The greatness we expect from Dönnhoff and outstanding wines from Karsten Peter at Gut Hermannsberg. (Continue reading here.)
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2021, 2020, and 2019 Nahe Riesling GG and an auction 2021 Riesling Kabinett Part II: Dautenpflänzer, (Wallhausen) Felseneck, Johannisberg, Pitterberg from Kruger-Rupf and Prinz Salm
Excellent wines from two estates that are too often overlooked when searching for top quality Nahe wines. (Continue reading here.)
2021 Nahe Riesling GG Part I: Auf der Lay, (Bockenau) Felseneck, Frühlingsplätzchen, Halenberg, Stromberg, "Final" from Emrich-Schönleber and Schäfer-Fröhlich
Two of Germany’s great producers face off in a great vintage. What more could one want? (Continue reading here.)
2021 Mittelrhein Riesling GG: Im Hahn and St. Jost from Toni Jost and Ratzenberger
Wines from one of Germany’s more obscure regions. (Continue reading here.)
2021 and 2020 Rheingau Riesling GG Part VII: Berg Schlossberg and Berg Roseneck from Kloster Eberbach, Künstler, Leitz, and Prinz
More disappointments from the western Rheingau, with Prinz and Künstler as exceptions. (Continue reading here.)
2021 and 2020 Rheingau Riesling GG Part VI: Berg Rottland, Kaiserfels, Rosengarten from Johannishof, Künstler, Leitz, and Ress
With the exception of Johannishof, a very disappointing set of wines. (Continue reading here.)
2020 Rheingau Riesling GG Part V: Hölle, Klaus, Rothenberg, Schloss Johannisberg, Seligmacher from , Prinz von Hessen, Johannishof, Kesseler, Schloss Johannisberg, and Wegeler
As noted previously, many Rheingau estates are holding back their GG’s an extra year before release, so this set is entirely from 2020. (Continue reading here.)
2021 and 2020 Rheingau Riesling Part IV: Hohenrain, Marcobrunn, and Siegelsberg from Kloster Eberbach, Knyphausen, Georg Müller Stiftung, von Oetinger, and Prinz
In addition to the wines below, I tasted 2020 Hohenrain and 2020 Siegelsberg from Jacob Jung, but the wines were not representative of the quality I know from long experience to expect from Jung, and so I suspect that they were not representative and I am not reviewing them here. (Continue reading here.)
2021 and 2020 Rheingau Riesling GG Part II: Baikenkopf, Gräfenberg, Hassel, Jungfer, Schönhell, Steinberg from Barth, Kloster Eberbach, Prinz, and Weil
Again, a mixture of 2020 and 2021 vintages. (Continue reading here.)
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 VI: Marienburg, Mareinburg Fahrlay, Marienburg Fahrlay Terrassen, Marienburg Rothenpfad, Falkenlay from Clemens Busch
Clemens BUSCH
I can’t recall ever having had a disappointing wine from Clemens Busch, so these wines are no surprise. We’ve moved to the Lower Mosel, and so richer, more powerful wines than those in the Mittle Mosel. (Continue reading here.)
2021 Mosel Riesling GG Part IV: Doctor, Domprobst, Himmelreich, Johannisbrünnchen Josephshöfer, Lay, from von Kesselstatt, Loosen, and Wegeler
Notable in this group is the Josephshöfer, completely different from the 2020, which I found troubling. (Continue reading here.)
2021 Mosel Riesling GG Part III: Juffer, Juffer-Sonnenuhr, Niederberg-Helden, and Paulinshofberg from Fritz Haag and Schloss Lieser-Thomas Haag
The late Wilhelm Haag’s sons Olivier and Thomas face off in a comparison of their outstanding 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 Saar (Mosel) Riesling GG Part I: Feils, Kupp, Lambertskirch, Schonfels from Lauer and Van Volxem
The Saar is full of great wines in 2021, but for reasons I am currently unable to explain, there are also some disappointments. (Continue reading here.)
2021 and 2020 Franken Silvaner GG Part III: Himmelspfad, Maustal, Mönchof, Rothlauf, Stein from Am Stein/Knoll, Bickel-Stumpf, Luckert, May
Finishing the 2020 and 2021 Silvaner GG’s, all showing the same high level of quality. (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.)
Miscellaneous Red Burgundies from 2020 and 2019 Tasted from Bottle: Berger, Jacqueson, Raquillet, Sarrazin, Soeur Cadette
Some unevenness in this selection, but there is quality to be had for not all that much money compared to Côte d'Or wines. (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.)
Guy et Thomas FARGE (Northern Rhône) -- 2019 Tasted from Bottle
2019 is the second vintage since Thomas Farge took over making of the wines from his father.
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).