2016 Frauenberg Riesling GG

As if a lavish fragrance of yellow fruit was not enough to demonstrate the generosity of a long Indian summer, the Frauenberg adds just a whiff of butterscotch as additional proof of ripeness. Yet fears of excessive sweetness on the palate prove unfounded, as residual sugar is well restrained and thus leaves plenty of room for an expression of subtle spices and cool minerality. A well-toned body and ample acidity round off a Grosses Gewächs from a producer who can mix it with the best. (MS)

Chalk-inflected fresh apple and lime penetrate the nostrils and contribute tart-edged juiciness on the palate. The suggestion of chewy apple skin found in the corresponding Mölsheim Grosses Gewächs here takes on greater grip and invigorating cut. Add to that a pronounced piquancy of apple seeds, a firm feel and a more obvious sense of chalky, stony stuffing, and you have a recipe for some of the austerity that over the years I have found characteristic of Battenfeld-Spanier Rieslings. Though there is a tangy, sweaty savor here, I miss the bivalvular elements that rendered the corresponding Mölsheimer and Hohen-Sülzener so mouthwatering, which is not something I expect that time in bottle can introduce. But this Frauenberg shares its two Grosses Gewächs siblings’ buoyancy, vibrancy and impressive length. And I am not too surprised – the stylistic proclivities of German Riesling lovers being what they are – that Carolin Gillot thinks this will ultimately prove the most impressive of the trio.