Superb German Riesling to expand your palate

The 2023 Graacher Himmelreich Spätlese is very intense and open on the complex and saline nose that is reminiscent of crushed slate rocks as well as ripe and intense, dense citrus fruit intermingled with lemon aromas. Round and refined on the palate, this is a lively and savory Riesling with a firm, mineral structure and floral flavors on the complex and youthful finish. This is a Spätlese to be aged for at least 5+ years. 8% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine from AP 07 24 in January 2025. 95 points, drink 2025-2070, Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate.

The 2023 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett is deep, pure, fresh and slatey on the precise, coolish and also floral nose. Mouth-filling, rich and dense on the palate, this is a round and juicy, very mineral, stimulating, savory and saline wine with fine, stimulating grip and an aromatic, well-structured and relatively dry finish. This is excellent and stylish in its terroir expression. 8.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in January 2025. 94 points, drink 2030-2065, Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate.

Incredibly refined and precise, yet with Grand Canyon-like depths and layers, this incredible dry Riesling has a horizon-to-horizon spectrum of stone fruit, citrus and wild berry aromas, plus a touch of dusty hot soil as rain starts to fall on it. On the compact, medium-bodied palate, this side of the wine builds and builds to a giant crescendo in the almost endless finish. Drink or hold. 100 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com 

The 2023 Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling trocken GG opens deep, pure, intense and stony on the nose that is, to be honest, much more sophisticated than the Brücke GG. The wine is finely juicy as well as savory on the palate, probably not bone dry in terms of analysis but always in tension and never settling on the palate, as if it was just an idea of Riesling and not its materialization. This Hermannshöhle is not a cave (which it is only named after) but a bright Riesling ray to the heavens, a lasting flash of lightning from a thunderstorm that cannot be disliked or remain undrunk, even today. If you need a salty and spicy yet always seductively round palate-tickler now, please go ahead. But those who like to let the wine mature will not lose out. 13% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted in August and October 2024. 96+ points, drink 2029-2055, Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate.

This dry Riesling has a hypnotic beauty that leaves no doubt how this wine redefines what peachy means in the context of this grape variety. As it aerates, a wealth of wild berry and flower nuances develop and expand. Given the mind-bending concentration of this wine, it is staggeringly fresh and absolutely precise. Then comes the finish, which is like a prima ballerina dancing on pointe off into the distance. Drink from release. 100 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com  

At least since the magical 2020 vintage, this grand cru is becoming another Dönnhoff (and Nahe) icon wine next to the estate's Hermannshöhle GG. The 2023 Norheimer Dellchen Riesling trocken GG is bright and clear on the elegant and finely juicy as well as spontaneously inviting nose that indicates perfectly ripe and healthy Riesling fruit that is fully intermingled with the terroir-driven flinty notes. Perfectly round and finessed on the palate, this is a full-bodied, dense and finely juicy, then utterly saline and savory as well as buoyant Dellchen that pairs purity with intensity and a long, complex and promising finish. This is superbly balanced and full of joy. 12.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted in August and October 2024. 96 points, drink 2028-2055, Stephan Reinhardt, The Wine Advocate.

Beyond the southern end of the Rothenberg Vineyard is the well-known Pettenthal grand cru site. The soil of this famous vineyard is also comprised of red shale, but here it's slightly more weathered. The extremely friable, in certain parcels even sandy, texture yields wine of lighter structure with vibrant elegance. Despite the vineyard?s proximity to the Rothenberg, the two resulting wines differ greatly. The wines of the Pettenthal are distinguished by exotic fruit aromas from the moment of their youth and retain their refreshing character for many years. The steepest parcels of Gunderloch's estate are located in this vineyard.

What a beautiful peachy nose this Pettenthal GG has, also hints of pineapple chutney and flint. Complex interplay of yeasty, mineral and wild herb elements on the juicy and exciting palate. Excellent length and aging potential. Drinkable now, but best from 2025.  95 points. Stuart Pigott, JamesSuckling.com