2016 Prinz von Hessen Johnannisberger Klaus GG (Grand Cru) Riesling

Enticing whiffs of smoke, hazelnut and dried sage mingle into succulent lime and lemon here. It's dry and lusciously full bodied but calibrated by spine-tingling streaks of acid and minerality. It should improve through 2030 and hold further.

VDP GROSSE LAGE designates the very best vineyards of Germany, within which the finest parcels have been narrowly demarcated. With their site-specific characteristics, these wines are particularly expressive and have exceptional aging potential. They are planted with traditional varieties best suited to a particular site, as determined by each region. A dry wine from a VDP Grosse Lage is designated VDP Grosses Gewächs and labelled “Qualitätswein trocken”. A wine with natural, ripe sweetness from a VDP Grosse Lage is labelled with one of the traditional Prädikats: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein or Trockenbeerenauslese. The maximum yield is 50hl/ha. The grapes have to be harvested by hand and the sugar content has to be at least at Spätlese level. The sweet VDP Grosse Lage wines are presented on 1st may. The white VDP Grosses Gewächse are presented on 1st September, the red VDP Grosses Gewächse one year later.