2016 Kiedricher Grafenberg Trockenbeerenauslese
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Tasting notes
I may by now seem notorious for my goading of Gräfenberg with the successes of its sibling Turmberg (only reintroduced as an official vineyard designation in 2006); and a wine from Weil’s signature vineyard has seldom had more of a challenge from its Turmberg counterpart than does this one. A nose of candied lime and grapefruit rinds also anticipates the welcome surge of bright fresh citrus juiciness that serves to balance the otherwise candied and almost syrupy impression on a viscous, creamy palate. There isn’t the dazzling diversity here, the floral perfume or herbal essences of the corresponding Turmberg. But as Weil insists, this represents very early days, and a Gräfenberg Riesling – much less a T.B.A. – isn’t supposed to tip its hand more than a little bit at this stage. What this elixir does already inform the lucky taster is that it has stored-up an amazing amount of vinous energy. The finish is so vibrantly penetrating, so palate- and throat-saturating, not to mention so concentrated in its amalgam of confitured, candied and fresh citrus fruits, that it sends shivers down my spine. (Release price referenced here is for 375 ml.)
Critic scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2016 Rheingau Riesling Kiedrich Gräfenberg Trockenbeerenauslese is super flinty and precise on the nose. Very sweet and refined, with a salty purity and piquancy, this is a concentrated and sweet (254 grams of residual sugar) but highly delicate TBA with a crystalline texture and a great finish. Tasted in October 2017.
Not the biggest TBA there ever was, but certainly one of the purest produced in the Rheingau during the last decade. Stunning interplay of dried exotic fruits, enormous richness and vibrant acidity. If you want to experience all the glory, then you\'ll have to wait a decade, but this is a wine with a century for it.
Candied citrus fruit, dried apricots, orange marmalade, lanolin, crème brûlée, the longer you smell this TBA, the more aromas you discover, but it would be a pity to prise such an exquisite and luscious liquid apart into its individual components. Almost like golden syrup in its texture and mouthfeel, it still manages to avoid the sticky trap with a minuscule piquant note of citrus peel and a healthy dose of acidity concentrated by the action of botrytis. (MS)