2019 Schubertslay Alte Reben Kabinett Auction

Centenarian ungrafted vines. Harvested 21 September and 7 October at 85 Oechsle. Yields were down from 21 hl/ha in 2018 to 12 hl/ha in 2019. Cask sample. This is immediately more complex than the Kabinett made from the grafted 60-year-old vines. Is that vine age or the lack of a rootstock interface between the soil and the Riesling vine? A little more spicy, less sweet-fruited at first. More stony. Even if the aroma seemed broader and spicier, this is even more precise, tighter on the palate. There’s a directness and even greater intensity. More ‘slaty’? There’s a little more friction, a light grip on the palate and more layers. It doesn’t have the apricot fruit or the same floral character of the younger vines but it still has extremely pure fruit as well as a more savoury character in the salty finish. Endlessly long but still with a delicacy and energy of Kabinett. Outstanding, like the vineyard site. A sensational combination of purity and texture that takes over your palate and holds it captive. Tasted the next day alongside this Niersteiner Kabinetten, this was more spicy and had a firmer texture. (JH)