2016 Eitelsbacher Karthauserhofberg Auslese

This was selected from old vines fairly high up on the Karthäuserhof hillside, and where it turns to catch available breezes, which no doubt made the difference in drying botrytis into a noble form. Overripe peach and Persian melon dominate on both the nose and the expansive, glossy, subtly creamy palate of this Auslese, while hints of quince, strawberry and peach preserves convey an additional impression of concentrated, subtly botrytized fruit. The buoyant finish manages to deliver surprising refreshment, and its sweetness, while prominent, is entirely appropriate to the wine’s fruity personality and not at all cloying. (The tentative plan is not to release this wine until around the same time as the vintage’s Grosses Gewächs, probably in 2020.)