Goldberg Grosses Gewachs, Van Volxem 2015

I knew Roman had something up his sleeve when I tasted his 'lesser' wines at Veritable a month ago. The herbaceous green nose of the Goldberg represents the acceptable expression of natural yeasts and gets plenty of help from the mineral department. Quinine and salt add a delicious coolness to the generous body and rich texture. There is no doubt that minerality is the conductor of this Grosses Gewächse orchestra and he makes sure that the instruments of fruit and acidity do not play too loudly. (MS)

This offers a superb nose of spices, candied grapefruit peel, apricot tree flower and smoky slate. The wine is nicely balanced on the palate, which proves focused, full of grip and deliciously complex. A whiter side comes through in the finish as one is left with white minerals, some flowers and more slate-infused smoke which wrap some pear and ripe apple. The overall presence combined with a feeling of precision and complexity is simply fascinating in this beautifully dry wine. The after-taste seems to linger on endlessly. 2018-2025+