Weiser-Künstler 'Trabener Gaispfad' Kabinett Trocken Riesling 2023

The driest of the group, this is for fans of minerals and citrus. Almond flour and marzipan aromas with lemon pith and essence of orange. Not severe despite some ripping tear-jerker acids, those sharp edges are mostly in the background to provide structure and energy. It's somehow serene and elegant, with crystalline clarity. I've always been a sucker for the punishing Gaispfad vineyard. The ungrafted vines are 70 years-old or more, planted on what looks like a sheer vertical wall. In fact, the name means 'goat path' since it's too steep for any other creature. To me, the wines always have a certain demonic edge to them, but ultimately are a sublimation of austere conditions into pleasure and beauty. Jonathan Kemp