Ruppertsberger Hoheburg 1. Cru

Where the 2016 strikes me as atypical of its site due to fruit and nut flavors taking a back seat, this 2014 offers juicy, lightly singed peach mingled with toasted almond and marzipan. The feel is glossy and full, further confounding any suspicions one harbor of 2014 as a vintage that never displays prominent ripeness or an expansive personality. Intriguing suggestions of moss, algae and alkaline minerality lend counterpoint to the lingering finish, while suggesting that this particular Hoheburg - which largely predates some changes in the estate's approach to it - might be maturing relatively rapidly, albeit deliciously. (For more about the estate's work with this site, consult my review from cask of its vintage 2016 installment. For a fascinatingly contrasting expression of Ruppertsberg terroir in vintage 2014, check out the review of 2014 Reiterpfad G.C. that I published as part of my previous report on Bürklin-Wolf.)