The 2020 Schloss Johannisberg Goldlack Riesling Trocken is an exceptional white wine from the Rheingau region of Germany. This Riesling is crafted by the esteemed producer Schloss Johannisberg and bottled with a natural cork closure.
James Suckling awarded this wine a near-perfect score of 99, praising its "compelling nose of dried peach, apricot and flint." He notes the wine's "very concentrated and elegant" profile, highlighting a "dense core of super-fine stone fruit" with "silky fine tannins" that provide a precise finish. Suckling emphasizes the wine's potential for longevity, stating that it is "just beginning what will surely be a very long life" (jamessuckling.com, 11/13/2023).
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate provided a score of 95, recognizing the wine’s intense and elegant bouquet. The reviewer detailed its creation from "macerated grapes from top parcels around the château" and its aging process involving "traditional oak for 10 months" followed by "aging on the fine lees for 24 months." This Riesling is described as "full-bodied" with a "supple yet pure, refined and saline" character. It also has a "finely grippy and expressive" texture, suggesting a promising aging potential (Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, 12/30/2023).
Vinous rated the wine at 97, noting its status as the estate's top dry wine, even above the GG. The reviewer described the 2020 vintage as "poised, quiet, serene and timeless," with a "lithe and bright" palate that carries "translucent, golden, fresh fruit." The wine's aging process is particularly noteworthy, having been "fermented in Stück and matured on lees for 30 months" in the estate's 100-year-old cellar. The finish is "long and lemon-scented, with some malolactic creaminess" (Vinous, 12/1/2023).
Overall, the 2020 Schloss Johannisberg Goldlack Riesling Trocken is a distinguished wine that has garnered high praise for its elegance, complexity, and aging potential. Priced at around 210 euros ex-cellar, it represents a significant investment for Riesling enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike.
