2018 Felseneck Feinherb Riesling

This vintage sees the welcome return – after 2017’s penury – of a limited (in this instance 200-case) bottling representing one or two especially expressive lots of Felseneck that did not, however, reach the legal Trockenheit incumbent on Grosse Gewächse. Struck flint, sea breeze, white peach, lime, thyme and peppermint combine for a pungently penetrating nose that is at once cooling and invigorating. Satiny in feel and succulently fruited as well as coolingly herb-infused, the midpalate benefits from hidden sweetness as well as the buoyancy that comes with lower alcohol (thanks to 13 grams of sugar having been left unfermented). The vibrant finish is irresistibly luscious and mouthwatering, not to mention transparent to a wealth of herbal, floral and mineral nuances. All of this underlines how ridiculous it is that on account of four grams of residual sugar and for the sake of making its own distinctive statement, this wine is deemed by VDP standards unworthy of that organization’s ostensibly supreme title “Grosses Gewächs.” And unfortunately, feinherb is likely in a case like this to be misunderstood, since the wine’s supportive residual sugar is scarcely detectable as sweetness. A thrill is in store for any wine lovers who are lucky enough to follow this wine in parallel with its legally dry Grosses Gewächs counterpart.