Göttelmann 2020 Chardonnay dry, 75cL, German White WineBy Winebuyers

This was the first German Chardonnay I ever tasted (perhaps 17 years ago?), and at the time it was a complete revelation for me. I remember tasting it blind and not knowing what it was, that I wrote that it smelt and tasted like roasted butternut and pumpkin pie. It's less rich than I remember it. Less custardy. Great spice! But a gentle roundness too. Poached pear, sweet root-veg earthiness: buttered parsnips and a touch of baked celeriac. Amazing spice on this - it draws through the fruit with real length, runs through the spine of the wine, pulling it long, questioning, thoughtful. Quite unique. I love this. A round, full-bodied Pinot type, made from 30-year-old vines, with a small yield of about 50 hl/ha, picked in the middle of October. The grapes were left in contact with the skin for 24 hours before being pressed, and the juice was fermented in toasted 1200-liter oak casks.