2016 Ludwig Hiedler Riesling Maximum

This December 2017 bottling incorporates fruit from Käferberg, Dechant and Shenkenbichl, with smaller contributions from Kogelberg and Heiligenstein. Exceptionally for a Hiedler Riesling, some 20% of the blend saw wood – specifically, four months in a small acacia cask that had already been used three times for Pinot Blanc. The wood influence is demure. Sweet lime and hyacinth on the nose anticipate the zesty pungency and inner-mouth florality that emerge on a palpably dense, pithily concentrated yet subtly creamy palate. Pit-tinged white peach serves for succulence and piquant counterpoint, and winter squash adds pleasant earthiness that could have come from Grüner Veltliner, while hints of iodine and smoky lava salt lend mouthwatering savor to the impressively persistent finish.