wine, off-dry Riesling displays aromas of apricot and honey. On the palate, one finds nice acidity and sapidity to this wine. Flavors of citrus, stone fruit and honey are quite apparent.
Riesling lovers consider putting the wines from Nik Weis St. Urban on their radar.