Bright and clear fruit aromas intermix with flint stone and herbal aromas to open the spectacularly deep, dense and coolish, extremely mineral 2018 Felseneck Riesling GG. Very intense, rich and concentrated on the silky-textured and refreshing palate, this is a crystalline and silky yet dense and enormously mineral, tightly woven, dry and piquant Riesling with remarkable tannin structure and sustainable salinity. This Felseneck needs years to open up and also the biggest glass you can find. Tasted during the VDP Grosse Lage preview in Wiesbaden in August and two times at home in October 2019.

2018 was an excellent year for ambient yeasts, at least at the estate of Schäfer-Fröhlich. A pungent fragrance of wet green leaves, crushed mint and something even more funky and wild opens the nostrils and almost hurts your olfactory senses with its invigorating attack. This is not for the uninitiated or the easily offended, and you need a period of sensory adjustment to get to grips with Tim Fröhlich’s uncompromising take on what constitutes great dry Riesling. Once your nose gets through the pain barrier, the palate offers more than just compensation: taut minerality, exhilarating freshness, essence of mint, lots of juice, vibrant fruit, great tension. I can’t help a little bit of Schadenfreude : label drinkers get their come-uppance. (MS)