DRY RIESLING 2007

Is Gault Millau really right in 07 ??? We will proof it......with the biggest GG tasting ever...... We tasted the greatest dry Germann wine here the 20 November, I will update the blog this with tasting notes during the next week as I re-taste some of the wines and write the final notes... so stay tuned..




THIS IS THE TOP 10 IN GM:

1. WEINGUT KELLER, ABTSERDE, GG 96
2. WEINGUT KELLER, G-MAX, TROCKEN 95
3. WEINGUT KELLER, MORSTEIN, GG 95
4. DÖNNHOFF, NIEDERHAUSER HERMANNSHÖHLE, GG 94
5. EMRICH-SCHÖNLEBER, MONZINGER HALENBERG, GG 94
6. WEINGUT KELLER, HUBACKER, GG 93
7. DÖNNHOFF, NORHEIMER DELLCHEN, GG 93
8. DR. BASSERMANN-JORDAN, PECHSTEIN, GG 93
9. SCHLOSS JOHANNISBERG, SILBERLACK, GG, 93
10. SCHLOSS SCHÖNBORN, PFAFFENBERG, GG, 93

...........

This was the program :

HEAT 1:
KÜHLING-GILLOT, ROTHENBERG, GG, RHEINHSSEN, 2007
The nose reminds me a little about Alsace, mainly a lot of pineapple, mandarin and a touch of honey. In the background one feels the minerality of Rothenberg (redish slate). A lot of pineapple in taste combined with a beautiful balance acid and minerality. Not to dense which suits the wine. Compared to the rest of the wines this evening it is a bit one-dimensional in its development in the mouth and a bit easy drinking. 15.5/20

BATTENFELD SPANIER, KIRCHENSTÜCK, GG, RHEINHESSEN, 2007
The nose seems a little more aromatic and spicy with a touch from the spontaneous fermentation. Compared to the first wine it has much more body and density – creamy with a sweet tone. Initial in the mouth it is quit sweet with tones mature “Golden Delicuis” apples and again pineapple. The finish is long with a touch of the liquorice. This wine gains by serving it cold. Although it has a nice balance like many of the wines from 2007, it is a bit on the heavy site (especially if it is not served very cold), but I am sure it will develop nicely. Maybe not my style 15.5/20

KÜHLING-GILLOT, PETTENTHAL, GG, RHEINHESSEN, 2007
I am really impressed by the nose of this wine. In this stage the nose dominated by the spontaneous fermentation, however it is combined with a touch of steel, sulfur, herbs and apricots underneath. Beautiful! Again a wine on the heavy site – although I find much more balance in direct comparison to Kirchenstück. It has a creamy soft dancing texture with just a little touch of the lanolin. The taste is a little sweet with mandarin and pineapple. I feel a little touch of alcohol in the finish (only drawback). 16.0/20 (the nose alone 17/20)

In general from this heat I think they were a bit on the heavy site to my taste although all wines had a nice balance. I really liked the nose of Pettenthal, which makes it the winner in this heat in my mind. I am sure all wines in this heat will win with time.

HEAT 2:
CRISTMANN, MADELGARTEN, PFALZ, GG, 2007
A bit reserve nose – I think it is really close at the moment. Its only shows small tones of orange fruit with a touch of exotic fruit. In the mouth it has nice fruity citrus fruit in the front – packed in soft liquorices glued minerality in the background. The finish is long and a bit strained with a lot of bitterness components. Again as with a lot of other dry wines from 2007 nicely balance and a beautiful composition which probably will develop beutiful over time. 15.0/20

CHRISTMANN, KÖNINGSBACH IDIG, PFALZ, GG, 2007
Maybe the evening most closed wine. In the nose just a touch of white stones and citrus fruit. In the taste again lime stones, citrus fruit but maybe also a weak lanolin tones in the current stage. It has a beautiful acidity and complex development, but it needs time (I am not so skeptical as many others). I would wait for a couple of year before just thinking of drinking this wine. Gets a extra half point for it potential 15.5/20.

Probably the most reserved and closed wine on the night

HEAT 3:
MÜLLER-CATOIR, BREUMEL IN DER MAUERN, PFALZ, GG, 2007 – 17/20
REBHOLZ, KASTANIENBUSCH, PFALZ, GG, 2007 - 15/20
LEITZ, BERG ROTTLAND, AR, RHEINGAU, 2007 – 16.5/20

I did not write any notes on the wine on the evening – in general M-C was really delicious with its white pear, balanced minerality and juicy acid. Rebholz – really disappointed at the evening. Leitz has made brilliant wine this vintage – this is just one example.

HEAT 4:
DIEL, GOLDLOCH, NAHE, GG 2007

I think this wine really has a floral citrus burgundy nose with a lot of stones and minerality in the background. Really an atypical Riesling. In the taste citrus, flowers, peeper and a mystified blue stoned minerality which I have not tasted before in a Riesling wine. The texture underneath the primary layer is creamy but not to heavy and lifted by the juicy acidity. Perfectly balanced. Brilliant and atypical. This wine will be very interesting to follow – I think it has a big potential. 17.5/20

DIEL, BURGBERG, NAHE, GG, 2007

Again very floral citrus burgundy like nose with just a little sweet tropical tone – The taste is very linear with mainly sweet lime and citrus fruit in the primary layer. Underneath the primary fruit layer the wine has a dense layer of masculine tobacco and mineral tones. Again an electric lazer acidity that perfectly balances the wine. I think it was the weakest card from Diel this evening - but still a impressive wine. 16/20

DÖNNHOFF, NORHEIMER DELCHEN, GG, 2007 - 17.5/20
DÖNNHOFF, NORHEIMER FELSENBERG, GG, 2007 – 17.5/20

No notes on the two last wine – I was really impressed by all wine in this heat. Felsenberg is probably one of the most interesting new GG wine this vintage – in my point of view the most interesting wine from Dönnhoff (I know you all will disagree here, ha, ha….).

HEAT 5:

DIEL, PITTERMÄNCHEN, NAHE, GG 2007
Delicious tropical touch in the nose with just a sweet tone – really impressive. In the primary layer – very clean citrus fruit with a juicy and electric acidity. Nice complex non-linear development in the taste ending out in the extremely long lime stone mineral finish. Brilliant balance and acidity – which really takes Diel into the leader group of dry Riesling. An undiscovered diamond.18.0/20

SCHÄFER-FRÖHLICH, BOCKENEAU FELSENECK, NAHE, GG, 2007

Independent on the heat setup this wine can make all other wine a bit clumsy – it is extremely precise and sharp in its composition. The wine has an extremely low amount of residual sugar. It has a vibrating juicy sharp acidity (which is the main driving force in the wine) and a mineral monolithic core underneath the acid. The fruit taste simmers in the core of the wine having mainly taste of yellow citrus fruit . Its development in the mouth is linear – again contributing to the precision of the wine. An extreme wine with an extreme precision – which really impress me. 18.5/20

DÖNNHOFF, NIEDERHÄUSER HERMANNSHÖHLE, GG, NAHE, 2007
After having the Felseneck from Schäfer – F Hermannshöhle seems a little clumsy (maybe only my impression on the evening). There is a tropical tones in the nose combined with a reserve minerality – when I open the wine two days before the tasting an double decanted the wine it had really the most appealing nose – simply mind blowing (making me want to drink wine). The wine is extremely complex starting out having juicy citrus fruit and litche tones in the beginning of the taste developing non-linear in a mineral blast in the long finish. Really an impressive wine – my only critic if any is that I do not feel that Dönnhoff got all out of the vintage. I mean clearly and impressive wine – but really not a wine that touch my souls like the wines from Keller does this year (and normally do, ha, ha....). 18.5/20

M O N S T E R H E A T

HEAT 6:
EMRICH-SCHÖNLEBER, FRÜHLICHPLÄTZEN, NAHE, GG, 2007

This wine has pear and apples combined with a sweet tone in the nose – a very clean nose. This wine is a contrast to Halenberg – very linear and easy drinking. On the evening for the tasting I found it a bit disappointing and a bit simple wine. However here a couple days it seems a bit more complex and interesting. It has a clear fruit with tones of white pear and apples in the primary layer, however it is followed by a dusty stone minerality in the secondary layer. Again as with a lot of the other wines from 2007 balanced by an electric acid. 16.0/20

EMRICH-SCHÖNLEBER, MONZINGER HALENBERG, NAHE, GG, 2007 -18/20

Brilliant wine again this year – no tasting note

SCHÄFER-FRÖHLICH, MONZINGER HALENBERG, NAHE, GG, 2007

Tropical and tight hazy stoned minerality in the nose. This is really my style – having a lazer electric acid and compact tropical and citrus fruit in the long taste. Extremely complex wine developing from the thigth acid driven impression to a mineral monolith with a hurting pectine bitterness in the finish. I simply have to little of this wine. 18/20

HEAT 7:
WITTMANN, KIRCHSPIEL, GG, RHEINHESSEN, 2007
A lot of citrus fruit in the nose – in the taste it seems a little easy going. It is one-dimensional and I think it misses some structure and complexity to complete the wine. Still impressive and balanced wine. 15.5/20

WITTMANN, BRUNNENHÄUSCHEN, RHEINHESSEN, GG, 2007

In the nose there is tones of a swimming pool (very refreshing), mandarin and of tobacco (on the night I wrote very innocent nose, but here two days after it is really heavy and a bit more masculine, hm…??) – really again an impressive development of the smell. In the taste it has nice yellow fruit structure with lime fruit, pomelone citrus fruit. The wine is very stringent and linear with a touch of lime stones in the mineral finish. Beautiful juicy acidity underneath the whole wine and again a wine in a complete balance. Interesting new GG wines which I hope to taste again in future and coming vintage. 17.0/20

WITTMANN, MORSTEIN, GG, RHEINHESSEN, 2007

The nose has a touch of orange and mango fruit– and it seems like the nose just keeps develop with air, really nice!! The wine and taste is very stringent and acid driven with tones of yellow and orange fruit. Very linear in the primary layer – where as the one fell the minerality in the ground of the wine. I really miss some extract or especially complexity for completing this wine. It get a ½ point more for the nose.16.5/20

HEAT 8:
BATTENFELD-SPANIER, FRAUNBERG, RHEINHESSEN, GG, 2007
Crazy nose – mainly with tones from the spontaneous fermentation, sulphur, green peber fruit and just a touch of tight tropical fruit (mango). This wine has really a lot of extract (it seems to be the structure and style of the producer – although this is the lightest) resulting in a creamy velvet soft texture there is lifted by the acidity. Without the acidity this wine had really been heavy and difficult to drink (as it was the case with the 2006 version of this wine). The taste has tones of peach and underneath liquorice. It is going to be interesting to taste this wine in a couple of years. 16.5/20

KELLER, HUBACKER, RHEINHESSEN, GG, 2007

Nice orange fruit with Mirabella combined with reserved minerality in the nose. Compared to the earlier years it is like the HC Andersen history of the little ugly duckling that becomes the beautiful swan. I have always been a enormous fan of this field and the resulting GG wines (especially after some years in the bottle), but in general Hubacher (in Denmark) has always split people into two fractions – the people who like it and the people who finds it to opulent and heavy. This year it is crazy and will bring the two fractions together. The wine is simply mind blowing - very tight, precise, balanced and elegant in its expression – with a beautiful juicy acidity. The wine starts out really tight with a closed fruit mainly acidity driven before developing complex non-linear in an extreme long mineral finish. In the cores of the wine simmers a cool and shy orange and Mirabella fruit which finalizes this master piece.

A complete manifestation on how a mater piece can be generated by keep experimenting and developing the method again and again (and of course a “bit” of luck with the weather) – thanks Klaus Peter and co-workers for all the hard work to bring this wine into the world.

It is crazy that this wine is still so cheap…..

19.0/20.0

BATTENFELD-SPANIER, CO, RHEINHESSEN, 2007

A wine to love or hate - this is not my style.... Simply to much of everything. Maybe it will be interesting to drink in future - but in the current stage I do not like the wine. I will not rate this wine - as it will not be fair because it is so extremely atypical. Still great craft

HEAT 9:
KELLER, KIRCHSPIEL, RHEINHESSEN, GG, 2007Se earlier TN:

http://german-wines.blogspot.com/2008/11/klaus-peter-keller-just-send-me-this.html

18.5/20

KELLER, BRUNNENHÄUSCHEN ”ABTSERDE”, GG, 2007

Still Kellers little baby – so beautiful elegant having simply an amazing dense closed mineral core. Much more structure compared to last year. We should be so happy that this wine is not going to the auction this year. A lot of orange fruit and mandarin in the brilliant juicy taste. Still I think this wine will really have the largest potential over time – it is so tight and closed in its current stage. It needs time to grow and develop. The wine gets ½ a point for its potential. 19.5/20

HEAT 10:
KELLER, MORSTEIN, RHEINHESSEN, GG, 2007

Keller’s Morstein always brings me to a metaphysics world. Really it is like a slim ballerina where the fruit is the skin so tight to the body dancing in a sensual dance in your mouth. As soon as it touches your tongue one feels the vulnerable mineral skeleton behind the skin and the smooth body of the wine that is fighting for being realesed from the embrace of the electric acid. It is so elegant and so complex playing with your mind. This year simply my favorite. 20/20

KELLER, G-MAX, TROCKEN, RHEINHESSEN, 2007

This is the king over them all - complete with its duality and majestic power. Powerfull! but still it has a clear, elegant, humble underplayed impression. So much concentration and still light and dancing in the mind. Fruity and juicy but still it is build up of massive complex mineral layer on top of each other. Extremely complex non-linear development in the long brilliant finish. The wine is like a big orchestra playing Wagner - piano pianissimo to forte fortissimo back and forward….. So much of everything but still in an extremely balanced and elegant mode. Exceptional electric and juicy acid in the long taste. The world greatest dry Riesling in the last century – this will be a legend!! A wine that will be told stories about in the future. I have tasted it two times and that’s already really crazy. Klaus Peter is a magician and the king of dry riesling – this is the proof of the Keller family skills. 20/20

\Dennis