Gut Hermannsberg, Kupfergrube Riesling GG, Nahe 2017 - 75cl
The name Kupfergrube means copper mine, and that is exactly what this hillside was before Prussian prisoners terraced it into vines over a century ago. You can taste the geology in the glass — steep porphyry and volcanic rock above the Nahe, worked by Gut Hermannsberg into one of Germany's great dry Rieslings. This is a Grosses Gewächs, the grand cru tier for bone-dry wine, and 2017 gave it the tension it needs.
Do not expect anything sweet here. The estate sits on the old Prussian State Domain land, and its winemaking runs towards precision rather than opulence. What you get is smoke and struck stone on the nose, grilled lemon, a little beeswax, then a wash of citrus pith. The palate is where it earns its reputation — full but taut, driven by a saline, almost briny line of acidity that keeps everything upright. The finish goes on, minerally and cool, with a flick of grapefruit rind at the very end.
Seven years on from the harvest, the fruit has softened its edges and the secondary notes are arriving, though this still has years ahead. Open it when you want a white with the seriousness of a fine Chablis or a white Burgundy, and pour it for someone who thinks they already know Riesling.
How to Serve
Serve at 10 to 12 degrees, no colder, or you will mute that minerality. Use a proper white wine glass with some bowl to it. No need to decant, though an hour open lets the smoke and citrus unfurl.
Where to Drink It
Bentley's, for oysters and the Nahe salinity singing together. Noble Rot, whose list rewards a bottle-aged GG like this. The Wolseley, for a long lunch that deserves a grown-up Riesling.
Food Pairings
I would pour this with roast turbot and brown butter, or a plate of Dover sole. It also does something lovely next to smoked eel if you can find it.
