2021 Rheingau Trocken

The 2021 Rheingau is a pure Riesling trocken with bright, ripe fruit and fine mineral stone as well as herbal aromas—pretty complex for a generic Rheingau Riesling from Kiedrich, Eltville, Erbach and Lorch. Lush and round but elegant, this is a fruity, juicy and very aromatic Riesling with mouth-filling texture and fine mineral grip on the finish. This is a serious wine with a good, structured and stimulatingly saline finish. 12% stated alcohol. Screw-cap closure. Tasted in November 2022.

A blend of Eltville vineyards, this year from the 2.4 ha that they leased from 2019 – the last parcels from Schloss Eltz, closed down in 1971 for financial reasons. I tasted this from bottle and from a carafe because it was bottled only in August and still needs time to open – to reveal both flavour and texture. Somehow tastes 'darker'  than the Kiedrich. Darker citrus and darker, more savoury minerality but still so scented and fragrant without being floral, though it is a little bit peachy on the palate. From the decanter it seemed deeper and richer, more peachy, with a touch of clementine. But the flavours give way on the palate to stony tension, a minerally grip. Very tight, moreish, long. Almost chewy with a salty freshness on the finish. A baby. Mouth-watering. (JH)

Full screwcapped bottle just 1,183 g. Pale greenish gold colour. Light, very fresh and delicate nose. Lifted and ethereal even if without enormous complexity or extract. Just a little chalky-textured on the finish. The finish is pretty persistent. Impressive for an entry-level wine! And because of its light astringency at this point, I'd wait until next year before drinking this wine with a clear Eva Fricke signature. (JR)