2013 Rudesheimer Berg Roseneck Riesling

The 2014 was Breuer’s first Berg Roseneck to be late-released, after three years in the bottle. That reflected a decision to pass over the 2013, which they decided would benefit from being next in line, meaning it would be released only after five years in bottle. It’s a wine that impressed me when I was last permitted to taste it in late summer 2014, but on which I have never published a note. Lime, kelp, white peach and moss are joined on the nose by faintly ashen and sea breeze notes. The palate is firm and polished, with faint oiliness, but buoyant thanks to a mere 11.5% alcohol. It’s saturated with all manner of mineral and otherwise marine elements – like a deep dive into the ocean to scan an intricate reef teeming with life. The finish bursts with brightness and vivacity, then leaves behind more of those lip-licking, mouthwatering and stuck-to-the-gums mineral traces for which Breuer Rieslings are justly renowned. (Incidentally, the next Berg Roseneck release – which I have not yet tasted – also represents a departure from chronological order. It’s the 2016, with the 2015 to be released after five years in bottle.)