2015 Westhofener Morstein Grosses Gewachs
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Tasting notes
A significant amount of Morstein from mature vines was directed to this year’s Von der Fels bottling, so that we have in this Grosses Gewächs only the fruit of really old vines. Keller’s openly stated aim is to work toward a Morstein that can stand direct comparison with his consistently amazing Abtserde. Thyme, gentian, lime and green tomato mark the penetrating nose and bright, incisive palate of this firm, vibrant offering. Suggestions of white peach and Rainier cherry sweetness emerge en route to a finish that is ravishing in its combination of cooling herbal notes, cleansing freshness and lasting impressions of chalk and stone. For a wine of 13 percent alcohol, this beauty displays a remarkable degree of buoyancy.
Critic scores
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Jancis Robinson MW
Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
The Morstein is one of Klaus Peter Keller’s late developers, but on our first encounter it rewarded me with a generous fragrance which evoked memories of Mallorcan hinterland, orange and lemon groves along a cool mountain stream, with patches of rocky gravel and exposed chalk. You do have to get out of the tourist comfort zone though to find this place. On the palate the Morstein flirts with the controversy of rich texture and taut structure, generous body and abundant energy. Grapefruit flesh, pith and peel offer juice, piquancy and zest. A strong mineral surge drives the flavour on its long finish. Will take time to reveal its full complexity. (MS)
From an old 0.67-hectare plot with high-density plantings and a low canopy wall, the 2015 Westhofen Morstein Riesling Trocken GG Alte Reben was picked in later October with 92/93° Oechsle and fermented fully dry. It intertwines intensity and power with purity, finesse and freshness like no other wine from Keller in 2015. Clear, pure, fine, fresh and smoky on the nose, with a coolish and unrivaled precise character, this highly elegant wine has great complexity. This is a finessed and singing Riesling with great old-vine intensity. It also has the purity and transparency of a fascinating terroir Riesling from limestone. The wine has that ripeness, intensity, power and concentration of 2015, but there is so much lightness, freshness, silkiness and grip here, too. The acidity is very fine, but vital, and the texture is silky. The grippy finish is full of tension, piquancy and salinity. It's virtually endless in its weightless intensity. This is a benchmark Riesling for 2015 and the most serious rival of the 2015 Forster Pechstein from Reichsrat von Buhl. "We halved the Morstein quantity since 2011 (5,000 bottles) for the GG, because we harvest only the oldest vines now," says Keller, referring to the 70-year-old plot. Keller's 2015 Morstein Riesling GG is the most finessed that I have ever tasted from this domaine. Châpeau!
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.