2023 Immich Batterieberg DETONATION Riesling, Mosel

11% Alc. Sourced from Enkirch, Briedeler Herzchen and Dhron. 3–6 hours’ skin contact, whole-bunch long pressing. Short sedimentation. Long spontaneous fermentation with malolactic conversion. No bâtonnage, no added sulphites.

From top, super stony, organically farmed vineyards in the Enkirch, Briedel and Sennheim and bottled in early October 2024, the 2023 Detonation Riesling is pure and complex on the saline and stony nose that indicates a still young and age-worthy dry Riesling. Shallow yet savory and tensioned on the palate, this is an enormously saline and lean dry Riesling with a stimulating and finely structured, salivating finish. This is a character of purity and finesse. 11% stated alcohol. Screw cap. Tasted in December 2024.

92 points by Stephan Reinhard, The Wine Advocate

If you want to feel transported back to the golden age of German riesling a century and more ago, then this wine does that for you. Full of golden fruit aromas and a delicate spiciness, it is barely medium-bodied with restrained power and lovely elegance. Really caresses the palate in the long, silky finish. A cuvee of wines from the vineyards in Enkirch, Briedel and Dhron, mostly from over 40-year-old vines. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

93 points James Suckling

Immich Batterieberg has never been short of drama. The estate dates to 1425, while its defining nineteenth century chapter came when Carl August Immich used explosives to blast terraces into the steep Enkirch hillside, creating the Batterieberg. DETONATION gives a playful nod to that explosive history. Under Gernot Kollmann, however, the wines themselves are anything but theatrical, with a focus on dry Riesling, old vineyards and the distinctive slate landscape around Enkirch.

DETONATION sits at the more immediately approachable end of the Immich Batterieberg range, giving a lively introduction to Kollmann’s style without the stern structure of the Grand Cru wines. The excellent 2023 vintage provides plenty of ripe fruit, while Mosel acidity keeps everything fresh and energetic. It is dry, fragrant and wonderfully drinkable, with enough slate and savoury character to make it unmistakably part of the family.

Pale straw yellow, with lime, green apple and white peach followed by grapefruit and a little apricot. Lemon blossom, fresh ginger and lemongrass add aromatic lift, while wet slate and a faint smoky note appear behind the fruit. The palate is bright and juicy, with citrus and crisp apple running through lively acidity. Grapefruit peel and preserved lemon sharpen the edges before ginger and salty slate take over on the clean, dry finish.

Salt and pepper squid with chilli and lime would be cracking, alongside prawn dumplings, Thai fish cakes, Vietnamese turmeric fish with dill or crispy eggplant with sesame and miso. Our pick is the squid, straight from the fryer with plenty of lime and a cold bottle of DETONATION waiting nearby.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2033.