Okonomierat Rebholz Weissburgunder 'Siebeldinger vom Muschelkalk' 2017

It’s hard not to feel sorry for German Riesling. Despite somms and merchants practically begging customers to look beyond the fluted bottles and complicated labels that baffle all but the savviest wino, getting drinkers to part with (not much) cash for some of the world’s greatest wines can feel like an uphill battle.

Although his family has grown grapes in Pfalz since the 17th century, it was Eduard Rebholz who put the estate on the map in the 1950s, earning the honorary title ‘Ökonomierat’ for his pioneering natural winemaking and bone-dry, mineral-driven whites.

Now Eduard’s son, Hansjörg, looks after the estate, farming 22ha of vines on slopes at the foot of the Haardt mountains, including the prized ‘Im Sonnenschein’ vineyard and its sub-parcel ‘Ganz Horn’.

While some regions fared disastrously in 2017, Pfalz benefited from some exceptionally favourable conditions – “it’s a vintage we’ll still be talking about 20 years from now,” says Hansjörg. With their palpable density and full-throttle energy – not to mention enormous capacity for ageing – Rebholz’s 2017s are a steal.

Peach and quince, rich and plush on the palate, but clipped by piquancy. Impossibly long. 92 points, Vinous.