2018 Jakob Schneider Niederhäuser Hermannshole Riesling Auslese

Picked on November 10 at an outside temperature of 23° Fahrenheit, this is unsurprisingly Eiswein-like in its candied lemon and vanilla icing aspects. But these grapes had also been significantly concentrated by botrytis, and there is an overall impression of peach preserves. The wine boasts a creamy texture, delightful buoyancy and a finish tinged with crushed stone and mouthwatering mineral salts. For all of the failed and flawed 2018s I’ve tasted from grapes exposed to freezing temperatures, here’s one that, amazingly, not only succeeded but excelled!