NUMEN Riesling 2020

Physiologically fully ripe grapes from a personal selection of old Riesling vines were harvested on 28 September 2020 from the Steinthal vineyard site. The wine underwent intracellular maceration fermentation over ten days in Kvevri, followed by 14 months ageing on the lees without intervention in 600-litre tonneaux with 10% fresh berries. Bottling took place without fining with 20 mg/L sulphites in February 2023. The pH value is 3.2, residual sugar is 2 grams.

Medium golden yellow

Neither the colour nor the bouquet of this NUMEN directly evoke Riesling. You have to work to identify the grape variety. But that’s no problem at all, because it’s a pleasure to nose from the very beginning. It smells of hay and straw, of mellow apples and quinces, of ripe apricots and yellow plums. Added to this are tobacco and stony notes, lanolin and a hint of smoke, a subtle wood note and sweetly-acting yeast.

On the palate you find this slightly sweet note of yeast and extract again, even though the wine has fermented almost completely dry with just two grams residual sugar. This component, however, brings considerable charm to this vibrant, highly complex wine. Here you find plenty of ripe yellow fruit, zest, a gripping tannin, a taut, lively acidity and the tension that comes with it. There is also a slightly smoky note here, plus an iodine-salty component, a touch of chalk and pepper. For classical Riesling drinkers this may not seem particularly varietal in character, but in return you have an outstanding, absolutely harmonious wine in your glass. Chapeau!