Schneider Niederhauser Hermannshohle Riesling Spatlese 2017

If you want to understand why the Hermannshöhle has been the undisputed heavyweight champion of the Nahe for over a century, this bottle from Jakob Schneider is your masterclass. The Schneider family—who have been at this since 1575—are producing juice that is every bit as electrifying, often at a price that makes us do a double-take.

The 2017 vintage in the Nahe was a year of “vibrant precision,” and this Spätlese is the poster child for that profile. It’s grown on a mix of volcanic porphyry and grey slate, and you can practically taste the sparks flying off the rocks. Schneider manages to capture the “inner glow” of the 2017 vintage. It’s a wine of contradictions: it’s rich yet weightless and ready to drink now but capable of outliving most of us if tucked away in a cool cellar.