Wine of the week: 2008 Dr. L Riesling

The 2008 Dr. L Riesling (about $15 at wine shops and wine-savvy markets) is a textbook non-estate Mosel Valley riesling with a postmodern snap. There's good reason it not only came in at No. 62 in the 2009 Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines with a score of 90, but also was rated a best buy.

There is a hint of the sweetness one might expect of a riesling, but the dominant notes in this beautifully balanced German wine from the 200-year-old Dr. Loosen estate are crisp, clean, light and floral. It is singularly refreshing and a perfect match for Thai curries, which is exactly what we paired it with for this tasting. It wasn't the first time. This accessible and well-priced riesling has been on our shopping list for years.

In the glass it offers a bright, lightly floral, slightly citrusy nose. On the tongue it beguiles with luscious but understated fruit, especially apricot, pear, apple and mango. There is just enough lime zest and spice to give it kick. The finish is not long but it is clean with a clear as a bell mineral top note reflecting the thin slate soil in which the vines grow on steep riverside slopes.

By Colette and John Bancroft. She is the Times' book editor, and he is a freelance writer specializing in food, wine and travel.