Bittersweet floral suggestions of iris and gentian along with penetrating scents of cassis and sloe berry set the tone for a Riesling that’s slightly aloof but fascinating. The palate is texturally more alluring and (even at 12.5% alcohol) more buoyant than that of the corresponding Tonschiefer. The prolonged, finely-focused finishing interaction of juicy pear and lime with dark berries and crystalline stony impingements is enhanced by a mouthwatering streak of salinity. “You have to pick from this relatively warm site early enough to ensure that the wine doesn’t become too broad but instead becomes more precise,” notes Dönnhoff, and as father and son team have gained more experience with the Kahlenberg they have clearly come closer to that goal. 91 points

The 2015 Kahlenberg Trocken (as well as the Hollenpfad) is 12.5 percent alcohol, which is just a touch below the level of the Grosses Gewachs bottlings this year from Weingut Donnhoff. The wine is very deep and pure, offering up a fine nose of apple, tart orange, wild yeasts, citrus peel and a lovely base of minerality. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, crisp and shows off plenty of backend energy, with a fine core, lovely focus and grip and a long finish that closes with a note of lemongrass. Drink 2018-2040. 90 points