2020 Niersteiner Hipping Grosses Gewachs

Already on the nose, the savory herbal, meaty and mineral mélange here mouthwateringly reminds me of escargot, not to mention red Burgundies, which is a cause to wonder how such scents and flavors could possibly arise from these grapes. In terms of explicit fruit identity, the most one discerns here is fresh lemon, which however serves for more than enough bright juiciness to animate and refresh through a prodigious finish. There is a combination of underlying richness with spine-tingling electricity – to say nothing of intrigue – that will absorb you for hours (indeed years) if you can afford both the time and the wine. (For a bit about this wine’s vineyard origins, consult my reviews of the corresponding notes on the 2018 and 2014 bottlings.)