(Originally published 8 October 2018.)
As with further north in Germany, there’s excellent Riesling quality to be found in 2016 and 2017 in Franken (Franconia).
As with further north in Germany, there’s excellent Riesling quality to be found in 2016 and 2017 in Franken (Franconia).
BICKEL-STUMPF
2016 (Thüngersheim) Rothlauf Riesling GG
Light, mineral on palate, lacks some depth. Medium-weight, dense texture. 90/B+
BÜRGERSPITAL ZUM HEILIGEN GEIST
2017 (Würzburg) Stein HAGEMANN Riesling GG
Medium-light, firm, chalky, slight minerality. 92/A
2017 (Würzburg) Stein-Harfe Riesling GG
Firm, mineral, intense, concentrated, not showing the chalkiness, though. 92/A
Michael FRÖHLICH
2017 (Escherndorf) Am Lumpen 1655 Riesling GG
Very fine stoniness in nose. Pure, crystalline in mouth with just slight creaminess, good chalkiness. 92+/A
JULIUSSPITAL WÜRZBURG
2016 (Würzburg) Stein Riesling GG
Elegant, mineral, tightly-knit, still needs some time to deepen and differentiate. 91+/A-
Zehnthof LUCKERT
2017 (Sulzfeld) Maustal Riesling GG
Perhaps unique for southern Germany and rare for all Germany, this excellent estate puts all its wines through malolactic fermentation. To compensate, the amount of residual sugar left in the wines is also quite low, and so there is no immediate perception that the wines were treated differently. This wine is from limestone soils. The nose has lime minerality. The mouth features strong minerality, too. The wine is medium-weight, with some creaminess of texture, crispness, tremendous energy and tension, and very good elegance. 93/A
Horst SAUER
2017 (Escherndorf) Am Lumpen 1655 Riesling GG
Chalky and floral nose. In the mouth, the wine is energetic penetrating and clear with mineral, floral, and lime elements. It is medium-weight. A complete wine. 93(+)/A
Rainer SAUER
2017 (Escherndorf) Am Lumpen 1655 Riesling GG
Good density, minerality, some creaminess. 91(+)/A-
STAATLICHE HOFKELLER WÜRZBURG
2017 (Randersacker) Pfülben Riesling GG
Minerality with some sourness, medium-weight, quite concentrated. 91(+)/A-