2023 Emrich-Schönleber Mineral Riesling trocken

Emrich-Schönleber‘s Mineral Riesling trocken draws its identity from the estate’s holdings around Monzingen, on the upper reaches of the Nahe where the river cuts through a patchwork of grey and blue slate interspersed with veins of quartzite and weathered melaphyr. This bottling is assembled from younger vines and parcels adjacent to the estate’s grand cru sites, Halenberg and Frühlingsplätzchen, giving it access to the same mineral skeleton without the full concentration of those top-tier crus. The vineyards sit at elevation, exposed to cool nocturnal air funneled down the valley, which preserves acidity even in warmer vintages. Werner and Frank Schönleber farm with a restrained hand, favoring low yields, sustainable canopy management, and spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel and old wooden casks, allowing the slate-derived minerality to speak without excessive winemaking intervention.

The nose opens with crushed stone and citrus pith, layered with white peach, quince, and a whisper of chamomile that deepens with air. On the palate, the wine is taut and linear, its acidity a spine of green apple and lemon zest rather than a blunt instrument, carrying flavors of ripe grapefruit, wet slate, and a saline undertone that lingers into the mid-palate. Texturally it is lean but not austere, with a chalky, almost tactile grip that frames the fruit and keeps the finish dry and precise. As the wine breathes, secondary notes of fresh herbs and a faint smokiness emerge, echoing the volcanic fragments within the slate soils.

2023 in the Nahe produced wines of vivid acidity and moderate ripeness, and this Mineral trocken reflects that balance—fresh, energetic, and built for both immediate pleasure and short-to-medium term development. Over three to five years in bottle, the primary citrus character will soften into orchard fruit and beeswax nuances, while the mineral core remains the wine’s constant thread, gaining subtlety and integration rather than fading.