2009 von Winning Forster Jesuitengarten Riesling Großes Gewächs- Germany, Pfalz (5/23/2014)
Opened and served over 2 hours. Very light gold colour. Not much on the nose beyond rocks and slate. Tiny bit of spritz initially. This is full throttle Riesling GG. Alcohol is 12.5% and this is a big, voluptuous wine. Lovely, deep, rich mouthfeel. Fruit is sweet and yet fully dry at the same time. With each sip you think it may teeter over the precipice but it holds itself together. Overall, very impressive and very drinkable.
Most producers are aiming for 12,5 alc. in the Pfalz for GG and the majority of them end up there. Outside of 2011, I can’t remember many at all. Fwiw, 2014 is three weeks ahead of 2011 in Germany. A record, that.
I’ve had some (not from the Pfalz) that were heavier than that. Are other regions higher? Have people pulled back? I’d assumed, as the sunniest part of Germany, that the ABVs on the GGs there would be well above 13%.
Producers are increasingly conscious of keeping the alc down. They do this by attempting to achieve physiological ripeness before too much sugar accumulation. Ways to do this are by careful rootstock selection, limiting fertilization, creating competition with cover cropping, limiting canopy surface, matching the site to the variety, and adjusting yield. This goal is also one of the main reasons for adopting Biodynamic viticulture.
It is much easier to find higher alc Riesling in Alsace and to a lesser extent Austria than in Germany.
