Monzinger Halenberg, Riesling, Auslese, 2022
One of the few Auslesen this year, the Halenberg has a handsome intensity which carries its seamless sweetness with great ease. Ripe melon, apricot, mango and quince slim down through to a narrow, very slate-transparent, saline finish. Frank’s philosophy on Auslese is that “I like to have a certain amount of botrytis in Auslese when I can, but I never want any in my Spätlese”.
critic reviews
The 2022 Riesling Monzinger Halenberg Auslese opens with flickers of tangerine on the nose, enticing and aromatic. Just a touch of botrytis makes itself felt with a subtle honey and candied lemon peel lift. The palate is more viscous and has a lovely notion of ripe lemon zest, intense and candied. It radiates with freshness and citrus aromas, honing in on its core with focus and deliberation. Beautiful, pure, lemon-intense sweetness shines. For Schönleber, the presence of botrytis is the difference between Spätlese and Auslese. Making Auslese in 2022 meant looking for the little botrytis in the Halenberg. (Sweet)