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The soul is pink. What, you did not know that? To be honest, I didn't either - until I had an encounter with the Riesling pictured below. While the wine was rather heavenly, it was the name that gave me this deep insight into the conditio humana: "Mandelpfad", meaning "almond path". It is not for esoteric reasons that the Knipser brothers chose to name the wine - Mandelpfad simply is the name of a vineyard in the Pfalz region. It is also the name of a scenic path, under almond trees, that leads hikers past many exciting vineyards.

In spring, I imagine, it must be beautiful with pink almond flowers all over the place, and that is apparently what made a tourism marketing writer whose text I just consulted declare that pink is the colour of the soul. Whether that is true I leave with competent experts such as mystics and marketing specialists, but I can tell you a little something about the soul of the Mandelpfad Riesling.

Mandelpfad is a "Großes Gewächs" (i.e. grand cru, a top class dry) Riesling made by wine making brothers whose work we ramblers adore, so I had high hopes.
Riesling sceptics might be pleased to hear that the boquet of the Mandelpfad has almost no sign of petrol or paraffin wax aromas (I love them, I know that some of you don't). There is perhaps a touch of wax, but Mandelpfad will greet you with lovely flora aromas and a fresh richness of fruit - mostly appricot and peach, with a splash of citrus and deep stony mineral. A wine that smells of balance, depth and excitement.

Even better, it tastes almost more harmonius and balanced than it smells, a wine of elegance and some substance with well integrated acidity and a long finish. A lovely blend of enticing stone fruit, herbs and minerality Mandelpfad is also very food friendly.

Mandelpfad is a faultless wine that should give you much pleasure and, relatively, good value too. I have had top class dry Riesling that peaked a little more with regards to excitement, but in terms of balance Mandelpfad is really impressive. And I can assure you that while it has soul its colour is not even close to pink.