Still on Germany, and still not on Riesling…

Louis Guntrum Grauburgunder 2016, Rheinhessen, Germany (~£12-£15 – The Wine Society has the 2015)
Rich, almost creamy wine, not hugely fruity, although there is some peachy depth, along with spicy, nutty notes, and a gentle warm finish. Lovely texture too. S-

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If you’re looking for more German non-Riesling whites, Louis Guntrum has plenty to offer. Pick of these on my visit last month were the 2016 Scheurebe, with its clean grapefruity lines, and the 2015 Gewürztraminer, which combined plush spicy fruit with tangier citrus and mineral notes.

I mentioned some of the Villa Wolf whites yesterday, but I didn’t say that they did a Sauvignon Blanc. The 2015 Philia, aged in acacia barrels, has an elderflower-like perfumed, grapey blackcurrant leaf flavours and an interesting waxy texture – if you’d told me there was some Semillon in there, I’d have believed you.

There was more Sauvignon at Schnaitmann in Württemberg, no surprise as Rainer Schnaitmann has experience working in New Zealand. Pick of the cuvées is the barrel-mature Iflinger, with its herb-scented passionfruit and blackcurrant leaf flavours, and its finish that balanced creamy richness with crisp citrus acidity. But it was pipped at the post for my favourite wine from this impressive cellar by the 2016 Badmar Gewürztraminer Auslese, which combined gentle peach, melon and pear character with notes of ginger and honey. Sweet, yes, but thanks to the minerally tangy and touch of citrus, never OTT. Blue cheese please…