German wine labels are getting more light-hearted. They used sport bucolic images of half-timber villages and spooky castles. Today's young winemakers are less likely to be descended from wine dynasties or attached to such conventions and opt for an eye-catching label to match their fresh approach to winemaking. Max Kilburg makes Vertigo at Weingut Geierslay along the winding Mosel River, famous for world-class Riesling. Even at its moderate price, Vertigo is 100% village fruit from Wintrich, not too far from Bernkastel-Kues. The 2023 Feinherb is 10.5% ABV with a palate of jasmine, ripe peach, mango, pineapple, and gunpowder over searing acidity and a touch of residual sugar. It just landed, so give it some time to compose itself in the glass.
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