Feinherb, one of this wine's many middle names, is a loose, not legally defined German term often used on German wine labels instead of the word halbtrocken ("half dry"). Feinherb means "delicately bitter", does it does not mean that the wine is bitter in any way, but rather that it is made in a drier style.
The 2005 Winninger Hamm Kabinett has a medium golden color. Gorgeous nose of plum, apple, peach and pear, a serene display of various fruit, like flashes of golden light on a water surface tickled by a light wind. Then there is that warm note of honey and tarragon, intriguing in its intensity and immensely satisfying by giving the nose a sense of abundance. The palate is dry with a suggestion of sweetness perhaps, barely noticable. This Kabinett is wonderfully balanced with a crisp acidity that is highly attractive. It gives the more somber flavors of honey and spices a zest that makes me automatically refill my glass.
The alcohol is on a medium level, lifting the Kabinett up into the realms of a Spätlese in regard to weight. The finish is long and elegant with ripe peach fruit fading slowly. As it warms up hints of smoke and tree bark add to this already complex wine. On the second day (about a third of the bottle was left, vacuum-corked and put in the fridge) the feinherb became a little more noticable in a pleasant light fruit bitterness. Drink now - 2015.