2023 Westhofener Kirchspiel Grosses Gewachs

This is a complex and structured wine, but it still seems to dance on your palate and has a certain playfulness on the nose as well. In fact, these are the things that introduce you to the serious side of the wine. Plenty of peaches, Mirabelle plums, lemon zest and some summer flowers and mint. Then comes the fine chalky minerality, which guides you through the long, elegant finish. Drink from release.

The 2023 Riesling Westhofener Kirchspiel Grosses Gewächs is from vines that average 50 years old. Pure, serene, ripe lemon is suffused with creaminess and an ethereal overtone on the nose. The palate is a picture of juicy citrus, lemon balm and white peach. It’s concentrated and zesty but also creamy, with inherent depth and a stoniness that becomes gently textural. It lines the mouth with tingling freshness and some pleasant astringency that only helps to accentuate the finesse and brightness. This finishes with gorgeous length. (Bone-dry)

Vines aged 60 years. Just 20 cm of topsoil over limestone. First vintage with Kirchspiel on the label was 2002. Tank sample. Initially more restrained than the Von der Fels, but with intense, deeply mined purity of citrus fruit and a touch of just-ripe apricot plus the merest hint of herbs and stony/smoky minerality. Creamy, too, from the long lees ageing, which has clothed the upright backbone in a softer flesh. That stony character is more marked on the palate, as well as a pithy texture that brings another layer to the fruit. Some grip on the finish. Layered, long, captivating finesse without being showy. The flavours go on and on until the wine seems to take up residence in your mouth. Then a lift of freshness on the finish. As the wine warms, just a touch of honey at the very end even though the wine is bone dry. (JH)