German Grosses Gewächs 2020 releases: the top wines

Wet stone and chalk are framed in a floral, fresh aura from the first whiff onwards, reflecting the stony poor soils which here are a mix of both red sandstone and fossil limestone - while the immediate clarity and freshness reflect the altitude of up to 300m. The Silvaner savouriness is on full display on the mid-palate, tender, delicate but pervasive. There are hints of yarrow and salt, crushed thyme and a gloriously fresh hint of fern. A concentrated core has tautness, structure, verve and ripe freshness. An exemplary wine of its kind.

This opens with a gorgeous sense of herbal savouriness that blends into the savoury stoniness. Crushed yarrow and potentilla not only play on the nose but also seem to give savour to the salty, concentrated palate. That saltiness is utterly mouth-watering and appetizing, flowing, smooth but oh so stony and herbal. Over the years, bio-pioneer Busch really has forged his very own style from this rhyolite site. The fact that it gets more morning than afternoon sun preserves those gorgeous aromatics in warm vintages like these. A glorious wine.

A glorious touch of orange and mandarin peel tinges the lemon notes of this vivid Riesling from an iconic Saar site of Devonian slate. Zestiness pervades the juicy palate and the stony depth seems buffered by layers of citrus. The concentration becomes apparent gradually, as does the real ripeness which is countered and enriched by that bright, aromatic, alluring zestiness. In a year like 2019 and in the hands of Florian Lauer, the ripeness of the grapes is turned into absolute purity of fruit and stony precision.

Exquisitely pure, ripe, lifted Amalfi lemon glints in the glass. On the palate, lovely, stony purity is anchored in limestone coolness and delivers a full, energetic sweep of ripe freshness. There is gorgeous balance and harmony and an astonishing readiness. Hagemann is one of the steepest parcels of the Würzburger Stein with a gradient of 75% and a longstanding Riesling spot within this emblematic Silvaner vineyard. The vines are old and evidently coped with 2019's intense sunshine well. A real joy.

Incredible citrus zest ripeness makes for an intensely aromatic nose that combines notes of mandarin, orange and tangerine peel. That same, gloriously ripe zestiness is alive on the palate, tangy and mouthwatering with incredible aromatic allure. There is texture and pithiness, concentration and an uncommon intensity. The Goldloch, a south-facing site of loam-covered quartzite, has excellent water availability and this, of course, stood it in good stead in 2019, enabling the grapes to ripen fully without stress, reaching their full, beguiling aromatic potential.

From a pebbly site whose name translates rather uncharmingly into 'toad pit', this needs quite a bit of air to come alive on the nose. Once it opens up, a world of citrus notions unfolds. On the palate the zestiness is even more intense: ripe but spine-tingling lemon notions swirl with heady, delirious intensity, emanating from an energetic core of zesty concentration that makes the mouth water with its eternal juiciness. The finish is long and lemon-scented.

A rather subtle nose speaks of lemon and gentle stone fruit. The palate, however, comes in with crystalline citrus concentration and heightened, intense freshness. This is on a thrilling tightrope, teetering between mouth-watering zestiness and unyielding stone. There are no concessions to charm here - this is zest and stone. This high-altitude, iron-rich site of rhyolite and shale in the Glan valley reaches 350m and was pre-destined for Riesling. Karsten Peter has done it justice. The tingling citrus length is a joy.

The nose is shy and under a cloud of yeasty funk for now. The palate has immense concentration and is anchored in deep, uncompromising stoniness. The texture reverberates with citrus but is rich with ripest stone fruit. There is something elixir-like about this concentrated stone juice that will disarm lovers of fine, pure Riesling. Knowing this steep, stony site that was blasted into volcanic rock it could not be otherwise. That such fruit should spring from such hard stone is Riesling's secret and vindication.

From an elevated, steep site of Devonian slate and quartzite, this opens with the customary, funky reduction we all associate with this estate - but we also know that this only bodes well for the future. Once again this is Riesling for adults only: uncompromising in its purity and rapier-like in its slate stoniness. All this solidity swims in the glorious stone fruit of the 2019 vintage that is laced with ripe lemon acidity. Fruit drips off the stone, luscious yet taut, generous yet disciplined. Those contrasts make for wonderful drama.

The still slightly flinty whiff of reduction blends beautifully into the savory potentilla notes that are so typical of the rhyolite Rieslings from Pettenthal on the Red Slope, Rheinhessen's east-facing escarpment on the Rhine. This is followed by a sense of utter concentration and emollience. On the palate there is a bundled force of lemony brightness, seamless, luminous and brilliant. The radiance and energy is wonderful - especially since there is not one ounce of fat on this energetic dynamo. An elixir of stone and life.

Yeasty funk still hangs on the nose, giving a sense of liveliness and energy. The wine underneath is vivid, super-slender in its freshness, agile somehow, vivid and perfumed with fresh, apple-like juiciness. The texture hits you on the finish and makes the wine: utter, creamy, concentrated slenderness with the gentlest kiss of oak. Kai Schaetzel is now one of the leading lights on the Red Slope and this wine proves it.

Funky, flinty, smoky reduction is full of promise on the nose. The palate holds pepper and grapefruit zestiness. The concentration has a lovely, pithy edge and tingles with vivid citrus brightness. There is a cool, profound core of freshness. Daniel Wagner time and again crafts compelling, salty Rieslings in his remote but geologically fascinating corner of Rheinhessen. The south-facing Heerkretz site is of rhyolite and the wine has all the spice to prove it.

Funky, reductive yeast still dominates the nose but underneath it the stony, dark depth of the Pechstein opens up. Biodynamic pioneers Bürklin-Wolf have managed to harvest a Riesling with that golden Pfalz cut of harmonious proportions: fruit and boldness, freshness and firmness, crunch and ripeness. Nuances of pepper, pear peel and citrus pith show how much more there is to come. Spirit this wine away for a few years and prepare to meet a marvel. It is a gorgeous, bone-dry and vivid wine.

Cool, subtle notes of lemon dominate the nose. There is an uncommon transparency here. Just like juice expressed from chalky stone, there is a chalky texture and intense lemon - lovely depth but also a bone-dry, almost austere nature that unashamedly focuses on stone and soil rather than fruit. But that does not stop the lemon oil intensity and essential, soothing, calming coolness of this subtle yet intense wine.

Fragrant, ripe lemon and notions of crushed fern and chervil make for a heady, herbal, scented opening. The lemony concentration becomes especially apparent on the mid-palate where it is buffered in emollient limestone creaminess and freshness. There is limestone depth, herbal savour and that unlikely combination of concentrated, energising force and fine-boned elegance. Think of a thoroughbred chomping at the bit.

A subtle hint of toast and white, fresh field mushroom turns the attention away from fruit and onto texture. The svelte palate is rich with yeast and bolsters its inherent slenderness with gorgeous depth. A wellspring of lemony freshness energises the core. Konrad Salwey knows exactly how to capture the cool side of this warm, volcanic site and has done well to release this GG with some age. Lovers of fine-boned Chardonnay will be smitten with this slender Weissburgunder aka Pinot Blanc.