Review: Bergdolt-Reif & Nett Reverse Riesling
/
This is the first wine I’ve reviewed from German brand Bergdolt-Reif & Nett and as always, it’s very exciting to be trying new European brands that are innovating in the non-alcoholic space. I first heard about this winery through Rachel Martin at Oceano, when we were discussing which up and coming brands were using the new Solos aroma recovery technology for dealcoholizing. I wasn’t sure how to even get my hands on a bottle of this stuff, but as luck would have it, LinkedIn made the connection for me and before you know it, a box of wine was arriving at my door.
Bergdolt-Reif & Nett Winery is located in a region of Germany called the Palatinate. This was a new wine region for me, so I had to do a short deep dive into this area of the world and found out it's the second largest wine producing region in Germany. Its climate is much like that of Alsace in the south, and it’s one of the warmest, sunniest and driest of German wine regions. It’s such a large region that it hosts vineyards and wineries for dozens of styles of wine but riesling is the most prominent followed by autochthonic (native) varietals.
The winery itself is a fifth generation family-run winery making both traditional wines and non-alcoholic wines. Master winemaker Christian Nett has been at the helm of the winery since the early 2000s and has championed the experimentation and forward-thinking that resulted in non-alcoholic wines being added to the line.
The riesling is one of ten styles of dealcoholized wines produced by Nett and I would say is probably the best I’ve had in the category of non-alcoholic rieslings. Nett uses the new Solos aroma recovery system for their wines, similar to Zeronimo. This allows them to remove the alcohol with vacuum distillation at very low temperatures but retain and reintegrate the aromas into the dealcoholized wine afterwards using resin.
Christian Nett shared his approach with me over email.
“Every single dealcoholised wine I’ve ever made has been produced with SOLOS aroma recovery. I’ve actually never made one without it,” he explained. “For me, that is the only way to preserve the winemaker’s signature, the vineyard, the terroir and the character of the grape variety, even after dealcoholization.”
This is one of the only rieslings being produced using the Solos system, and definitely the only one I have been able to sample.
Note on preparation: I chilled this in an ice bucket for 30 minutes which was just perfect for keeping it crispy but not too cold
Appearance
A slight effervescence on the pour with a beautiful straw color.
Aroma
On the nose, a lovely fragrance of wet stone, mineral and orchard fruit - mainly pear with a hint of nectarine.
Taste
I absolutely love the taste of this riesling. Its acidity is absolutely electric and it drinks so fresh and crisp - absolutely mouthwatering. It’s off-dry with a hint of orchard fruit sweetness, but stops before being too sugary sweet. There are dominant notes of yuzu, crispy green apple and that typical vein of mouthwatering minerality one should be looking for in a German riesling. The sweet-tart finish is pure sass that lingers and really delivers the expectations for a second sip.
Mouthfeel & Experience
The Nett Reverse Riesling is medium-bodied and what I like about it versus rieslings like Eins Zwei Zero or the Kolonne Null version is that it’s not ‘thick’. It has a light and refreshing crispy texture, but still maintains enough body to feel like wine.
I accidentally discovered that when this wine warms up, there’s a tiny hint of oiliness in the mouth and that’s very rare in non-alcoholic wine but present in traditional rieslings (you can only taste it when the wine warms up but I would still drink it chilled).
What to pair with dealcoholized riesling?
This non-alcoholic white would be absolutely divine with sushi, fresh seafood, or anything fatty that needs some crispy acidity to cut through the sauce. A creamy risotto would be perfect with this bottle, or even a crispy herbed pork tenderloin with broccolini or peas.
Overall
What a great find! I’m very excited to try the rest of Nett’s line of wines, but I do feel that the riesling might be their star. In comparison to other dealcoholized rieslings, the Nett Reverse Riesling really stands out as the best, and reflects the varietal so accurately. It’s a great dealcoholized white, and when it comes to price vs value, this one is a real holy grail!
Score: 96
Where to buy Nett Duttweiler Reverse Riesling
Currently, Nett wines are available in the U.S. through pre-order only through their importer Elite Wines. In the E.U. you can order directly through the the Bergdolt-Reif & Nett winery website.
How I rank wines (based on IWSC standards):
95 to 100 - An excellent drink with a great personality. An example that stands out among its peers
90 to 94 - An accomplished drink with considerable personality, character and complexity. A classic example of its style or variety.
85 to 89 - A perfectly well-made drink which provides an enjoyable drinking experience.
80 to 84 - An acceptable but simple drink, lacking distinction.
