The 2016 VDP GG tasting, part 2
51 Grosses Gewächs from the 2016 VDP tasting in Wiesbaden, Germany: Rheingau, Pfalz and Rheinhessen

The 2016 VDP tasting of the Grosses Gewächs (GGs) was a special occasion, and I’ve written about it here on my blog. Below are notes on 51 Riesling GGs from the Pfalz, Rheingau and Rheinhessen, most from the highly regarded 2015 vintage. These wines are, of course, just babies at the moment, and their true qualities will become apparent with a few years’ bottle age. But it was great to be able to try them in such well controlled conditions in this comparative format. See also: my notes on the 49 Mosel wines shown at this tasting. 

RHEINGAU

Barth Hattenheim Wisselbrunnen Riesling GG 2015 Rheingau, Germany
Has depth and freshness with a nice density to the fresh lemony fruit. Juicy and focused with a lemony core. Harmonious. 92/100                                                                                   

Hans Lang Hattenheim Wisselbrunnen Riesling GG 2015 Rheingau, Germany
Distinctive with a spicy, herby edge to the dense citrus fruits. Nice precision here with some lovely crystalline fruit characters. 92/100                                                                                

Josef Spreitzer Hattenheim Wisselbrunnen Riesling GG 2015 Rheingau, Germany
Very pretty fruit: pure, linear and detailed with nice focus to the citrus fruits. Some pear and a hint of melon here, too. Lovely purity and freshness with good density. 92/100              

Georg Müller Hattenheim Nussbrunnen Riesling GG 2015 Rheingau, Germany
Fresh and bright with a keen citrussy core and some ripe apple and herb notes supporting. Compact and taut with good acidity. 91/100                                                                                 

Balthasar Ress Hattenheim Nussbrunnen Riesling GG 2015 Rheingau, Germany         
Generous honeyed nose with some crystalline fruits. White peach and pear fruit with a rounded, nutty character. Lovely broad, generous style. 91/100                                                                                  

Prinz Hallgarten Jungfer Riesling GG 2015 Rheingau, Germany
Detailed and lively with vibrant lemon and grapefruit characters, together with high acidity. Beautifully aromatic and focused with nice weight. Pure and pristine. 93/100                                                                           

Barth Hallgarten Schönhell Riesling GG 2015 Rheingau, Germany
Stony, smoky nose with high acidity. Very lemony and focused showinga stony, savoury quality. Linear, with good acidity. 93/100                                                                                   

Prinz Hallgarten Schönhell Riesling GG 2015 Rheingau, Germany
Very detailed and fresh with lemons and pithy grapefruit. Has some tangerine, too. Lovely fruit focus with nice purity. 92/100                                                                           

Peter Jakob Kühn Mittelheim St. Nikolaus Riesling GG 2014 Rheingau, Germany
Lovely matchstick reduction adds minerality to this generously fruity wine, with complex, herb-tinged apple, herb and lemon notes, as well as a hint of peach and cabbage. Rich and complex but with good acidity, this has lots of personality. 95/100                                                                              

F.B. Schönleber Mittelheim St. Nikolaus Riesling GG 2015 Rheingau, Germany
Lively and fresh but with some generous yellow plum fruit. Has a hint of herbiness, too, with good acidity. Complex and pretty with a fine spiciness. Mineral. 93/100                                                                         

Josef Spreitzer Mittelheim St. Nikolaus Riesling GG 2015 Rheingau, Germany
Smoky, herby, lemony nose. The palate shows broad pear and melon fruit with some spicy citrus notes keeping things fresh. Lovely complexity here, with generosity and minerality to the fruit. 93/100                                                                            

Hessische Staatsweingüter Kloster Eberbach Rauenthal Baikenkopf  Riesling GG 2015 Rheingau, Germany
So delicate and pure with pure pear and apple notes complementing the gentle citrus core. Really elegant style. 93/100                                                                                 

August Eser Oestrich Doosberg  Riesling GG 2015 Rheingau, Germany
Fresh and textural with a clarity to the citrus and pear fruit, with some spicy limey notes framing the fruit. Nice finesse here. 93/100                                                                           

Peter Jakob Kühn Oestrich Doosberg Riesling GG 2014 Rheingau, Germany
Has some rich, honeyed, spicy notes on the nose, alongside the pure citrus fruits. Richness and detail on the palate with sweet, broad pear, melon and lemon fruit. Really complex and with great concentration. 94/100                                                                              

Josef Spreitzer Oestrich Rosengarten Riesling GG 2015 Rheingau, Germany
Ripe and focused with good definition to the pear, melon and citrus fruit. Dry but with some generosity, showing good concentration and lovely fruit intensity. Really nice. 94/100                                                                        

Geheimrat  J. Wegeler Oestrich Rosengarten Riesling GG 2015 Rheingau, Germany
Juicy and bright with nice grapefruit and herb notes. Lovely lemony fruit here. Fresh with good focus and brightness. 91/100                                                                             

Schloss Vollrads Schlossberg Riesling GG 2015 Rheingau, Germany
Open, fresh and gently herby with ripe apple and lemon fruit, as well as a bit of melony richness. Supple and juicy with nice acidity. Has precision and freshness. Midweight. 92/100                                                                               

 

PFALZ

A. Christmann Königsbach Riesling GG 2015 Pfalz, Germany
Generous and detailed with nice rich melon and pear fruit. Has lovely breadth here but stays in focus with a bit of spiciness and a touch of citrus pith. Harmony, texture and purity here. 93/100   

Geh. Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan Forst Ungeheuer Riesling GG 2015 Pfalz, Germany
Fresh and vivid with nice citrus fruit. Textural and generous with a bit of melon alongside the pear and white peach. Ripeness and concentration here. Lovely. 94/100                                                                               

Reichsrat von Buhl Forst Ungeheuer Riesling GG 2015 Pfalz, Germany
Cream, melons and pears here with nice weight to the pear and apple fruit, as well as some citrussy detail. Nicely focused with a tangerine edge. 93/100                                                                          

Georg Mosbacher Forst Ungeheuer Riesling GG 2015 Pfalz, Germany
Pithy, waxy edge to the nose. Cabbagey and herby with a slightly plastic-like reductive edge to the fruit. 86/100                                                                                  

von Winning Forst Ungeheuer Riesling GG 2015 Pfalz, Germany
Generous peach and pear fruit with lovely weight and fruit sweetness, as well as a slight hint of cabbage. Honeyed and bold with lots of ripe fruit. 91/100                                                                            

Acham-Magin Forst Ungeheuer Riesling GG 2015 Pfalz, Germany
Rich, sweetly fruited and bold with dense pear and peach fruit. Generous and ripe with a nice fine spicy core. Succulent fruit here. 92/100                                                                                  

Geh. Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan Deidesheim Kalkofen Riesling GG 2015
Complex, taut and detailed with lovely pure lemon and pear fruit. Has freshness and finesse with lovely acidity and precision. So detailed and fine. 95/100                                                                             

von Winning Deidesheim Kalkofen Riesling 2015 Pfalz, Germany
Pretty and detailed, combining ripe pear and melon fruit with a lively lemony core. Bright and fine, but also broad and with a lovely melony character. Nice spicy detail. Just lovely in a richer style. 94/100                                                                                   

Geh. Rat Dr. von Bassermann-Jordan Deidesheim Grainhübel Riesling GG 2015 Pfalz, Germany
Textural and broad with some fresh lemony notes as well as rich, focused melon and pear fruit, with some ripe apple. Lovely ripe style. 93/100                                                                                

von Winning  Deidesheim Grainhübel Riesling GG 2015 Pfalz, Germany
Very appealing and fruity with nice precision and focus. Juicy, fresh and lively with a herby tinge to the ripe fruit. Really attractive. 93/100                                                                                

A. Christmann Deidesheim Langenmorgen Riesling GG 2015 Pfalz, Germany
Talcum powder edge to the focused lemony fruit nose. The palate shows mint, lemons and pears with nice concentration and a touch of herbal quality. Attractive stuff. 92/100                                                                                   

von Winning Deidesheim Langenmorgen Riesling GG 2015 Pfalz, Germany
Tangerine and mint on the nose. Fresh but ripe with nice detail to the pear and lemon fruit. Generous and appealing with a lovely fruit quality. 92/100

 

RHEINHESSEN

Gunderloch Nierstein Pettenthal Riesling 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Pithy, minty, lemony nose. The palate is tight and focused with very high acidity and lovely mineral characters. So bright and vital with keen acidity. Pure. Linear. 93/100                                                                             

Kühling-Gillot Nierstein Pettenthal Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Bright and minty with nice lemony acidity. Focused and pure with a real freshness and a linear quality to the lemony fruit. Zippy and intense. 92/100                                                                                   

Rappenhof  Nierstein Pettenthal Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Lemony and direct with a subtle herbal edge and some white peach richness alongside keen citrussy fruit. Very bright and appealing with nice fruit. 91/100                                                                                 

St. Antony Nierstein Pettenthal Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Complex mint and citrus nose with lovely spicy, peachy detail. The palate has ripe apple and apricot alongside very attractive citrus fruits. Generous and delightful but still quite serious. 93/100                                                                                   

Kühling-Gillot Nierstein Ölberg Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Tight herb and citrus nose with lovely focused citrus fruit on the palate. Complex savoury herby characters here. Quite serious with nice weight. 92/100                                                                              

Schätzel Nierstein Ölberg Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Lively, intense citrus fruit with some minerally notes. Nice acidity and depth with some pear fruit richness. Subtle savoury herbiness, too. Very appealing. 92/100                                                                            

Gunderloch Nierstein Hipping Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Very pretty with fresh tangerine and lemon notes. Lovely zippy acidity and freshness here. It's so vital and precise and pure. 93/100                                                                               

Kühling-Gillot Nierstein Hipping Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Distinctive stony, mineral, reductive nose. The palate is savoury and mineral with nice focus and depth. Deliciously tight and mineral. 92/100                                                                          

St. Antony Nierstein Hipping Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Lively with mint and fennel hints to the mineral citrus fruits. Stony and savoury with lovely detail and a distinctve savoury minty herbal edge. Delicious stuff. 93/100                                                                              

Schätzel Nierstein Hipping  Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Smoky, detailed, stony and lemony with a bit of mint and fabulous herb-tinged lemony fruit. Direct and quite savoury, and delicious. 93/100                                                                                 

Wittmann Westhofen Aulerde Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Electric, lively and intense with vivid lemony fruit and great concentration. The acid is really high, but it integrates really well. Such precision and purity with real focus. Long and mineral, this is thrilling. 94/100                                                                                  

Wittmann Westhofen Kirchspiel Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Detailed and pretty with lively citrus fruit showing admirable purity and keen, lemony acidity. Focused, pure and intense with amazing acidity. So fine. 93/100                                                                           

Wittmann Westhofen Brunnenhäuschen Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Complex, detailed and lemony with great precision to the citrus fruit palate. Bright and focused with a subtle herby edge and some savoury, mineral detail. 94/100                                                                                  

Gutzler Westhofen Morstein Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Generous and textured with nice pear and white peach fruit. Some creaminess too. Nice broad citrussy fruit on the palate. Detailed and alive. 92/100                                                                         

Wittmann Westhofen Morstein Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Combines sweet citrus fruits with a bit of melony richness and good acidity. Some smoky, mineral hints here. Very lively with nice acidity, well integrated into the rich fruit. Lovely wine. 93/100                                                                               

Keller Dalsheim Hubacker Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Really complex, detailed citrussy nose with some melony richness and a bit of spice. The palate is elegant, harmonious and textured with lovely depth and focus. Manages to stay light on its feet while retaining complexity and focus. 94/100                                                                        

Battenfeld-Spanier Mölsheim  Zellerweg am Schwarzen Herrgott Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany      
Very bright, detailed and intense with keen acidity and a subtle herbal edge to the lively lemony fruit. So intense and vivid with real bite and minerality. 92/100                                                                          

Battenfeld-Spanier Nieder-Flörsheim Frauenberg Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Subtle honey and spice complement the herb-tinged lemony fruit. This is intense and complex with some creaminess hiding under the intense lemony acidity. Great concentration and intensity here. 92/100                                                                                  

Battenfeld-Spanier Hohen-Sülzen Kirchenstück Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Wax, herbs and minerals here. So lively and bright with concentrated lemony fruit. There's a touch of spiciness, too. Intense, vivid, vital and nervy, this is impressive. 93/100                                                                                 

Winter Dittelsheim Leckerberg Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Waxy and pithy with concentrated melon, pear and grapefruit characters. Lovely detail to this wine, which is trying to be broad but stays lean and focused. Very appealing with some herbal hints. 92/100                                                                                   

Winter Dittelsheim Geyersberg Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Spicy, complex citrus and pear fruit dominate here. Great concentration with good acidity supporting the fruit. Detailed and crystalline with lovely balance. 94/100                                                                                

Winter Dittelsheim Kloppberg Riesling GG 2015 Rheinhessen, Germany
Fresh, juicy and intense with nice balanced linear citrus fruits. Fine spicy notes, lovely open lemon fruit, and nice detail. Dry and elegant with nice poise. 93/100        

Wines tasted 08/16  
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