Winemaker Notes
The usually inscrutable Dellchen has been atypically “present” the day before at Schneider, and this one also seemed more “available” than it’s tended to be. A full-moon brightness, a blush of fruit and a crusty bite. Three registers of activity here; white meat, grains, dust – and who knows which will prevail or how the dialogue will alter? It made him think of the Kamptal’s Gaisberg without the white peach and blueberry.
The site is a conglomerate of slate and porphyry, sitting on little hollows between cliff faces; it’s very steep and terraced and remote, which may account for the riddlesome nature of its wines, more driven by umami than its more communicative neighbors. Which makes the ’18 all the more intriguing.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A dense and layered white with minerals, salt, white pepper, chalk, dried lemon and subtle pears. Pumice. Wow. Tiny film of oil. Creamy and insane. What a wine. Magic. One for the cellar. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
Precise and focused, with intense acidity behind the lemon-lime, durian and white pepper notes. Needs time to mellow, but shows potential, featuring fruit and floral element that combine with powerful acidity and minerality. Best from 2023 through 2032.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
