2017 Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Stromberg Riesling Großes Gewächs

White peach, gooseberry and lime are laced in the nose with chamomile, peppermint and pennyroyal. Those juxtapositions anticipate the dynamic of ripeness and citricity as well as of soothing and pungently invigorating elements that characterize this entire amazing performance. There is remarkable sheer succulence and intensity of glowingly pit-tinged white peach, zesty lime and crunchy, seedy gooseberry on the surprisingly silken palate. It’s as if concentration of fruit flavors were inversely proportional to the Stromberg’s rocky, virtually topsoil-free surface. But this is not to suggest that mineral flavor elements are short-changed. Far from it! That “dark minerality” that Fröhlich deems can be unpacked as some combination of smoky peat and black tea with stone suffusion and alkaline accents. “As ripe as they might get,” notes Fröhlich, “the berries on these old vines never lose their greenish tint or make the transition to deep gold,” and that is reflected in the vivid freshness and juicy animation of a long, fugal finish that tingles the tongue and tugs at the cheeks. If Bockenau’s virtues went virtually unnoticed until the 21st century, those of today’s Stromberg sites were almost completely unknown until Schäfer-Fröhlich produced their first, vintage 2012 Grosses Gewächs showcasing them. “When we had to demonstrate to the VDP with historical evidence that this site was Grosses Gewächs-worthy,” relates Fröhlich, “we uncorked a [nearly-dry] 1957 Spätlese from my grandfather that was unbelievably fresh and fine.”

It\'s hard to imagine how a riesling could have a more northerly personality than this cool, delicate and very elegant wine. Great balance and very long, saline finish. From a forgotten, top site that Tim Fröhlich reactivated in 2012. Drink or hold.

The Stromberg seems to be holding back on its customary herbaceous pungency to reveal a delicate touch of yellow fruit in its fragrance. Precision and purity define the flavour with profound minerality, crunchy sorrel, fresh mint and assertive acidity. A cool breeze wafts across the palate into a long finish. (MS)