2022 Schloss Johannisberg Riesling Bronzelack Trocken, Rheingau

This super-elegant 2022 dry riesling has an expressive peachy nose with delicate orange, nutmeg and chamomile nuances. Then you take a sip and a huge wave of wet stone minerality pours over you, although the wine is sleek and racy. Extremely long and precise wet stone finish that takes your breath away. Longer on the lees in cask than previous vintages with bottling in May. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

95 points James Suckling

Few estates can claim a place in Riesling history quite like Schloss Johannisberg. Vines have been cultivated on the Johannisberg hillside for centuries, and in 1720 the estate became the first major vineyard planted exclusively to Riesling. It also played a famous role in the development of late harvest wine after the delayed arrival of the harvest courier in 1775. Bronzelack sits comfortably in this lineage, a dry estate Riesling with considerably more depth and seriousness than an everyday bottling.

The Schloss Johannisberg vineyard rises above the Rhine on the Taunus foothills, its south facing slopes dominated by quartzite rich soils. The river moderates temperatures while the exposure encourages slow, even ripening. The warm, dry 2022 season brought excellent ripeness, and the Trocken style keeps the wine firmly dry, allowing its citrus, stone fruit and mineral character to come through without sweetness getting in the way.

Bright straw with golden highlights, the bouquet opens with ripe lime, white peach and yellow apple, followed by grapefruit, apricot and citrus blossom. With air come preserved lemon, chamomile, crushed stone and a faint smoky note. The palate has lovely concentration, with peach and citrus oil wrapped around firm acidity and a gently textured middle. Grapefruit pith and stony minerality provide grip before a long, dry finish of lime, herbs and subtle spice.

Crispy pork belly with ginger would be superb, alongside steamed barramundi with ginger and spring onion, prawn dumplings, chicken schnitzel with cucumber salad or charred cabbage with sesame and miso. Our pick is the barramundi. Delicate fish, salty soy and aromatic ginger alongside mature Riesling’s citrus and mineral drive should be a beautiful match.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2037.