Stallmann-Hiestand Riesling Spätlese Trocken Tafelstein 2024

Stallmann-Hiestand is a family estate in Uelversheim, in the German region of Rheinhessen, where the vineyards fall towards the Rhine. This Riesling comes from the Tafelstein site, a parcel of calcareous, stony soil that holds warmth by day and drains freely, giving the wine its taut structure and saline edge. Riesling here ripens slowly through a long, cool autumn, and this fruit was picked at Spätlese ripeness then fermented out to a dry, trocken finish, so the natural concentration of a late harvest is balanced by high acidity rather than residual sugar. Fermentation and ageing in stainless steel keep the fruit clean and preserve the grape's aromatics, and the low 9% alcohol comes from that early, unforced picking. The colour is pale with a green tint. The nose leads with lemon, green apple and white peach, lifted by white flowers and a touch of honey with air. The palate is light and precise, the fruit carried on bright acidity and a stony, slightly savoury length. Serve well chilled at 8 to 10C in a white wine glass.