2014 Dalsheimer Hubacker Trocken Grosses Gewachs
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Tasting notes
‘Not typical for the Hubacker’, from the mouth of experts, does not have to be understood as a condemnation of the 2014 vintage, only as a declaration that the almost vegetal and green-peel aromas are different from the perceived Hubacker norm. The palate is nothing but consistent with this assessment, very taut and bordering onto the astringent. Compactness, structure and extract have set the scene for a fascinating development, but rather than ever becoming mainstream or the darling at dinner tables, this is far more likely to find cult status among the Riesling trocken purist hardcore. (MS)
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Piquant huckleberry and pit-inflected fresh apple are allied to chalky and ashen notes surprisingly reminiscent of the corresponding Kirchspiel (from which one expects a more austere performance). There is a broader palate impression with less focus and brightness here, yet not the greater overall generosity or youthful appeal one might have anticipated given past performances of this bottling. The wine's bitter elements need to better integrate themselves, and while there is no denying the sheer palate-staining intensity and persistence on display, I’ll be surprised if the corresponding “Von der Fels” bottling doesn’t remain more impressive--not to mention more charming--than this Hubacker.
The 2014 Dalsheim Hubacker Riesling trocken Grosses Gewachs shows a clear, more open and fruity bouquet with just a hint of chalk and lemon flavors, compared to the other Grosses Gewächs wines. On the palate, this is a full-bodied, rich, very clear, elegant and quite concentrated Riesling with power, phenols and complexity; but it is less stimulating at the moment compared to the Kirchspiel. The finish is very aromatic in its grapey character, pure and salty. However, the wine should be aged for at least another 3-4 years.
Klaus Peter Keller does not produce ostentatious Grosse Gewächse and the Hubacker is possibly the most restrained, with its mountain stream-like freshness and cool stony minerality. What wine critics call minerality can take a number of expressions from salty to flinty, chalky to earthy, even wet pebbles sometimes serve as a valid association. The Hubacker does not make it that easy and at the end of the day it’s that combination of fresh and cool which proves its main attraction. (MS)
About the producer
Based in the Rheinhessen, Keller is one of the finest Riesling producers in the world, and has set the benchmark for German Pinot Noir.