2020 Riesling Grand Cru Schlossberg Ste Catherine Domaine Weinbach

This squares the circle of noble ripeness and mineral freshness, the signature vitality of riesling combined with extraordinary concentration. An extremely wide spectrum of stone-fruit (including the world's ripest apricot!) and mandarin-orange aromas, then a giant wave of salinity crashes over you, washing you into the rocky finish. And with these words I've only described the most obvious aspects of the wine. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

The 2020 Grand Cru Schlossberg Riesling Cuvée Ste. Catherine is deep, pure and intense on the nose, but at the same time, it's so charmingly elegant and fruity that it's really irresistible. Tropical fruit aromas are more discreet here than in the regular Schlossberg, and the complexity with iodine, mineral aromas is revealed only on the second and third nose. On the palate, this is a stimulating, pure, fresh and playful, salty or sappy Cuvée Ste Catherine that has great finesse and charm but perhaps less tannin tension than the 2019. The finish is very mineral, though, so I can't name a favorite, even though the two vintages are very different.