Brundlmayer Zobinger Heiligenstein Lyra Riesling 2015

A special cuvée from only lyre-trained vines, showing in Willi’s words that “You don’t need old vines to give great Riesling.” He adds, “The greater leaf surface gives increased photosynthesis, protects the grapes, and besides, it looks like the vine is throwing its arms up toward the sun.” Comparing Lyra with Alte Reben is an abidingly fascinating exercise. In hot years Lyra often prevails, when A.R. gets too ripe. In most years it’s lovely to look at what I call “above ground flavors” (in Lyra) versus “below ground flavors” (in A.R.), but this doesn’t always mean the Lyra is fruity. Often it is quite herbal—this is, after all, Heiligenstein. This ’15 shows a superb, high-wire dance of sweet green and sweet peach, a real rapture of flavor. But not only that. It is a being of mature, intelligent gaiety, rapturous but not boisterous, incandescent but not sloppy.