2021 and 2020 Rheingau Riesling GG Part I: Schlenzenberg and Wisselbrunnen from Barth, Diefenhardt, August Eser, Kaufmann, Georg Müller Stiftung, and Josef Spreitzer

 

In contrast to the Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer, where all the GG’s shown were 2021, an increasing number of Rheingau producers are holding their wines back for an extra year of aging, and so many of the new-release GG’s are from 2020. (Continue reading here.)

2021 Mosel Riesling GG Part VII: Kirchberg, Röttgen, Stolzenberg, Uhlen, Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay, Uhlen Laubach, Uhlen Roth Lay from Heymann-Löwenstein and Knebel


From the end of the Mosel, just before it empties into the Rhine, some unexpected unevenness in these wines. (Continue reading here.)

2021 Mosel Riesling GG Part II: Domherr, Goldtröpfchen, and Schubertslay from Grans-Fassian, von Kesselstatt, Schloss Lieser-Thomas Haag, Vereinigte Hospiten, and Nik Weis-St Urbanshof

 

The uniform quality continues with the Piesport wines. (Continue reading here.)

2021 Mosel Riesling GG Part I: Apotheke, Hofberg, Laurnetiuslay, Layet from Grans-Fassian and Nik Weis-St Urbanshof

 

Here we begin the journey down the Mosel River with good offerings from two outstanding producers. (Continue reading here.)

2021 and 2020 Ruwer (Mosel) Riesling GG: Abtsberg, Bruderberg, Herrenberg, and Karthäuserhofberg from Maximin Grünhaus/von Schubert and Karthäuserhof

 Von Schubert has great 2021s, and Karthäuserhof’s outstanding 2020 sets the table for its 2021 to be released next year. (Continue reading here.)

2021 Saar (Mosel) Riesling GG Part III: Gottesfuss, Rausch, Scharzhofberger, and Volz from Vereinigte Hospiten, Van Volxem, and Zilliken/Forstmeister Geltz

 This is the last batch of the great 2021 Saar GG’s for now, but surely more will be shown next year. (Continue reading here.)

2021 Saar (Mosel) Riesling GG Part II: Altenberg, Bockstein,Saarsfeiler from von Hövel, van Volxem, Vereinigte Hospiten, and Nik Weis-St Urbanshof

 

As with the previous group, the strength of Saar wines is apparent, but also inexplicable disappointment. (Continue reading here.)

2021 and 2020 Franken Silvaner GG Part II: Am Lumpen 1655, Hohenroth, Pfülben, and Ratsherr from Müller, Horst Sauer, Rainer Sauer, Schmitt's Kinder, Störrlein Krenig

 

More wines from Franken, where Silvaner can achieve a quality unmatched anywhere else in the world. (Continue reading here.)


2021 and 2020 Franken Silvaner GG Part I: Fürstlicher Kalmuth, Höheleite, Julius-Echter-Berg, Stein-Berg, Stein-Harfe from Bürgerspital, Juliusspital, Löwenstein, Ruck, Staatliche Hofkeller, Weltner, and Wirsching

 

Before we get to the Rieslings, I’ll start with Silvaner GG’s that were presented at the Wiesbaden tasting. Here, too, the 2021 vintage was very successful, as was the 2020 vintage. (Continue reading here.)

Introduction to German Grosses Gewächs Wines of the Great 2021 Vintage and Other Recent Vintages

For the prior three days, I have been tasting Grosses Gewächs wines at the annual preview put on by the VDP, the group composed of many of the most elite wine estates in Germany; the wines will be released to the public on September 1.  This was the 21st annual tasting of the wines, and I am privileged to have attended 19 of them (because of COVID restrictions, I could not enter Germany in 2020 and there was another tasting that I missed in the early 2000s). (Continue reading here.)

White Loire Wines Recently Tasted -- Brégeon/Lailler, Colin, Delaporte, Janvier, Pépière, Perraud, Perrières, Pichon

2020 Muscadets continue to impress at all price levels -- fortunately because 2021 was largely wiped out in the region. Other 2020 Loire whites seem to be less consistent. (Continue reading here.)

Recent Wines from Fratelli BARALE (Barolo)

This is a high-quality, traditional estate in the village of Barolo that is not flashy and thus doesn’t receive as much mention as some, but is worth your while running down. (Continue reading here.)

Bruno VERRET/Domaine VERRET (Northern Burgundy)

 Interesting wines that can be found for not much money. My first experience with this producer.

Whites: (Continue reading here.)


Joh. Jos. PRÜM (Mosel) -- 2020 Tasted from Bottle

 Nothing much to say by way of introduction — great wines from what Stuart Pigott called the world’s greatest white wine estate, one that has never gone through a down period, with which I whole-heartedly agree. Another great vintage here. (Continue reading here).