Before the Covid pandemic we arranged a tasting with the theme: “Toppling 2009 Clos Ste Hune”. The idea was that the attendees would bring a bottle of 2009 dry Riesling and one of the wines would be 2009 Trimbach Clos Ste Hune. Then the wines would be poured in a randomized order and everyone had to score the wines (by giving 5 points to the wine they thought was the best, 4 points to the second best… all the way to 1 point to the 5th best wine).
Well, the end result was that 2009 CSH ended up in the lowest-scoring quartile and the best wine was also the least expensive wine of the night - 2009 Martin Müllen Trarbacher Hühnerberg Riesling Spätlese * trocken.
Since the previous tasting was so fun and interesting, we decided to arrange it once again. This time the wine to be toppled was decided to be Weingut Keller’s 2010 GG Hubacker. We knew this was not going to be an easy task, since a) 2010 still remains probably the highest-acid vintage in Germany on this side of millennium, so the tasting was not going to be for palates that couldn’t handle a ton of acid; b) several people who had tasted 2010 Hubacker said that it was easily among the best dry 2010’s they had tasted, so most likely the fight was going to be futile.
Well, turns out they were right. Even if all the wines were tasted blind, Keller’s 2010 Hubacker still was the best of the bunch - and by a rather large margin! It’s truly is an amazing wine by any standards.
The funniest thing was that people were also asked to identify (ie. make a lucky guess which wine they thought was) Keller Hubacker. Many people - me included - guessed correctly that Hubacker was Hubacker. However, the wine that many other people thought was Hubacker turned out to be 2010 Keller Kirchspiel - one attendee thought that the best chances at beating a Keller would be with another Keller! Well, unfortunately not quite, but it was a close call - Kirchspiel ended up on 3rd place! And seeing how almost everybody thought that either one of the two Keller wines was Hubacker, I guess it’s quite obvious that Klaus Keller has a rather identifiable style!
Some other observations:
- A huge majority of us attendees were partial to German Riesling. While Alsatian and Austrian Rieslings can be good, they normally aren’t as great as the best Germans. However, in this tasting the Alsatian Rieslings performed exceptionally well: Zind-Humbrecht finished on 2nd place and Hugel on 4th!
- Von Winning’s 2010 GG Pechstein is often considered to be one of the greatest wines they have produced. Well, not in this tasting. This wine was easily among the most expensive wines of the tasting - perhaps even the most expensive - but it was remarkably underwhelming in comparison to the other wines. We were pretty floored when the wines were finally revealed, but perhaps the person who brought the wine was even more so - who had also written the wine off when tasting it!
- The winner of the 2009 tasting - Martin Müllen Trarbacher Hühnerberg Riesling Spätlese * trocken was corked, unfortunately - something that seems disappointingly common with Martin Müllen’s wines.
Here is the final ranking of the wines, including the points the wines got (and my personal rating in parentheses):
#1, 60 pts: 2010 Weingut Keller Hubacker Riesling Großes Gewächs (95 - my no.1)
#2, 48 pts: 2010 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Clos Häuserer (93 - my no. 3)
#3, 45 pts: 2010 Weingut Keller Kirchspiel Riesling Großes Gewächs (94 - my no. 2)
#4. 37 pts: 2010 Hugel Riesling Schoelhammer (92 - my no. 5)
#5, 16 pts: 2010 Weingut Baron Knyphausen Erbacher Siegelsberg Riesling Grosse Lage (91)
#6, 16 pts: 2010 Georg Breuer Rauenthaler Nonnenberg Riesling (91)
#7, 14 pts: 2010 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Winninger Uhlen Riesling Reserve "L" Laubach (92)
#8, 9 pts: 2010 von Winning Forster Riesling U 500 (92 - my no. 4)
#9, 7 pts: 2010 Weingut Baron Knyphausen Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Grosse Lage (89)
#10, 6 pts: 2010 Weingut Baron Knyphausen Riesling Auslese "Edition Royal Blue" (92)
#11, 5 pts: 2010 Gustave Lorentz Riesling Altenberg de Bergheim Addict 1.23 (90)
#12, 3 pts: 2010 Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan Pechstein Riesling Großes Gewächs (90)
#13, 1 pt: 2010 Albert Gessinger Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese ** trocken Alte Reben Hifflay (90)
#13, 1 pt: 2010 Jurtschitsch Riesling Reserve Zöbinger Heiligenstein (88)
#14, 0 pts: 2010 von Winning Forster Pechstein Riesling Großes Gewächs (87)
flawed: 2010 Martin Müllen Trarbacher Hühnerberg Riesling Spätlese * trocken (-)
As for food wines, we had a magnum of F. Becker’s basic Riesling and a nice half-magnum of Pfalz Pinot Noir. After tasting all the 2010 wines blind we had one not-blind (and surprisingly sweetly-fruited) 2011 GG Riesling and finally a bottle of 2010 Caldo Infernale - one of my all-time favorite sweet Rieslings.
The food wines:
-
2016 Friedrich Becker Riesling trocken - Germany, Pfalz (9.3.2023)
12% alcohol. Served from a magnum.
Youthful yellow-green color. The nose feels youthful and slightly reductive with aromas of lemony citrus fruits, some primary floral tones, a little bit of sweet lemon marmalade, light crunchy notes of Granny Smith apple, a hint of steely minerality, a skunky touch of hard-boiled eggs and a whiff of petrol. The wine feels youthful, crisp and steely on the palate with a light-to-medium on the palate and quite linear flavors of lemony citrus fruits, some tart Granny Smith apple tones, a little bit of key lime, light perfumed floral nuances and a hint of apple peel bitterness. The bracing acidity is pretty much to the fore, lending a very brisk and incisive overall character to the wine. The finish is tart, dry and steely with a medium-long aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits, some tart Granny Smith apple, a little bit of apple peel bitterness, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of skunky reduction.
An enjoyably clean, crisp and zippy Riesling that is still suffering quite a bit from reduction. The wine is remarkably youthful for its age, but also a bit too linear for my preference. While this is a nice, structured food wine, the wine offers very little beyond that - it's just racy acidity, steely minerality and dry, acid-driven and quite one-dimensional fruit flavors. I hope this wine gets more interesting with additional aging - based on its super youthful overall disposition, it feels like the wine is aging on a geological timescale - but as this is the entry-level Riesling of the producer, I wouldn't be holding my breath.
(85 points) -
2018 Frank John Kalkstein Pinot Noir trocken - Germany, Pfalz (9.3.2023)
100% biodynamically farmed Pinot Noir. Spontaneous fermentation (a portion of fruit was not destemmed and underwent semicarbonic maceration) and MLF. Aged for two years in old 228-liter pièces and 500-liter demi-muids. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 12,5% alcohol.
Luminous, moderately translucent and slightly evolved pomegranate color. The nose feels quite attractive with fragrant aromas of ripe strawberries, some bretty leather tones, a little bit of smoky spice, light cranberry sauce tones and a hint of fresh red plum. The wine feels ripe, juicy and slightly sauvage on the palate with a medium body and succulent flavors of black cherries, some bretty leather tones, a little bit of phenolic spice, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of ripe cranberry and a touch of tart red plum. The wine is high in acidity with very light and supple tannins. The finish is long, ripe and juicy with flavors of black cherries, some barnyard funk and leather, a little bit of ripe cranberry, light strawberry tones, a smoky hint of phenolic spice and a touch of earthy Pinosity.
A very nice, somewhat funky yet still sufficiently fruity and fresh Pinot Noir. Even you can taste the ripeness that is so characteristic of 2018 German wines, this wine still shows wonderfully bright and zippy acidity that offsets most of the ripeness quite effortlessly, making the wine come across as just vibrant and juicy. Although the appearance is that of a slightly evolved Pinot Noir, the wine is definitely anything but in the nose or on the palate. Although the wine drinks beautifully right now, I have no reason to believe this wine wouldn't continue to evolve and improve for at least a handful of years more. Recommended.
(91 points)
Toppling 2010 Weingut Keller Hubacker:
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2010 Albert Gessinger Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese ** trocken Alte Reben Hifflay - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9.3.2023)
100% Riesling from the Gessinger monopole cru, Hifflay. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind in a tasting of sixteen dry 2010 Rieslings.
Somewhat evolved, medium-deep lemon yellow color. The nose feels quite ripe and concentrated with aromas of juicy yellow fruits, some lemon marmalade tones, a little bit of evolved waxy character, light extracted spicy tones and a hint of honeyed richness. The wine feels noticeably ripe, quite concentrated and borderline off-dry with a dense medium body and intense flavors of honeyed richness, some lemony notes of zesty citrus fruits, a little bit of under-ripe pineapple, light steely mineral tones, a hint of beeswax and a touch of extracted bitterness. The firm acidity feels very high but nicely balanced with the concentrated acidity - not too aggressive. The finish is long, powerful and concentrated with intense flavors of steely minerality and honeyed richness, some evolved waxy tones, a little bit of tart key lime, light lemony citrus fruit tones, a hint of fresh pineapple and a touch of extracted bitterness.
An impressive, somewhat evolved and surprisingly robust - not particularly massive per se but nevertheless quite concentrated - dry Mosel Riesling. For some reason I didn't think of Gessinger, but I should've - very few other wines show that telltale bitterness that seem to characterize most if not all dry Gessinger wines. Anyways, this was an impressive wine in its own right. Maybe lacking a bit finesse compared to the best wines, but making all that up with power and evolved complexity. In our tasting the wine received one point from the 16 participants, making it finish on shared 13th place.
(90 points) -
2010 Weingut Baron Knyphausen Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Grosse LAge - Germany, Rheingau (9.3.2023)
100% Riesling from a 0,1-hectare parcel in Erbacher Marcobrunn. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind in a tasting of sixteen dry 2010 Rieslings.
Pale golden-yellow color. Somewhat evolved and a bit closed nose with brooding aromas of honey, some developed nutty tones, a little bit of very ripe red apple, light stony mineral tones and a hint of creaminess. The wine feels noticeably big, broad and ripe on the palate with a full body and rather Auslese trocken-driven flavors of steely minerality, some extracted waxy tones, a little bit of very ripe peachy fruit and juicy citrus notes, light creamy nuances, a hint of buttery richness and a touch of savory spices. Despite being a very big and concentrated wine, there is a ton of acidity that keeps the wine remarkably firm, balanced and structured. The finish is dry, powerful and quite extracted with concentrated flavors of spicy and steely minerality, some very ripe peachy tones, a little bit of developed creaminess, light honeyed tones, a hint of beeswax and a touch of nuttiness.
A remarkably big, powerful and concentrated wannabe-GG Riesling that is more or less like an Auslese trocken from the very ripe end of the spectrum. In any other vintage this wine might've ended up clumsy and unbalanced, but thanks to the soaring acidities of the 2010 vintage, this wine manages to pull of the magic trick that is being a very balanced wine for such a big, ripe and noticeably extracted wine. You can feel from the mouthfeel alone that there is A LOT of dry extract in the wine, but fortunately there is also a lot of everything else so that the wine manages to keep its game well together. A huge powerhouse of a Riesling if there ever was one. In our tasting the wine received seven points from the 16 participants, making it finish on 9th place. Priced according to its quality at 85€ for three bottles (approx. 36€ per bottle with all the additional costs).
(89 points) -
2010 Georg Breuer Rauenthaler Nonnenberg Riesling - Germany, Rheingau (9.3.2023)
100% Riesling from the 5-hectare Breuer monopole cru, Nonnenberg, where some vines are up to 70 years old. 12% alcohol. Tasted blind in a tasting of sixteen dry 2010 Rieslings.
Surprisingly youthful pale green color. The nose feels remarkably youthful, even primary and almost backward with bright but also a bit linear aromas of lemony citrus fruits and ripe pear, some perfumed floral tones, a little bit of juicy tangerine and light flinty mineral nuances. The wine feels exceptionally youthful, very high-strung and even slightly neutral with a light-to-medium body and very intense and noticeably mineral flavors of lemony citrus fruits and incisive steely minerality, some tart green apple tones, a little bit of crunchy quince, light perfumed floral tones, a youthful hint of ripe pear and a touch of wet rocks. A streak of sharp salinity seems to grow in intensity towards the aftertaste. The racy acidity lends tremendous sense of freshness and intensity to the overall mouthfeel. The finish is crisp, youthful and steely with a long, palate-cleansing aftertaste of tart Granny Smith apple and key lime, some perfumed floral tones, a little bit of stony minerality, light primary notes of pear and grapey fruit, a hint of tangy salinity and a touch of crunchy quince.
A sophisticated, very focused and surprisingly youthful Rheingau Riesling exhibiting that typical steely minerality that so often characterizes the dry Rieslings of the region. I was honestly very surprised how remarkably young - almost primary - the wine was at the age of 12½ years. Honestly, due to its very youthful and backward nature, the wine seemed a bit linear and straightforward compared to the other 2010 Rieslings we tasted, as all the other wines exhibited more depth and complexity in comparison. However, most of us agreed that this was nevertheless a very fine wine, showing wonderful sense of intensity, precision and clarity. I don't say this often when commenting +10 yo Rieslings, but I feel this wine is still too young for its good and it needs a lot more age to truly show its best. A fine effort, but probably needs at least another 10-15 years - expect the score to go up with age. In our tasting the wine received sixteen points from the 16 participants, making it finish on 6th place.
(91 points) -
2010 Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan Pechstein Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Pfalz (9.3.2023)
100% Riesling from the esteemed 15-hectare Pechstein cru, of which Bassermann-Jordan owns 0,75 ha. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind in a tasting of sixteen dry 2010 Rieslings.
Medium-deep golden yellow color. Slightly evolved and strikingly Sauvignon Blanc-like nose with aromas of passion fruit and gooseberries, some lemony citrus tones, a little bit of developed honeyed character, light notes of cantaloupes and a hint of mineral spice. The wine feels broad, rather ripe and pretty concentrated on the palate with a quite full body and intense flavors of Meyer lemon and crunchy gooseberries, some steely mineral tones, a little bit of passion fruit, light mineral notes of wet rocks, a hint of apple peel bitterness and a touch of honeydew melon. The tremendous acidity lends a great deal of incisive structure and electric energy to the wine. The finish is crisp, long and almost bone-dry with bright flavors of steely minerality and tart passion fruit, some crunchy notes of white currants and gooseberries, a little bit of lemony citrus fruit, light mineral notes of crushed flinty rocks, a hint of honeydew melon and an evolved touch of ripe apricot.
A crisp, incisive and steely Riesling that has a very odd, atypical streak of very Sauvignon Blanc-like character that lends the fruit department off-piste aromas of passion fruits and gooseberries. Apart from these unexpected qualities, this is a very impressive and focused effort that is starting to show some age, but doesn't come across as old - not even middle-aged. On its own this might've been a terrific effort, but with amidst 15 pretty classically styled Rieslings the style here stuck out like a sore thumb. I really hope these SB-like qualities evolve into something more appropriate with further aging - they are definitely interesting aromatic qualities in their own right, but I myself don't feel like they suit the wine that well. Maybe this wine show better in another 5 to 10 years? In our tasting the wine received three points from the 16 participants, making it finish on 12th place.
(90 points) -
2010 Weingut Heymann-Löwenstein Winninger Uhlen Riesling Reserve "L" Laubach - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9.3.2023)
100% Riesling from the Laubach parcel within the Winninger Uhlen vineyard, hence the "L" in the label. Heymann-Löwenstein has released both a regular version and this Reserve version of 2010 Laubach, but I have no idea what is the difference between these bottlings. Reserve is aged longer? Reserve is a special lot selection? 14,5% alcohol. Tasted blind in a tasting of sixteen dry 2010 Rieslings.
Quite deep and rather evolved burnished golden yellow color. The nose feels ripe, concentrated and somewhat evolved with aromas of acacia honey and caramel, some classic Mosel Riesling aromas of zesty citrus fruits, crisp green apples and stony minerality, a little bit of beeswax, light nectarine tones and a hint of tropical fruits. The wine feels surprisingly big, weighty and concentrated for a Mosel Riesling with a lot of breadth and big body along with moderately evolved, borderline medium-dry flavors of honey and ripe apricot, some steely mineral tones, a little bit of sweet pineapple, light nutty notes of slivered almonds, a hint of developed savory spiciness and a touch of apple jam. The mouthfeel is rich and somewhat viscous, but the high acidity keeps the overall feel balanced and harmonious. The high alcohol shows through to some degree. The finish is long, ripe and slightly warm with a juicy, off-dry aftertaste of acacia honey and dried pineapple, some caramel tones, a little bit of bruised apple, light lemon marmalade tones, a mineral hint of wet rocks and a touch of evolved nuttiness.
A complex and quite evolved effort that is exceptionally big, concentrated and weighty for a Mosel Riesling. Despite its rather humongous constitution, the wine shows surprisingly great sense of balance and harmony - its rather pronounced alcohol maybe the only thing coming in the way of drinkability. It's hard to say whether the wine is at its peak now or if it is going to improve with further aging, but it is quite terrific already now. Although I would've enjoyed the wine more with less alcohol and slightly less ponderous body, I found the wine quite impressive all the same. In our tasting the wine received fourteen points from the 16 participants, making it finish on 7th place.
(92 points) -
2010 von Winning Forster Pechstein Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Pfalz (9.3.2023)
100% Riesling from the esteemed 15-hectare Pechstein cru and the inaugural vintage of this label. Fermented and aged in 500-liter oak barrels. 12% alcohol. Tasted blind in a tasting of sixteen dry 2010 Rieslings.
Quite youthful pale-green color. The nose feels somewhat restrained, still quite youthful and slightly floral with aromas of waxy richness, some exotic tones, a little bit of banana, light crunchy notes of nectarine, a sweet hint of apple jam and a perfumey touch of orange blossom. The wine feels bone-dry, characterful and surprisingly airy and weightless on the palate with a light body and crisp, focused flavors of lemony citrus fruits and fresh Granny Smith apple, some crunchy notes of green currants, a little bit of waxy richness, light steely mineral tones, a hint of apple peel bitterness and a touch of perfumed floral character. The bracing acidity lends tons of incisive structure and electric energy to the wine, but feels maybe even slightly unbalanced with the relatively light body of the wine. The finish is crisp, racy and very dry with a long aftertaste of tart lemony citrus fruits and steely minerality, some waxy tones, a little bit of pithy grapefruit bitterness, light spicy nuances and a tart hint of fresh Granny Smith apple.
This was a very crisp and racy white wine that was not only remarkably youthful for its age, but also a bit unbalanced with its surprisingly lightweight overall feel that contrasted a bit too much with the piercing acidity and slightly bitter undertones. Several attendees were bowled over - me included - when the bottles were revealed and out of all the wines, this turned out to be von Winning's legendary Pechstein that was so lauded after its release. Sure, the wine showed remarkable intensity and it was still super youthful - almost backward - for the 12½ years of age, but amidst all the 2010 Rieslings we tasted, this was among the least impressive. The wine didn't show any of the woody or toasty qualities typical of von Winning (we had also 2010 von Winning Ungeheuer 500 that instead was very typical of the winery) and came across more like a regular Gutswein or Ortswein with relatively little body and quite linear fruit. This was not a bad wine per se, just nothing anyone expected of this winery or vineyard. And definitely not from a wine that cost approximately 150€! I really hope the wine picks up some complexity and sense of balance as it continues to age. In our tasting the wine received no points at all from the 16 participants, making it finish on shared 14th (ie. last) place.
(87 points) -
2010 Weingut Keller Kirchspiel Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Rheinhessen (9.3.2023)
100% Riesling from the Westhofener Kirchspiel vineyard. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind in a tasting of sixteen dry 2010 Rieslings.
Somewhat youthful pale yellow color with faint greenish highlights. The nose is on the somewhat restrained side, but shows wonderful sense of purity with textbook Riesling aromas of fragrant white flowers and ripe citrus fruits, some mineral notes of wet rocks, a little bit of fresh red apple, light nuances of stone fruits and a sweet hint of yuzu. Despite its age, there are no perceptible petrol or diesel notes. The wine feels ripe, clean and harmonious on the palate with a medium body and very intense flavors of nectarine and stony minerality, some juicy Golden Delicious apple tones, a little bit of zesty citrus fruit, light sweet nuances of white peach and a hint of honeysuckle. The bright, structured acidity lends great sense of precision to the wine and tremendous sense of intensity to the flavors. The finish is ripe, rich and juicy with a sweet-toned yet still very dry aftertaste of white peach and honey, some spicy red apple, a little bit of stony minerality, light lemon marmalade notes, a hint of fragrant floral character and a touch of yuzu.
A wonderfully harmonious, clean and tasty Riesling that isn't big, flash or showy - it is just a perfect example of this variety, having lots of all kinds of things, everything in the right places and nothing in excess. The overall feel is remarkably youthful for the age - the fruit feels very youthful and there are no obvious developed qualities in the wine. Although the wine is still miles away from its peak, it is still drinking remarkably well right now. However, I have a hunch this wine has the capability to turn into something magical with enough age. If you are of the patient sort, you really want to sit on this wine. When tasting this wine, I didn't immediately think it might've been a Keller wine - I just thought it was a textbook example of a fine, young Riesling that is on its way up. This ended up being my #2 favorite wine in the tasting, but the wine also received 45 points from the 16 participants, making it finish on 3rd place.
(94 points) -
2010 Jurtschitsch Riesling Reserve Zöbinger Heiligenstein - Austria, Niederösterreich, Kamptal (9.3.2023)
100% Riesling from Ried Heiligenstein. Macerated with the skins for a few hours, fermented spontaneously and aged in large oak vats. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind in a tasting of sixteen dry 2010 Rieslings.
Medium-deep yellow-green color. The nose feels somewhat closed with some skunky reduction along with aromas of honeyed richness, some ripe red apple tones, a little bit of beeswax, light steely mineral nuances and a hint of quince jam. The wine feels somewhat closed and a bit austere on the palate with a medium body and slightly understated flavors of lemony citrus fruits and pithy grapefruit, some ripe Granny Smith apple notes, a little bit of stony minerality, light sweeter notes of white peach and a hint of honeyed richness suggestive of elevated ripeness. The high acidity keeps the mouthfeel very firm, balanced and structured. The finish is crisp, steely and somewhat restrained with a long aftertaste of key lime, some tart green apple, a little bit of chalky minerality, light sweeter notes of white peach and a hint of pithy grapefruit bitterness.
A fresh, firm and structured but also rather closed Riesling. Although we didn't know almost anything about the wines we tasted (apart from them being 2010 Rieslings), if somebody would've asked which wine was closed with a screwcap, I bet everybody would've said that this wine. All the other wines were more or less expressive, but this wine showed rather obvious reductive notes and the fruit department came across as rather closed and understated. The wine did open up a bit with air, but even with quite a bit of aeration, it never came to the same level of vibrancy with the other wines we tasted. If you're planning on opening this wine, I heartily recommend opening it in advance and aerating it for a long time. On the flip side, I suppose this wine will continue to age and improve for years - even decades - more, based on how remarkably youthful it was at 12½ years of age. Although a nice wine in its own right, it didn't really manage to shine and the overall impression was a bit nondescript compared to most of the other wines we tasted. In our tasting the wine received one point from the 16 participants, making it finish on shared 13th place.
(88 points) -
2010 Hugel Riesling Schoelhammer - France, Alsace (9.3.2023)
100% organically Riesling from the 0,63-hectare Schoelhammer parcel within the Grand Cru Schoenenbourg vineyard, where the average vine age in 2010 was approx. 26 years. Fermented in old foudres and tanks, aged on the lees until the following spring. Bottled with a light filtration in the spring of 2011. 13,3% alcohol, 6,9 g/l residual sugar, 8,02 g/l acidity and pH 3,1. Tasted blind in a tasting of sixteen dry 2010 Rieslings.
Rather youthful pale green color. A distinctive and quite powerful nose with characterful aromas of fresh apples, some sweet fruit jelly tones, light green-toned hints of peppermint, a little bit of sweet-toned pineapple character, a hint of exotic spices and a touch of grapefruit zest. The wine feels ripe, slightly oily and very harmonious on the palate with a medium body and somewhat concentrated flavors of ripe Granny Smith apple, some juicy white peach, a little bit of savory spice, light sweet-toned citrus fruit notes, a hint of stony minerality and a faint minty touch of cough drops. I get a feeling like this wine is very high in acidity, yet the wine doesn't come across as crisp or zippy, but instead just very balanced and silky with moderately high acidity and a slightly viscous mouthfeel. The finish is ripe, harmonious and mellow yet not soft with a long, balanced aftertaste of white peach, some cantaloupe, light stony mineral tones, a little bit of crunchy red apple, a hint of grapefruit and a touch of exotic fruit.
A fantastic, harmonious and remarkably balanced Riesling with a lot of depth, power and sense of concentration. As a large portion of the Rieslings wines we tasted in this tasting were German, the Alsatian style of this Grand Cru Riesling stood in quite stark contrast to them, coming across as slightly fuller in body and having the acid structure remain more in the background. However, even then there was no denying that the quality here was simply outstanding. I myself tend to prefer the lighter, more acid-driven style of German Riesling - and so did most other attendees - yet still this wine was my #5 favorite of the evening and it also received 37 points from the 16 participants, making it finish on 4th place. The wine seemed still very youthful and it didn't really seem to exhibit any evolved qualities, so it is easy to say there's still a lot of unrealized potential in this wine - expect the score to go up as the wine ages. Yet still, I must say the wine feels pretty expensive for the quality at approx. 120€.
(92 points) -
2010 Martin Müllen Trarbacher Hühnerberg Riesling Spätlese * trocken - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9.3.2023)
100% Riesling from the 4-hectare Hühnerberg vineyard, of which Müllen owns 2,5-hectares - partially planted to very old, ungrafted vines. 12% alcohol. Tasted blind in a tasting of sixteen dry 2010 Rieslings.
Medium-deep honeyed yellow color. The nose exhibits some rich, honeyed tones, but also a rather noticeable streak of mildew and cardboard. The wine feels medium-bodied, racy and dull on the palate with the unmistakable streak of TCA.
Corked. Unsurprisingly the wine received no points from the 16 participants, making it finish on shared 14th (ie. last) place.
(NR/flawed) -
2010 Weingut Baron Knyphausen Erbacher Siegelsberg Riesling Grosse LAge - Germany, Rheingau (9.3.2023)
100% organically farmed Riesling from Erbacher Siegslberg. 13% alcohol. Tasted blind in a tasting of sixteen dry 2010 Rieslings.
Medium-deep lemon yellow color. At first the nose feels slightly dull and a bit dusty, but it clears up to reveal quite ripe and bold aromas of honeyed richness, some evolved notes of browned butter, a little bit of bruised apple, light nutty tones, a hint of pineapple and a touch of lemon marmalade. The wine feels broad, quite big and rather concentrated yet still surprisingly dry and lightweight on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and intense flavors of tart lemony citrus fruit and crunchy green apple, some extracted notes of beeswax, light steely mineral tones, an evolved hint of nuttiness and a touch of tangy salinity. The crisp, bracing acidity feels surprisingly high for such a big, ripe and concentrated Riesling, accentuating those sharp Granny Smith apple and lemon notes. The finish is crisp, persistent and acid-driven with an intense aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits, some concentrated beeswax notes, a little bit of developed creaminess, light Granny Smith apple notes, an incisive hint of steely minerality and a touch of nuttiness.
A very big, concentrated and impressive Riesling that shows a lot of ripeness and power without really coming across as one bit weighty. The overall feel is dominated by the steely minerality typical of Rheingau and although the wine is pretty bold for a Riesling, it shows beautiful varietal qualities and doesn't suffer one bit from the noticeable ripeness - on the contrary, this was one of the most acid-driven wines in our tasting! The wine received 18 points from the 16 participants, making it finish on 5th place. Good value at 85€ for three bottles (approx. 36€ per bottle with all the additional costs).
(91 points) -
2010 Weingut Keller Hubacker Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Rheinhessen (9.3.2023)
100% Riesling from the 4-hectare Oberer Hubacker, a monopole parcel within the famed Dalsheimer Hubacker vineyard, planted to very old vines. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted blind in a tasting of sixteen dry 2010 Rieslings.
Medium-deep lemon-yellow color. The nose feels a bit restrained and quite ripe with nuanced, sweet-toned and very attractive aromas of honeydew melon and lemon marmalade, some perfumed floral tones, a little bit of peachy fruit, light extracted waxy tones, a hint of steely minerality and a touch of fragrant spices. The wine feels clean, very focused and subtly sweet-toned with a medium body and intense flavors of ripe citrus fruits, some spicy red apple, a little bit of lemon marmalade, light waxy tones, a hint of savory spices and a touch of stony minerality. The bright, noticeably high yet not aggressive acidity lends wonderful sense of structure, firmness and precision to the wine. The finish is firm, dry-ish and very long with an intense aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits, some steely mineral tones, a little bit of tart Granny Smith apple, light floral nuances, a hint of beeswax and a touch of tangy salinity.
There seemed to be a nearly-universal consensus that this wine was at least a tiny notch above all the other wines we tasted. Although this wine wasn't as big, concentrated or "impressive" as some other wines, this seemed to be just the kind of "ideal" Riesling for so many. The fruit flavors were simply on point for what one can expect of a dry Riesling, the acidity was very high but still safely on this side of balanced and not aggressive, the mineral notes complemented the fruit flavors wonderfully and there just seemed to be such balance between the fruit, the body, the acidity and the minerality that very few can attain. The overall feel was still quite youthful - although not as youthful as 2010 Keller Kirchspiel we tasted at the same time - and it seemed there was still tons of future potential for further development, but this was immensely enjoyable already now. This was not only my #1 wine of the tasting, but for six other attendees as well. In our tasting the wine received 60 points from the 16 participants, making it finish effortlessly on 1st place.
(95 points) -
2010 Gustave Lorentz Riesling Altenberg de Bergheim Addict 1.23 - France, Alsace, Alsace Grand Cru (9.3.2023)
100% Riesling from three exceptional parcels within the Grand Cru Altenberg de Bergheim vineyard, totaling to just 1,23 hectares - hence the name. This one-off cuvée is fermented and aged in new, lightly toasted 500-liter demi-muids. 14% alcohol, 4 g/l residual sugar and 9,2 g/l acidity. Tasted blind in a tasting of sixteen dry 2010 Rieslings.
Intense, luminous and somewhat evolved neon yellow-green color. The nose feels dense, rich and quite concentrated with powerful - and slightly atypical - aromas of fresh pineapple, some buttery diacetyl, a little bit of lemon marmalade, light peachy tones, a hint of stony minerality, a touch of crème brûlée and a perfumed whiff of apple blossom. The wine feels lean, very taut and noticeably concentrated with intense, bone-dry flavors of steely minerality and borderline under-ripe pineapple, some cooling nuances of spearmint, a little bit of saline minerality, light Fuji apple tones, a primary hint of grapey fruit and a touch of honeyed richness. The piercing acidity lends tremendous sense of energy and structure, making it feel very incisive and high-strung. The finish is crisp, steely and slightly extracted with a dry, lengthy aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits, some chalky mineral bitterness, a little bit of tangy salinity, light peachy tones, a hint of very youthful grapey fruit and a touch of tannic grip on the gums.
A clean and precise but also very lean, high-strung and somewhat atypical powerhouse of a Riesling. With its piercing, almost aggressive acidity, borderline bitter extracted nuances and somewhat disjointed new oak character, nobody thought for a second we'd be drinking an Alsatian Riesling. I don't know where they'd make Rieslings like this, but considering how Alsatian Rieslings are often thought of as big, ripe and weighty with more emphasis on the juicy fruit than on acidity - and having no oaky tones whatsoever - this kind of taut, acid-driven beast with subtle yet still noticeable new oak tones was really an antithesis to all that is Alsatian Riesling. Definitely an interesting wine in its own right, but seeing how very little evolution the wine showed at 12½ years of age, I have no idea how much longer this wine needs to be aged before it feels more like a complete wine, not a nervy, awkward acid monster. An interesting and very high-quality wine for sure, but still feels too expensive for what it is at 89,25€. In our tasting the wine received five points from the 16 participants, making it finish on 11th place.
(90 points) -
2010 von Winning Forster Riesling U 500 - Germany, Pfalz (9.3.2023)
100% Riesling from Forster Ungeheuer. However, this is a special bottling of the Von Winning's Ungeheuer: since the wineries are allowed to use the Grosse Lage vineyard name only for their top GG wines, the other wines made from the same vineyard are not allowed to bear the designation. Thus, this wine is labeled as "Riesling U 500" where the "U" stands for Ungeheuer and "500" stands for the size of the 500-liter new oak casks the wine was aged in. Von Winning says they release U 500 only in exceptional vintages, which sounds a bit odd, since I've understood they've released a wine from every vintage since this 2010. The amounts released are nevertheless very small; they either bottle and release only one exceptional barrel or blend the wine from 2-4 barrels. 13% alcohol, tasted blind in a tasting of sixteen dry 2010 Rieslings.
Intense and still surprisingly youthful lime-green color with a light lemon-yellow hue. The nose feels smoky and quite similar to a Western Australian Chardonnay with its aromas of reduction and oak - there are fragrant notes of apple blossoms and other white flowers, some lemony notes of citrus fruits, a little bit of pineapple, light toasty notes of popcorn, a hint of creamy oak and a flinty touch of smoky minerality. At this point I have no idea what wine I'm drinking, but I jot down how "this wine tastes awfully lot like Von Winning's". The wine feels crisp, lively and quite high-strung on the palate with a medium body and very intense, youthful flavors of lemony citrus fruits and tangy salinity, sharp Granny Smith apple tones, some woody notes of oak, a little bit of flinty minerality, light toasty notes of popcorn, a hint of apple peel bitterness and a touch of salty liquorice. The bracing acidity lends a lot of focus, structure and electric energy to the wine, making it feel almost austere at times - despite the relatively intense and nuanced flavors. The finish is crisp, sharp and quite concentrated with a long, intense and almost bone-dry aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits and sharp Granny Smith apple tones, some toasty notes of popcorn, a little bit of steely minerality, light salty liquorice tones, a hint of creamy oak and a touch of tangy salinity.
A very distinctive Riesling that stood out from the lineup of 16 Rieslings with its somewhat toasty Burgundian or Western Australian Chardonnay-like character, prompting several attendees to say "alrighty, we have a Von Winning here". This combination of toasty (yet not overwhelming) oak and very textbook Riesling fruit profile makes a very fascinating combination that works surprisingly well here. I remember tasting some of these early Von Winning wines a decade age, upon their release, a thinking they felt a bit clumsy and disjointed. However now, after ten years of aging, the wine still seems fresh as a daisy, showing remarkably little evolved qualities, yet the oak seems to have integrated remarkably well with the wine - you can taste some new oak here, but the wine doesn't really taste oaky or too toasty, only pretty Burgundian. I must admit that there is still some awkwardness to the wine, but it's mostly because the wine is both so super youthful and so ridiculously high in acidity - you have these bass-y savory tones and then very high-toned - almost shrill - acid-driven notes, but without that much of that punchy middle. This is a very fascinating and complex wine that is evolving in the right direction, but I'd say it needs another 10 years or even more to really show its best. This was my #4 favorite wine in the tasting, but with nine points from the 16 participants, it finished on 8th place.
(92 points) -
2010 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Clos Häuserer - France, Alsace (9.3.2023)
100% biodynamically farmed Riesling from Clos Häuserer, a vineyard declassified from Grand Cru Hengst in the late 1970's. Fermented spontaneously and very slowly - the fermentation stopped slightly before the wine reached full dryness. Bottled in March 2012. 12,5% alcohol, 8 g/l residual sugar, 7,9 g/l acidity and pH 3,1. Tasted blind in a tasting of sixteen dry 2010 Rieslings.
Medium-deep lemon-yellow color. The nose feels noticeably ripe, concentrated and still relatively youthful with aromas of juicy nectarine, some apple jam, a little bit of grapey primary fruit, light fresh pineapple tones, a hint of quince compote and a touch of stony minerality. The wine feels intense, very structure-driven and almost austere on the palate - despite the residual sugar lending a tiny bit of richness and sense of viscosity to the mouthfeel. The wine feels medium-bodied with firm, juicy flavors of steely minerality and fresh white peach, some developed honeyed tones, a little bit of apple jam, light angular notes of wet rocks and chalk, a hint of fresh pineapple and a touch of Meyer lemon. The bracing acidity lends a tremendous sense of intensity to the flavors and keeps the wine very structured and palate-cleansing. The finish is crisp, lean and quite mineral with a rather dry and very lengthy aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits, some tart green apple tones, a little bit of honeyed richness, light stony mineral tones, a hint of under-ripe pineapple and a touch of tangy salinity.
This was a real monster of a Riesling - not really in a big blockbuster sort of way, but instead showing tremendous amounts of concentration and relatively high ripeness yet at the same time coming across as unbelievably tightly-coiled with remarkable sense of structure and precision. Many people commented how extraordinary the wine was as many felt the wine was borderline austere with its piercing acidity and very upfront sense of minerality, yet at the same time exhibiting quite a bit of richness, ripeness and concentrated fruit. The interplay between the fruit and the non-fruit flavors here was simply thrilling. A fantastic wine that feels like it really isn't supposed to be drunk at the moment; it is only showing glimpses of the potential greatness the wine can attain with enough age. This was not only my #3 wine of the tasting, but it also received a total of 48 points from the 16 participants, making it finish on 2nd place. At just 35€ this has been a steal.
(93 points) -
2010 Weingut Baron Knyphausen Riesling Auslese "Edition Royal Blue" - Germany, Rheingau (9.3.2023)
100% Riesling from Erbacher Michelmark, harvested at Auslese ripeness. This one-off wine was supposed to be fermented dry, but the fermentation halted right before full dryness. Only one 300-liter barrel made. 13% alcohol, 10,9 g/l acid and 11,8 g/l residual sugar. Tasted blind in a tasting of sixteen dry 2010 Rieslings.
Concentrated, medium-deep golden yellow color. The nose feels concentrated, rich and quite dense with very ripe aromas of honeyed richness, some bruised apple tones, a little bit of caramel, light lemon marmalade nuances and a lifted hint of spearmint. The wine feels big, rich and very concentrated on the palate with a full body and powerful, noticeably ripe flavors of acacia honey and caramel, some bruised Granny Smith apple tones, a little bit of evolved nuttiness, light juicy notes of apricots, a hint of incisive steely minerality and a touch of tangy salinity. You can taste that there is a little bit of residual sugar here, but the wine doesn't really come across as medium-dry due to the bracing, ridiculously high acidity that gives the wine a tremendous amount of freshness, focus and structure. The finish is crisp, powerful and very intense with a remarkably long and quite concentrated aftertaste of lemony citrus fruits, some tangy notes of saline minerality, light honeyed tones, a little bit of tart Granny Smith apple, evolved hints of caramel and nuttiness and a touch of apple peel bitterness.
A tremendously ripe, concentrated and powerful dry-ish Auslese that is starting to show some evolved tones but still manages to come across as quite youthful and vibrant. A very impressive wine indeed, feeling not only slightly weightier than the other 2010 Knyphausen wines we tasted (Erbacher Siegelsberg and Erbacher Marcobrunn), but also more complex and slightly less developed - promising a lot on its aging potential. I guess this wine might've been even more impressive tasted on its own, but tasting it after 15 other 2010 Rieslings - basically all of them lighter-weight in comparison - this wine seemed maybe a bit over-the-top with its body, power, extraction and not excessive yet still slightly noticeable residual sugar. All in all, a voluminous yet still very balanced and thoroughly impressive effort. Superb value at 35€.
(92 points)
The post-tasting Rieslings:
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2011 S.A. Prüm Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Großes Gewächs - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9.3.2023)
12,5% alcohol, 8 g/l residual sugar and 5,5 g/l acidity.
Youthful and quite limpid pale yellow-green color. The nose feels youthful with aromas of ripe citrus fruits, some lime jelly, a little bit of spearmint, light industrial notes of plastic and something gaseous, a perfumed hint of apple blossom and a mineral touch of wet rocks. The wine feels youthful, rather primary and somewhat mild on the palate with a light-to-medium body and pretty mellow off-dry flavors of mealy yellow apple, some lemon marmalade, a little bit of greengage, light salty notes of brackish mineral water and a hint of white peach. The acidity feels quite soft and easy for a Riesling, making the flavors lack a bit in energy and intensity. The finish is youthful, mellow and moderately long with a medium-dry aftertaste of lemon marmalade, some white peach, light appley tones, a little bit of floral character and a mineral hint of wet rocks.
A pleasant and still remarkably youthful but also surprisingly mild, soft and mellow Riesling that is lacking quite badly in structure, energy and intensity of fruit. Typical of 2011, the wine feels rather low in acidity for a Riesling - and combined with 8 g/l residual sugar, the wine comes across as surprisingly sweet for a GG. Technically this is in fact a medium-dry Riesling and it certainly tastes like it. I could actually enjoy this wine as it is so wonderfully clean and youthful, if it wasn't for its lackluster acidity. If something is disappointing, it is Riesling that is lacking in acidity - basically it feels like the wine fails at the only thing it is cultivated for. Can't say this wine feels that much like a GG, but if it feels like something, it is expensive for its quality at 29,64€.
(84 points) -
2010 Albert Gessinger Zeltinger Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese ** Alte Reben Caldo Infernale - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (9.3.2023)
There's really nothing to add to my previous thirteen notes of this wine. This just continues to be one of the most exquisite sweet Rieslings in existence. The sense of intensity, acidity, concentration, depth and persistence are on a completely another level here.
Although the wine has started to develop the first signs of evolution, the wine still remains remarkably youthful and will probably continue to remain so for years and years more. This is truly a one-of-its-kind wine.
At just 21€ this has been the epitome of a bargain.
(97 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
