(2020) From Haidle's organic-certified vineyards in Würrtemberg, close to Stuttgart, this Riesling is only just - just - off-dry with 4.5g/l residual sugar, but it's relatively modest 6g/l of total acidity means it is a Riesling on the rounder, softer end of the spectrum, fruit-forward and juicy. Karl Haidle is a member of the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter (VDP) group, an invitation-only organisation of producers focused on quality. Aromas are delightful, sherbetty and limey, a little bit of wet river stones and salts, a punch of green apple. In the mouth some lees-ageing gives weight to the palate, the apple fruit and acidity are plentiful in terms of balance, giving this a dry, mineral finish. Savage Vines Subscribers' price: £10.49
(2020) Organic and biodynamic certified, and vegan-friendly, this Rheinhessen wine is 100% Chardonnay, grown on estate vineyards. Note the fully ripe 14% alcohol, in a bone-dry style. There's a touch of gold to the colour, and to the aromas too: golden delicious apples, a little burnished nuttiness, and a buttery richness. Oak is very discreet. On the palate it is full-textured and mouth-filling, there's plenty of pithy lemon and apple core dry acidity to maintain its direction and focus, and just hints of more tropical, mango and peach fruit, draped on the mid-palate. Savage Vines Subscribers' price: £11.96
(2020) Weingut Riffel is a certified organic producer, farming biodynamically, in the Rheinhessen region. This Pinot Gris, locally known as Grauer Burgunder, has just a smidgeon of residual sugar with 3.7g/l, but is ostensibly dry, though quite rich in style. There's something a little nutty or oatmeally on the nose over bold orange fruit, leading on to a palate with nuttiness and breadth again, but a pristine set of lemon and juicy red apple flavours, set against a fine acid framework, that teasing hint of sweetness just softening the finish into a savoury but juicy ending. Note that at time of review Savage Wines is offering wine-pages' readers 10% off any six bottles from three of their German producers, including Riffel. See New Wave Germans from Savage Vines.
(2019) Sub-titled 'Painter of Light', this delicate but intense Chardonnay comes from clay soils planted with Burgundian clones. Whole-bunch pressed into oak with natural ferments and natural malolactic, with lees stirring. Biscuit and breadiness, a fat lemon and touch of orange. Good richness. On the palate, very clean, a touch funky, a nice pithy lemony character, the acid pure and touched with salty minerals. Long, and super fresh.