2015 Reichsrat von Buhl Deidesheimer Paradiesgarten Riesling, Pfalz, Germany

Paradiesgarten (the garden of paradise) is one of the great vineyards of Deidesheim. Nestled between the forest and the Leinhöhle vineyard, the narrow, southeast-facing Paradiesgarten gets the full sun from the early morning, and in the evening the vines benefit from the protection provided by the Haardt slopes. The soils are weathered sandstone with sandy loam which brings a more graceful, finer-boned and silkier texture compared to the wine above. In 2015 this wine offers more weight and flesh but it is still shot through with mouth-watering, crunchy white peach fruit and ripe apple freshness. A textural Riesling of the utmost purity, finesse and length.

Raised in cask and bottled alongside its Grosses Gewächs siblings, but not released until eight or nine months later, this wine comes from a very special site...Scents of mirabelle, white peach, moss and sea breeze signal the luscious abundance of fruit as well as the intrigue and saliva-inducement delivered on a palate of chewy density yet polish. There is considerable body here (no wonder, given nearly 13.5% alcohol) but no sense of heaviness. Fruit pit and wormwood piquancy serve for pithy counterpoint on a resonant, powerfully persistent finish.