Riesling
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer
2025 Riesling, Marienburg Fahrlay, Pünderich, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Clemens Busch
Pale yellow green, fresh and subtly expressive in aroma, the pent-up energy behind Busch’s biodynamic Riesling from blue slate soils is released when you taste the fruit which is pure and intense in flavor of stone fruit and citrus, thanks to a firm spine of acidity, which is not only refreshing but also mineral and mouthwateringly dry; and so that tensile strength and the competition between fruit and minerality brings an extra dimension to an excellent dry wine that will improve in bottle over 7–10 years. 95
2025 Riesling, Marienburg Rothenpfad, Pünderich, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Clemens Busch
Pale lemon, quite shy in aroma to begin with, and with subtle complexity, Johannes Busch’s Riesling, fermented with wild yeasts in traditional fuder, is deliciously concentrated lemony fruit quality underpinned by a firm acid spine that brings a mineral edge to the fruit, which holds a subtle fresh leesy quality, adding weight, length and above all considerable intensity, along with good structural potential for ageing for 6– 9 years. 95
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2025 Riesling, Marienburg Falkenlay, Pünderich, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Clemens Busch
Plenty of color here in this Riesling from grey slate soils sitting opposite the estate house dating from 1663; lemony green, youthful, fresh, subtle complexity of aroma, richly concentrated in its pure, stone fruit quality whose firm spine of acidity is initially almost austere as it tapers towards a dry, elegant finish; a gastronomic style which is likely to improve in bottle over 5 years plus. 94
2025 Riesling, Röttgen, Winningen, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Heymann-Löwenstein
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Mid-gold, intensely aromatic, fresh leesy spritz, this classic Riesling is immensely rich and concentrated and thanks to its bright underlying acidity, it’s a powerfully full-flavored dry white with terrific weight and length; full of stone fruit, apple, and honey, it’s underpinned by a firm spine of acidity which adds to the feeling of structure and weight; still only a cask sample, but if this comes through to bottle like this, it’s going to be one of the wines of the vintage thanks to its super concentration, intensity of flavor and ripe fruit/savory dimension, not to mention a structure that should see it develop complexity in bottle for a decade. 96
2025 Riesling, Kirchberg, Hatzenport, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Heymann-Löwenstein
Pale gold in color, highly aromatic already, subtle complexity a faint leesy prickle on the tongue and a stone fruit note, then serious fruit richness and concentration, quite mineral in style because that fruit richness is underpinned by a tensile RSJ of acidity and leesy freshness that brings an intensity to the wine, along with savory minerality and dry finish; still elemental, this needs 3 years before it starts to show the complexity that will develop in the bottle. Under new ownership after the recent sale by pioneer Reinhard Löwenstein, the new MD Thomas Dörr clearly has much to look forward to. As do we. 95
2025 Riesling, Stolzenberg, Hatzenport, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Heymann-Löwenstein
Pale gold in color, this is fresh, with a honeyed ripe, almost buttery backnote to the fruit, a leesy prickle on the tongue for added freshness and then on tasting there’s a lot of ripe stone fruit here, apricot-like with a touch of honey, at which point the acidity allied to a lick of salt kicks in as if reminding the fruit that there’s more to it than meets the nose here; with a subtle complexity and elegant dryness that demand attention. 94
2025 Riesling, Uhlen Laubach, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Heymann-Löwenstein
A mid-gold in color, this is typically Heymann-Löwenstein in style, ripe and peachy in aroma with a lick of honey in the background; after a faint prickle of freshness on the tongue, it reveals more ripe peachy fruit with good weight and length thanks to a firm spine of mineral acidity underpinning the opulent fruit; and that refreshing acidity gives way to a light touch of saltiness on the finish in that very distinctive H-L style. 94
2025 Riesling, Uhlen Roth Lay, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Heymann-Löwenstein
Mid-gold in color, this Riesling, one of the three Grosse Lage parcels at Winningen, is ripe and peachy in aroma yet superfresh at the same time, and behind the aromatics there’s plenty of appealing ripe stone fruit flavor supported by a firm structured grip of acidity to maintain that weight of fruit and length, allowing the initial sweetness to turn to umami savouriness in a balanced whole; needs 5 years+. 94
2025 Riesling, Röttgen, Winningen, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Knebel
Pale lemony gold in color, this Riesling from Beate and Matthias Knebel’s steep slate slopes at Röttgen in Winningen, shows a fine fragrance, fresh spritz, quite mineral and dry in style behind the initial stone fruit sweetness and concentration with an almost salty-stony dry finish that makes it an elegantly dry and perfect gastronomic Riesling. 94
2025 Riesling, Försterlay, Lösnich, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Dr. Loosen
Pale greeny yellow in color, this GG from the Riesling evangelist Ernie Loosen, is fresh, fragrant, and a tad spicy, almost as if there’s a light touch of oak here; it’s full-flavored and ripe on tasting and that spicy element of oak, if that’s what it is, comes through without detracting from the lively fruit flavors and typical Dr. Loosen juiciness of texture or for that matter the refreshing spine of acidity that underpins the enterprise. Maybe not everyone’s cup of tea but it’s distinctive, and I like it a lot. 94
2025 Riesling, Rosenberg, Kinheim, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Dr. Loosen
Lemony green, fresh, lovely aromas, subtle complexity, sweet florality; on tasting there’s at first a faint spritz, quite concentrated, an impression enhanced by juicy acidity which takes the fruit by the scruff of the neck and wrestles it into a more serious proposition with tensile strength and firm backbone of mouthwatering acidity and potential longevity; an intriguing wine for sure. One that needs 5–8 years. Little-known factoid: Ernie Loosen’s sardonic front door mat boasts: “Hier war Goethe nie.” 94
2025 Riesling, Geisberg, Ockfen, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Van Volxem
From one of Van Volxem’s 14 GROSSE LAGE sites (it’s one of the bigger Mosel estates), this is pale yellow green, fresh, and fragrant from the start with inviting citrus and background floral notes, fresh spritz on the tongue, lovely mid-palate intensity of citrus/lime fruitiness that lingers, good concentration of flavor here underpinned by mouthwateringly limey fresh acidity, a mineral dry finish. 94
2025 Riesling, Altenberg, Kanzem, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Van Volxem
Pale lemon limey green hue, highly fresh and fragrant, very inviting; a faint prickle on the tongue, ripe and richly concentrated almost sweet fruit from cellar master Christoph Friedrich, or would be sweet if it weren’t supported by an underpinning of juicy fresh acidity, and so tapering towards a refreshingly dry finish; and while still early days, this has plenty of potential for development over the next 5–7 years (although seductive enough to drink early, i.e. around 5pm). 94
Rheingau
2024 Riesling, Berg Schlossberg, Rüdesheim, Rheingau, Geheimrat J. Wegeler
Lemony green in color, fine intense aromatics with lots of classic lime-citrusy fragrance, lots to like in this Riesling from Wegeler’s 40 hectares of Rheingau vineyards; super fresh; fine fruit quality, richly concentrated Riesling, firm acidity and a salty mineral spine to combine with the acidity which makes this veer from sweet fruit to quite savory in no time at all; very distinctive, not everyone’s cup of tea, but I really like that salty dry terroir character on the finish. 94
Franken
2025 Riesling, Am Lumpen 1655®, Escherndorf, Franken, Rainer Sauer
From Daniel Sauer (Rainer’s son), one of Franken’s top Silvaner exponents, this yellow green, bright, fresh, and fragrant Riesling from the Lump, a pure, steep south slope of Muschelkalk, is super-ripe in its flavors with lots of stone fruit and lemon/limey citrus going on and while the fruit is inviting, it’s what’s happening alongside that makes this wine interesting: a leesy spritz and lots of juicy textured acidity balancing out the initial hit of sweet fruit to bring, ever so gradually, some savory notes to a pleasing, satisfyingly dry finish. Good ageing potential too. 94
Nahe
2025 Riesling, Felsenberg, Schlossböckelheim, Nahe, Dr. Crusius
Pale lemon, fresh, bright, fruit aromas and on tasting very fruity indeed, at least to begin with, and then that structure comes in, plenty of fresh acidity and salty savory minerality counterbalancing the fruit for a wine initially in two parts but that comes together in equal parts of fruit and salty savory minerality. This is quite something really from the Crusius family, with Dr Peter Crusius and his daughter Rebecca, now in its 14th generation. 94
2025 Riesling, Hermannshöhle, Niederhausen, Nahe, H. Dönnhoff
Lemon in color, fresh with subtle aromatic complexity, a spritz on the tongue to set up the liquid in the glass, whose fruit concentration, from low yields surely, contributes to the intensity of flavor to the max; which at this stage is so elemental it’s almost hard to enjoy, but the track record here suggests that the pent-up energy in the fruit quality makes it very much a wine of and for the future, a wine whose freshness, balance, flavor intensity and saline dry finish, doubtless helped by vines grown in a soil mix of slate, sandstone and limestone, will reward patience in time to come. Cellar it and stay patient. 96
2025 Riesling, Felsenberg, Schlossböckelheim, Nahe, H. Dönnhoff
Pale greeny lemon, aromatic, fresh spritz on the tongue, lots of upfront stone fruit from 4th generation Cornelius Dönnhoff, son of the brilliant Helmut, but that only tells half the story because behind that fruit lies an underpinning, a framework, of fresh acidity whose tensile strength underpins more than just a fruity wine, but, rather, a wine of serious intensity of flavor married to a minerality from pure, weathered, volcanic rock, that adds a dimension to the fruit; serious of purpose, this has the potential to improve in bottle for a decade. 95
2025 Riesling, Dellchen, Norheim, Nahe, H. Dönnhoff
A youthful pale lemon in color, there’s depth and subtle complexity in the aroma here; like a dahlia as yet unfurled, it’s just starting out on a journey that will last for some years to come; fresh prickle on the tongue, richly concentrated, intense and supported by a firm spine of acidity, it’s a wine that will need patience because while still in the first flush of youth, it will come through and reward you for your patience. Dellchen is a favourite of mine. 95
2025 Riesling, Krötenpfuhl, Kreuznach, Nahe, H. Dönnhoff
Pale lemon, fresh, citrusy, elementally youthful, richly concentrated stone fruit flavors already emerging with a sweetness of fruit that starts to turn to savory once you feel that iron fist of mineral acidity bringing structure and balance to a wine of evident potential; it’s likley to be drunk too young in many cases, but really this is worth waiting for because the development in bottle will bring added complexity in a few years and even longer down the track. 95
2025 Riesling, Im Mühlenberg, Roxheim, Nahe, H. Dönnhoff
Pale lemon, fresh and attractively aromatic, a bit more forward than the Krötenpfuhl; very fresh on tasting with an initial lemon and lime citrus fruit quality that’s underpinned by a juicy texture and firm spine of fresh acidity which becomes grapefruit-zesty towards the finish; will develop quite a lot further in the bottle even if one of the more approachable early examples from this top Nahe estate. 94
2025 Riesling, Halenberg, Monzingen, Nahe, Emrich-Schönleber
Pale lemon, bright, fresh and inviting, this Riesling from the Halenberg at Monzingen, of which current winemaker Frank Schönleber and family own more than 60%, is richly concentrated and intense with classic Nahe Riesling flavors of stone fruit and apple underpinned by a lively energetic acidity in a framework of balance and dryness. Plenty of potential for development here over the next 5 – 10 years. 94
2025 Riesling, Burgberg, Dorsheim, Nahe, Kruger-Rumpf
Mid-lemon in color, fresh spritz, this fine Nahe Riesling from Georg Rumpf is really attractively fragrant with floral and honeyed notes in the aromatics; the fruit is appealing too with good depth of richly full-flavored stone fruit underscored by a firm, incisive blade of juicy acidity leading to a balanced, dry finish. Its generosity of fruit will appeal but it has its serious (structure) side too. 94
2025 Riesling, Im Pitterberg, Münster, Nahe, Kruger-Rumpf
Mid-lemon, this is fresh and fragrant and on tasting, with a light leesy spritz to start off, it offers a generosity of opulent stone fruit flecked with a touch of honey, and spiciness, underpinned by juicy fresh and balanced acidity, all of which augurs well for the short to medium term, and who knows, after that, perhaps the long term. It’s very attractive. 94
2025 Riesling, Felseneck, Bockenau, Nahe, Schäfer-Fröhlich
Pale lemon, a nasal assault of classic Schäfer-Fröhlich aromas, lightly smoky, struck match reduction, mineral, herbal, cumin; a light fresh spritz, intense and yet elegant fruit quality, limey, salty, herbal, a whole lot going on here; and finishing dry. If this were a book it would be a page-turner, unputdownable, even if, at the end of the day, this distinctive house style may not be to everyone’s taste, but I’m a sucker for it. 95
2025 Riesling, Stromberg, Bockenau, Nahe, Schäfer-Fröhlich
Pale lemon, lightly reductive-smoky, mineral, a faint lees fresh prickle on the tongue, lovely fruit quality, ripe and juicy and very full-flavored reprising the mineral salts and reductive notes and that hint of cumin, and underpinned by more saline dry notes in a wine of distinctive individuality and personality. Since there’s such an obvious house style, the question is whether it’s terroir or house (ie yeast) related, but since the yeast is wild, you could say both. 95
2025 Riesling, Felsenberg, Schlossböckelheim, Nahe, Schäfer-Fröhlich
Again that trademark pungent aroma immediately announces this as Schäfer-Fröhlich, love it or leave it, and in my case, love it. Lightly struck match-smoky mineral with a cumin herb edge to it, a faint prickle of leesy freshness on the tongue, this is a wine that Schäfer-Fröhlich devotees will love for its distinctive character, which may say more about S-F than terroir, but who cares? It’s a deliciously distinctive wine with concentration of flavor and structure, fruit and savoriness, and perfect for gastronomy. 95
2025 Riesling, Frühlingsplätzchen, Monzingen, Nahe, Schäfer-Fröhlich
Pale lemon, instant hit of classic Schäfer-Fröhlich aromas, struck match-smoky reduction and mineral, even a hint of sulfur springs, herbal; lovely fruit quality, ripe and juicy fresh fruit laced with those same characters that define the aromatics, and that give this wine and S-F its intriguingly distinctive character; there’s excellent flavor and balance with a finish whose savory elements fit in nicely. A stopped clock is right at least twice a day. 94
2025 Riesling, Halenberg, Monzingen, Nahe, Schäfer-Fröhlich
This too has the classic Schäfer-Fröhlich aromas, that struck match reduction, smoky sulphur springs, and herbal undertones, lovely fruit too behind the intriguing aromas, quite concentrated and rich whose intensity is developed by a fine blade of trenchant acidity, bringing length and structure to the wine, which, while opulent in the middle, finishes satisfyingly dry. 94
2025 Riesling, Kupfergrube, Schlossböckelheim, Nahe, Schäfer-Fröhlich
Here we go again with that trademark Schäfer-Fröhlich aromatic quality’s distinctive admixture of smoke, antiseptics and as yet undefined aromas; meanwhile the fruit is nicely concentrated and intense with a little less of those most obvious characteristics that you find in the aromas; it’s mineral and savory, fresh and dry with lots of potential for development in bottle. Maybe the one for S-F beginners. 94
Rheinhessen
2025 Riesling, Scharlachberg, Bingen, Rheinhessen, Bischel
From one of the youngest members of the VDP, admitted in 2019, this Riesling, made by Geisenheim-trained brothers Christian and Matthias Runkel, is yellow gold in color, gorgeous fragrance, strong limey character with floral background, and hint of reduction, excellent richness in the middle, lots of concentrated stone fruit and apple flavors, supported by juicy fresh acidity, not quite the iron fist, but more than enough for balance and ageing potential. 94
2025 Riesling, Hipping, Nierstein, Rheinhessen, Kühling-Gillot
Yellow gold in color, super aromatic, a fresh prickle on the tongue, this Riesling from double-barreled Carolin Spanier-Gillot and her husband H O Spanier of double-barreled Battenfeld-Spanier, has excellent depth of flavor concentration from supremely seductive ripe yellow stone fruit and the helping hand of juicy textured freshness in the form of an evident ripeness of acidity that also brings a touch of savory salinity to a finish that bodes well not just for now but into the late 2020s and early 2030s – if you can wait that long. I usually can’t. 95
2025 Riesling, Pettenthal, Nierstein, Rheinhessen, Kühling-Gillot
Yellow gold in color, another Riesling from the iron-rich, red slate soils of the Roter Hang, this shows a beguiling fresh fragrance and light prickle on the tongue and then straight into some richly concentrated stone fruit flavors etched with citrus-juicy acidity leading to a long, balanced dry finish; the leesy spritz first felt on the tongue infuses the flavors too, bringing a strong feeling of energy and life to the wine. Exceptionally delicious. 94
2025 Riesling, Scharlachberg, Bingen, Rheinhessen, Wagner-Stempel
Yellow gold in color, a fine fresh fragrance that’s instantly seductive, and the fruit of Daniel and Cathrin Wagner’s organic Riesling from Bingen is delicious in the middle when you taste with ripe stone fruit and apple cut by juicy acidity, which renders the whole proposition well-chiselled and seductively balanced and dry. Besides, with this level of acidity and this balance, it’s showing good potential for the medium to long haul. 94
2025 Riesling, Brunnenhäuschen, Westhofen, Rheinhessen, Wittmann
From Philipp Wittmann, who now runs the biodynamic estate with Georg Rieser, this is a pale yellow green gold, with fine, fresh expressive aromatics, apples and yellow fruits, super rich and concentrated fruit quality, stone fruit in the ascendant, apples too, superfresh and juicy with a fine trenchant blade of acidity whose uppercut opens up the fruit for a mouthwateringly dry finish, with good ageing potential. 95
2025 Riesling, Morstein, Westhofen, Rheinhessen, Wittmann
Pale greeny gold, a fine aromatic quality and fresh spritz on the tongue, inviting, superripe, richly concentrated apple fruit, from Morstein’s south slope on heavy clay marl over water-bearing limestone, quite glossy in texture, with seductive fruit flavors made all the more mouthwatering thanks to an elegant streak of zesty acidity and a saline minerality that punch through the fruit to bring freshness, intensity of flavor and balance to the enterprise; a terrific dry Riesling for the medium to long haul. 95
Pfalz
2025 Riesling, Kirchenstück, Forst, Pfalz, Acham-Magin
A deepish yellow, almost gold, fresh, expressive pineapple aromas, inviting, very good fruit concentration and flavor in this Pfalz Riesling from Anna-Barbara Acham who has run the estate since 1994 with her husband Vinzenz Trösch and Stephan Räch in the cellar; really intense, rich and finely poised; power-packed with flavor, it really does do the job of satisfying and refreshing with its seductive fruit flavors, super juicy texture and beautifully ripe underlying citrus-zesty acidity. It’s quite a wine, and it should develop in the bottle for a good 5 – 10 years. 95
2025 Riesling, Pechstein, Forst, Pfalz, Acham-Magin
Lemon in color, intense aromatics, fresh, sweet, spicy, and on tasting fine fruit quality from this estate farmed biodynamically since the mid-2000s, using wild yeasts for the fermentation of a wine that’s fresh and inviting, juicy textured, super-ripe, with lively acidity; overall this is extremely well-balanced with mid-palate sweetness of fruit allied to a slightly salty acidity that brings a complementary savory quality to a well-wrought wine, with plenty of time ahead of it. 94
2025 Riesling, Kalkofen, Deidesheim, Pfalz, Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan
Pale green lemon in color, this Riesling is part of the group that includes von Winning and Reichsrat von Buhl, owned since 2002 by the Niederberger family; it smells fresh and pure and that follows through onto the palate which is really pure and precise in its fruit quality; it’s a lovely wine whose richness of stone fruit allies to purity of flavor and a fine blade of acidity to create an elegantly dry, umami-saline, food friendly style of excellent balance and character. I can’t fault it. 95
2025 Riesling, Hohenmorgen, Deidesheim, Pfalz, Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan
Pale greeny yellow, attractively spicy fresh fragrance with a light lees spritz on the tongue, and equally on tasting, there’s some really juicy ripe citrusy fruit whose precision and fresh, crisp acidity delivers on mouthwatering flavor and balance. This is almost bone dry on the finish, making it an excellent gastronomic choice. 94
2025 Riesling, Kieselberg, Deidesheim, Pfalz, Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan
Pale yellow green hue, lovely limey aromatics followed by a faint prickle of freshness on the tongue before the juicy fresh citrus-zesty fruit kicks in with an energetic acidity that allows the flavors to linger on the tongue before dissipating gradually towards a satisfying dry finish. 94
2025 Riesling, Hohenmorgen, Deidesheim, Pfalz, Dr. Bürklin-Wolf
From one of the pioneers of Grosses Gewächs in the Pfalz, this Riesling is a pale lime green yellow, attractively fresh with light spicy oak aromatics and equally lovely succulently juicy fresh lemon and limey fruit with oak taking a back seat to the fruit whose richness is cut by incisive fresh acidity for a well-balanced, approachable dry white that still has plenty of time to develop further in bottle. 95
2025 Riesling, Annaberg, Kallstadt, Pfalz, Rings
Steffen and Andreas Rings who have farmed the estate organically since 2017, use wild yeast fermentation and large oak agein for this Riesling which is a pale greeny lemon in color, showing a hint of spicy oak vanilla in the aromatics; there’s a good fresh spritz on the tongue, then in comes a touch of spicy oak followed by a juicy textured stone fruit quality enhanced by the zesty acidity that underpins this elegant dry white, making it distinctively different and not overwhelmed by the oak which is subtle and well handled. 94
2025 Riesling, Kirchenstück, Forst, Pfalz, Von Winning
Yellowy green in color, this is attractively wood-spicy in aroma, like a Riesling with a dab of Eau de Cologne behind the ears thanks to the house’s use of a mix of spontaneous fermentation in casks of various sizes, cultured yeast in steel, and no fining; the fruit is rich and concentrated and full of flavor and the oak doesn’t detract from that, being somewhat in a minor key here, allowing the fruit to express its flavors without interference but just a spicy edge to add to rather than detract from the proposition. Oak may be an issue for those who don’t like to taste any, but here I really think you can see the wood for the trees in a positive light. 95
VDP Grosses Gewächs Sneak Preview: The view from the top of the tree
VDP Grosses Gewächs Sneak Preview: Spätburgunder
