Starts off linear, but expands. A suave texture coats the palate, revealing notes of passion fruit, apricot and blossom, with a lemongrass hint in the background. Spice and savory mineral elements add to the complexity, but the pronounced acidity cuts through, disrupting the charm for now. Should reward with time. Best from 2022 through 2035 (AZ).

A marine combination of salinity and alkalinity greets the nose, along with penetrating scents of lemon and tomatillo, anticipating the surprising tart-edged, tangy brightness and the piquancy that emerge on a full, firm, concentratedly sappy palate. Char, chalk, mouthwatering salinity and pungent herbal inflections combine with cheek-grabbing phenolic intensity and tartness for a strikingly vibrant, gripping finish. Wittmann’s Morstein is notoriously the darling among wine critics inside Germany, and here is a vintage in which I’m inclined to go along (though not overboard) with the adulation it so regularly receives. (DS)