Schafer-Frohlich, Riesling Dry Vulkangestein, 2020

Dry Riesling carved from volcanic rock by one of the Nahe's finest, Tim Frohlich. Vulkangestein means 'volcanic stone,' and the wine comes from weathered volcanic porphyry and quartz soils in the steep grand cru vineyards Felsenberg and Stromberg, off vines around three decades old. That volcanic origin gives the wine a smoky, almost flinty intensity distinct from Frohlich's slate-grown cuvees. Working with low yields and wild-yeast fermentation, Frohlich built this once-obscure family estate into a Nahe benchmark in remarkably short order. This 2020 dry Riesling is precise, mineral, and energetic, with the depth to reward a few years in the cellar. A compelling study in how soil shapes wine.