Estate Riesling Trocken

There are two definitions for Melaphyre (the English spelling): “a porphyritic rock consisting of phenocrysts of feldspar in a dark groundmass; broadly: a porphyritic igneous rock with dark-colored aphanitic groundmass and phenocrysts of various kinds.” Or, a Mesozoic basalt. I myself have been called a “Mesozoic basalt,” though never to my face. It’s one of the several volcanic soils the central Nahe contains, and it usually gives wines scented and flavored of soursop, lemon-balm, violets and ginger.A version to which we added a little Spätlese has a nice rich texture and more salt and vinosity than one to which we added dosage. It’s a highly agreeable vintage of this always-exotic Riesling, and among the various dry estate-Rieslings in the offering, none have more sheer character than this one.