German Wine

Rheingau Riesling Kabinett Fruchtsuss Schloss Schonborn 2018

Playful aromas of cranberries, wild roses and brambles. The palate combines raspberry and strawberry fruit with a savoury leafiness and dark, chocolatey fruits of the forest, all framed by fine, firm tannins.

The Marcobrunn site produces full-bodied wines which somehow lose their weight on tasting, giving way to a fresh, upbeat style. A combination of tropical, citrus and orchard fruits dance across the palate , their ripeness complemented by bright acidity – beautifully balanced

From the left bank of the Mosel, this exudes soft-shelled loveliness and clipped lemony precision. 2018's warmth translates into ripe, ample apricot fruit.

Hattenheimer Pfaffenberg Riesling Spatlese Schloss Schonborn 2017

Something of a “no-brainer”, pure Riesling fruit and elegance in a glass. This Takes a very much “come hither” stance, with an evocative nose, bristling with freshness. Shades of honeyed peach dominate the nose and palate which reveal hints of spice, herbs and stony minerals. Mellow and refined, this is low in alcohol and high on impact – a delight

Hattenheimer Pfaffenberg Riesling Trocken Erstes Gewachs Schloss Schonborn 2011

An honest, accessible, articulate translation of Riesling. Consumers have become a little puritanical in our approach to ripeness but sometimes, that little extra fruit accentuates and releases the minerality so that feinherb – “off-dry” achieves a lovely balance and a better reflection of fresh acidity. Here we have a plethora of orchard and exotic fruit, apples, pears and melon complemented by delightful floral notes –lovely definition and focus.

This has a spicy, stony-mineral nose, opening onto a similarly chiselled palate, which slowly reveals quince, tea-leaf spice and yellow flowers. The back-palate is very delicate, with an impressive weight of fruit and extract behind. Hedonists might prefer the straightforward Kabinett, those who appreciate fine bone structure should go for this. It really is a matter of taste. Both are good food wines

With an exceptionally warm growing season, this is richer than usual but with a pronounced bite of acidic tension and a salty tang on the finish, which works brilliantly with the slaty minerality – beautifully balanced.. The precise finish is rounded out by a lovely fleshy fruit residue coating the mouth. Textbook high quality Kabinett, seriously good

Alte reben means old vines (circa 40 years old). A slaty mineral nose leads into an upbeat, lively palate combining just enough rounded flesh with well-defined, crisp acidity.

Lime cordial and lemon zest on the nose, grippingly bright, the most expressive of the three Kabinetts by far. This has a more westerly aspect, giving more afternoon sun exposure. The palate has a deft ripeness, just-so white peach and apricot, with a wet-stone minerality and a gently insistent weight on the finish.

Taut, mineral, intense, compressed and restrained in youth these wines become magnificent with some age. This presents a wonderfully complex nose, yeast, wild herbs, flowers, citrus and stone fruit, with good tension. Orchard and caramelised fruit prevail on the palate which is prettily weighted and lightly peppered – controlled, poised and rather lovely.

Later picked grapes in this Spätlese add intensity at all levels and characte. This is balanced by an intricate delicacy of acidic bone structure and mineral tension. A beautifully complete nose, of fine crushed earth minerality, ripe lime, gooseberry and apricot fruit. The palate is powerful from the off, drivingly intense and with an unabashed potency which is really rather exciting.

A ‘village’ wine made from two ‘premier cru’ sites. Chiselled and citric, with dry mineral tension and an impressively honed shape.