2016 Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Grosses Gewächs Nahe (Dry)

Cooling mint and high-toned evocations of bittersweet floral perfume (iris, gentian) mingle with struck flint, sea breeze, wet stone and other anticipations of the remarkable diversity of mineral nuances that characterize the polished, vibrant midpalate. Nor is there any lack of luscious primary fruit in the familiar but not for that reason any less alluring guise of white peach and lime. The striking interaction of fruity, floral, and stony, smoky, crystalline, nearly ineffable mineral elements on the finish takes on kaleidoscopic dynamic and complexity, while a strong upwelling of maritime salinity serves to milk the salivary glands. The sense of sheer energy and penetration here goes beyond even that of the old-vines-dominated Stromberg, leaving one’s gullet reverberating like the swelling of an overtone-rich organ pipe. (DS)