2018 Keller - Westhofener Morstein Riesling Grosses Gewachs
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Tasting notes
There is downright severity to the penetration that this delivers on the nose – of crushed citrus seeds, oregano, sea breeze and chalk dust – as well as to the gripping tactile impingement of those elements on the palate. The feel is firm, but even taken together with the aforementioned sense of severity, the wine doesn’t come off as austere, thanks to its mouthwatering salinity and abundant bright juiciness of lime and grapefruit. The vibratory finish is tongue-lashing in intensity, but you don’t have to be some kind of masochist to enjoy drinking this, because it’s refreshing as well as rivetingly fascinating. I’m left with a paradoxical set of impressions: On the one hand of a palate-scouring, on the other hand, of chalk, salt and citrus oil layers having been deposited that it would be hard to scrape from my teeth. What I wrote about this wine’s vintage 2017 predecessor holds true here as well: “[F]or all that [it] approaches hyper-concentration, it nonetheless exhibits an exhilarating sense of animation and lift while compelling the next sip.” To which observation Keller responded, “That’s exactly how it should be.”
Critic scores
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
The minerality here is astonishing â the citrus fruit is so pure and so powerful that it prickles the inside of your nose like a pickle or heady spice. Crushed bones, wet stones and flint are dialed up nearly to perfection. Talk about vertical? No. Talk about a skyscraper! It has so much energy it nearly explodes, the acidity rising up to infinity and beyond. Staggering freshness and length. If this doesnât blow you away, nothing will. Drink now or hold for a very, very long time.
Cask sample. Like the Hubacker, the fruit is golden, ripe and spicy – yellow plum, ripe grapefruit and Seville orange. But there is also a strong fumy herbal character of Riesling from a top site spontaneously fermented. Savoury/mineral spice counterbalanced by intense lemon fruit, more citrus than the Hubacker on the palate but equally powerful and concentrated. So intense it feels as if it needs a little water to reveal its full aroma, the way some single malts do, but it just needs time (please don’t add water). Extreme wine of such intensity it is almost painful to taste now, though it could also be to do with a build up of acidity during the tasting. Wait. (JH)
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.