2018 Bernkasteler Doctor GG

It’s a relief to see this wine labeled “12% alcohol,” after its vintage 2017 predecessor’s problematic 13.5%, though in this instance that translates into marginally less sense of buoyancy and animation than in the corresponding Graben Grosses Gewächs. But after all, this is Doctor, and one expects considerable richness. Raw almond, apple, winter squash and ripe Persian melon inform the nose and the expansive, glossy palate. Hints of char, damp earth, wet stone and black pepper lend fascinating counterpoint, while a pinch of salt stimulates the salivary glands on an otherwise soothingly sustained finish, though one that lacks the transparency or dynamism exhibited by the aforementioned Graben. Sofia Thanisch suggested that this simply needs more time than its stablemate. Meaning no disrespect, that is the standard line when it comes to Doctor (whether dry or sweet), and one which, while I lack sufficient experience to outright contradict it, does arouse in me some skepticism.