Balthasar Ress Rüdesheim Berg Rottland Riesling GG 2018

Grosses Gewächs (GG), Große Lage, great wine?

Not necessarily, because something can go wrong even in the best locations. However, that's not the case with Balthasar Ress. Here, they work meticulously and precisely, and the work is evident in this wine. This Riesling will develop superbly over the next years or decades.

This perfect Rheingau Riesling comes from the difficult-to-manage Rottland vineyard. The soils are quite stony with slate, quartzite and gravel, over which there is a layer of loess. The 33-degree slope ensures that the grapes ripen optimally. Selective hand-picking in several passes and transport in small boxes guarantee the high quality of the grape material. The wine is only moved in the cellar by means of gravity, only natural yeasts ensure fermentation and the ageing takes place in steel tanks and small wooden barrels.

So if that doesn't sound promising, what then?

The wine has beautiful yellow-fruity aromas on the nose and some peach can be clearly recognised. The wood is noticeable, but super harmonious, with a hint of vanilla and, behind it, light herbal spices and chamomile. We noticed the stony soil and the wine exudes that typical, stony scent, but in a positive way. Very creamy on the palate, extremely powerful with a lively, very fine acidity. This is a great wine, which has a slightly salty minerality and a long and lasting finish.

Super Riesling with great potential, we look forward to forgetting it in the cellar and getting it out again in a few years. Can already be drunk with great pleasure, but we recommend decanting it.