2015 Riesling GC Schlossberg Vendages Tardives Weinbach

The freshness and concentration of this super-elegant riesling literally take your breath away. Diamond- like brilliance and super fine peach, citrus and tropical flower aromas. Some sweetness, though you barely notice it, and at the finish there is stunning mineral freshness. You could drink it now, but in five, 10, 20 and more years it will also be spectacular.

Tasted as a sample (before the official approval of the AVA), the 2015 Riesling Schlossberg Vendange Tardive displays a very clear and elegant bouquet of super ripe, but healthy raisin flavors intermixed with flinty aromas. This VT is so clear and stimulating on the palate and reveals a great, great finesse and delicacy with finest minerals, grip and tension. The tension and grip in the finish is really remarkable and the length outstanding. This is one of the finest VT I can remember and it comes from one of the best grand crus of Alsace. The sweetness of 71 grams per liter is perfectly integrated, thanks to the prominent mineral flavors.

Bright golden yellow. Penetrating, exotically perfumed nose of nutmeg, crystallized ginger, lavender and mint. Then youthfully reticent on the palate, which hints at more tropical fruit and sweet spices, but provides little in the way of mineral lift. Long, sweet (72 g/L residual sugar) and clean on the vibrant finish. My score is an average between the scores for the marvelous nose and palate. Huge potential here, so I'd cellar this for another four or five years to let it blossom fully. Made from grapes grown in a parcel of vines that usually give the Inedit, 20 percent of which were hit by noble rot.