The Maximin Herrenberg vineyard is the lower section, closest to the Mosel River, of the larger Herrenberg vineyard in the village of Longuich. This bottling is made from ungrafted vines planted in 1896, as the name suggests, and is 12.5 percent octane in the 2017 vintage. This section of the vineyard is red slate, rather than the blue slate found in the Laurentiuslay, and the wine is again fermented and raised in twenty-five year-old fuder. The nose is very refined in its blend of pear, a touch of clementine, lovely floral tones, slate, orange zest and a gently smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is pure, fullish and a bit more reserved in profile out of the blocks than the Laurentiuslay, with a fine core and lovely cut and grip on the long and precise finish. This is probably every bit as good as the Laurentiuslay this year, but it is more closed today and I have to give a slight nod to the above wine for the present time. (Drink between 2023-2050)