2020 Hofgut Falkenstein - Niedermenniger Herrenberg Riesling Spatlese Feinherb AP 11

The 2020 Riesling Niedermenniger Herrenberg Spätlese feinherb A.P. #11 issues, as usual, from the parcel whose tongue-in-cheek nickname is Meyer Nepal (from the Himalayan reaches of the Herrenberg), which now appears in tiny letters on the label. As befits the site’s high elevation and proximity to woods (which give their name to the cadastral designation Kaselshaidchen), the grapes were picked in early October, which counts as relatively late for this particular Hofgut Falkenstein harvest. And in fact it does smell and taste advanced in ripeness, evoking pink grapefruit, mango, mirabelle and honeydew melon, tinged with smoky black tea and accompanied by brighter and zestier notes of lime. But effusive, borderline tropical fruitiness and midpalate gloss by no means preclude concentration of mineral flavors, which this bottling exhibits in spades: stone, smoke and alkali leave stubborn traces on the palate even as the finish refreshes and irresistibly calls forth the next sip.