Wine & Spirits - Summer 2022 - 65

Germany Nahe, Pfalz, Rheingau & Rheinhessen
cool and gentle, its sleek mineral tones supporting
citrus and peach fruit. It lasts with
heady, weightless fragrance, slightly floral,
slightly spicy, lingering for minutes after
each sip. § Skurnik Wines, NY
SPATLESE
94 | Hexamer
$47
2009 Nahe Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg
Riesling Spätlese ^ Daffodil-yellow,
this is sunny in its fruit and florals, with a
pithy peach sweetness that lasts. The acidity
doesn't let on that the wine is 13 years
old; it moves briskly through the red-fruit
elements, teasing out spice, and then just
keeps on going. From a steep, south-facing
plot that Harald Hexamer considers his best,
this is a treat to drink now, though it you
don't get around to it for a few more years it
will still be just fine. § Skurnik Wines, NY
93 | Hexamer
$33
2019 Nahe Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg
Riesling Spätlese ^ 'Oh holy yum' is all I
could write on first taste, as the creamy, tropical
fruit flavor washed over me. This is a rich,
hedonistic Spätlese, plump and juicy with a
ton of superripe fruit flavor, and yet it has
plenty of complexity, too, from the vibrant
acidity to the mineral flavors, as multihued
as the mineral soils of the Nahe itself. And
the wine lasts, holding its freshness for days.
It's rich enough to pour alongside duck, or a
pork and pistachio pâté. § Skurnik Wines, NY
92 | Dönnhoff
$42
2020 Nahe Grosse Lage Norheimer
Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese ^ Herbal and
spicy, this is gently sweet, with notes of lemongrass
tea and ginger that bring to mind a
pairing with a Thai stir-fry. The flavors last,
urged on and streamlined by the wine's citrusy
acidity. This comes from a south-facing
site of gray slate and sandstone named for
the wild cherries (Kirschen) that grow nearby. §
Skurnik Wines, NY
92 | Diel
$78
2010 Nahe Dorsheim Goldloch Riesling
Spätlese ^ Saffron-yellow in hue and flavor,
this remains full and fresh even at 12
years old. It's plump and potent, the tangelo
fruit made complex with notes of dried
shiitake, black tea and mustard-seed spice,
with enough vibrancy in the acidity to keep
the wine clean and lifted. Pour it with something
umami-rich, like miso cod. § Skurnik
Wines, NY
AuSLESE
97 | Dönnhoff
$57/375ml
2020 Nahe Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle
Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel ^ Hermannshöhle
is thought to have once been a
site of ancient worship, the name Hermann
derived from Hermes, the Greek god of travelers.
Certainly the site has imbued this wine
with an otherworldly beauty. It comes on quietly,
the main impression at first just brightness
and clarity, then the wine warms to sunset
flavors of red, orange and yellow radiating
out on beams of bright, sunny acidity. Those
flavors last, intense and penetrating, for days
after opening. The wine is more intense than
sweet, with a youthful power that's charming
and exciting but also suggests that this will
age beautifully. § Skurnik Wines, NY
94 | Kruger-Rumpf
$70
2019 Nahe Grosse Lage Dorsheimer Burgberg
Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel ^ Burgberg
sits in a bowl beneath the ruins of the
Burg Layen fortress, a protected site of ironrich
loam, slate and quartzite. The ripeness
the site can achieve is on full display in the
wine's initial sweetness, notes of kumquats
in syrup and a texture to match. But given
a day open on the counter, the initial herbal
notes come to the fore, and the wine soars,
bright and cool, striking a balance of sweetness
and crunch, juicy fruit and Nahe minerality.
This is the sort of Auslese you could
drink all afternoon, with or without food. §
Skurnik Wines, NY
PFALZ: SPARKLING
90 | Darting
richer notes of peach, cardamom and mossy
green herbs. From an organically farmed site
on deep soils of loess, clay and yellow sandstone,
it's a big wine but not pushy-it sort of
curls up around you with the stealthy persistence
of a cat, purring with fruit warmth and
pulsing acidity. § Skurnik Wines, NY
93 | Fitz-Ritter
$45
2020 Pfalz Ungsteiner Herrenberg GG
Riesling ^ Piccolo notes of lemon and apple
blossoms ring out in this bone-dry riesling.
It's as bright as it is pale, the glassy sheen of
the color echoing the clarity and firmness of
its mineral flavors. From a high, steep, organically
farmed sandstone slope in the Mittelhaardt,
the wine feels youthful and energetic,
needing a few more years in the cellar to
show all its detail. § Winesellers, Niles, IL
92 | von Winning
$23
2020 Pfalz Estate Riesling trocken (BEST
BUY) ^ A terrific introduction to von Winning's
sleek, sunny style, this is clean and lip-smacking
in its ripe peach and pear flavors. Fine
acidity and a sense of stone surround the
abundant fruit, the wine long and lithe, ready
for anything from aperitif through roastedfish
dinner. § Skurnik Wines, NY
91 | von Winning
$39
2020 Pfalz Erste Lage Leinhöhle Riesling
Trocken ^ Delicate and fruit-driven, with juicy
gooseberry and citrus notes, this feels sleek
and poised, with clean length. It comes from
a parcel of sandstone and limestone above
the town of Deidesheim, where von Winning
is based. § Skurnik Wines, NY
90 | Dr. Bürklin-Wolf
$37
2019 Pfalz Pinot Blanc Sekt ^ Light and dry,
this pale-yellow sparkler has a crisp, appley
crunch. It's tart and mouthwatering, with
a delicate floral note that adds elegance. §
Skurnik Wines, NY
90 | von Winning
$62
Pfalz Brut Rosé ^ Subtle and salty, this is a
light, refreshing traditional-method sparkler
with lots of tart cherry fruit. The herbal notes
bring the pinot noir flavors extra freshness. §
Skurnik Wines, NY
PFALZ: WHITE
RIESLING: TROCKEN & GG
94 | Müller-Catoir
$23
2020 Pfalz Hommage à Luise Riesling ^ Just
off-dry, this biodynamically grown riesling is
soft and gentle, with floral notes and umami
richness padding its tropical-fruit core. It
feels balanced and comforting, ready to calm
a spicy dish. § Skurnik Wines, NY
90 | Eugen Müller
$40
2020 Pfalz Grosse Lage Kirchenstück Riesling
Trocken ^ Chamomile, sandalwood, flowers
and spice make this a fascinating riesling,
pungent in flavor but airy and fresh in feel.
It's dry and savory but not mean about it,
with enough substance and texture to carry
all that detail. § Skurnik Wines, NY
88 | Fitz-Ritter
$51
2020 Pfalz Erste Lage Bürgergarten Riesling
Trocken ^ This dry riesling feels elegant
and exotic, its zesty citrus flavors layered with
$17
2020 Pfalz Dürkheim Dry Riesling (BEST
BUY) ^ This matches its tropical-fruit flavors
with zingy acidity. It's simple and thirstquenching,
ready to enliven anything in its
path. § Winesellers, Niles, IL
Summ ER 202 2
WINE & SPIR IT S
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Wine & Spirits - Summer 2022

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