2015 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Grosses Gewachs
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Tasting notes
Weighty, palpably dense and adamantly stony – albeit with welcome primary midpalate juiciness and a modicum of residual sugar to help offset its austerity – this is not a wine I would have recognized blind as Wehlener Sonnenuhr. Incisive crunch and subtly bitter earthiness of salad turnip are accompanied by fresh lemon, leading to a finish impressive for sheer grip but pithy and tight. Bittersweet floral aromas lend intrigue and hopefully presage corresponding palate allure once the wine has had a couple of years in the bottle. Interestingly, Thomas Haag’s corresponding Grosses Gewächs also struck me as unusually austere for a Wehlener Sonnenuhr, even by the standards of its genre. (I last tasted this wine in mid-September 2016, shortly before it was bottled.)
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Michael Schmidt
More reviews and scores
From roughly 130-year-old, ungrafted vines, the 2015 Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Alte Reben GG is from the Laychen plot and offers a beautifully clear, bright and fresh Riesling, slate and lemon bouquet with a remarkable depth and mineral freshness. It is full-bodied, round and lush on the palate, with a smooth acidity and a generous texture. This is a mouth-filling, pretty rich and fruit-intense Sonnenuhr with very fine tannins and a long, aromatic finish. I recommend cellaring this grand cru for another 5-10 years, during which time it will gain more finesse and transparency, and should lose its baby fat.
Because Erni Loosen has been making the GGs from the Würzgarten, Treppchen and Prälat longer than this wine, it often gets ignored or underrated. The nose is like a huge bouquet of flowers, and you need some time to take them all in. The palate’s generous and juicy, but also very elegant and graceful, the very ripe gently acidity lifting the rich body. Intensely mineral finish. Sep 2016, www.jamessuckling.com
The Sonnenuhr uses stone fruit and a gentle floral aroma to distinguish itself from the other Loosen renditions. The palate pleases with soft apricot and a very rich texture. Will appeal to the aficionados of the sweeter and softer style of Grosses Gewächs, a subtle citrus-peel edge satisfies the demand for freshness. Aug 2016, www.jancisrobinson.com, Drink: 2016-2021