(Originally published 30 October 2018)
Before her untimely death, Annegret Reh-Gartner took steps to assure that this estate would continue to produce outstanding wines, and that’s been the case. This is one of the stronger sets of wine that I can recall from this estate.
Before her untimely death, Annegret Reh-Gartner took steps to assure that this estate would continue to produce outstanding wines, and that’s been the case. This is one of the stronger sets of wine that I can recall from this estate.
There are no current release GG wines; as with some other estates, von Kesselstatt is holding them back for release next year, a policy I fully approve of.
2015 Sekt (Mosel) Riesling Brut Majorat
This is a very attractive sparkling wine with a light, dry, austere body, white fruits, and good penetration and nervosity. It is a negociant wine. 12.5% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 01 18. 87/A
2017 Pinot Blanc (trocken) Réserve (Mosel)
2017 seems to be a challenging vintage for Pinot Blanc (Weisser Burgunder) all over Germany, and that includes here. The wine shows a little residual sugar in a medium-weight body with some smoothness and some minerality. It’s fully drinkable but the race and depth that can make German Pinot Blanc exciting are lacking in 2017. 13.0% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 27 18. 85/C
2017 Riesling trocken Alte Reben (Mosel)
This old vine selection is light, dry, and racy, perfect for aperitifs and casual meals. The wine is light in weight, has lime and peach minerality, slight spiciness, and shows the good acidity of 2017 without being overly aggressive. Excellent value. 13.0% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 29 18. 91/A-
2017 Riesling trocken Schloss Marienlay (Mosel)
Schloss Marienlay is in the Ruwer Valley and is where Kesselstatt is located. I don’t know what percentage, if any, of this wine is from Ruwer vineyards (as opposed to Mosel and Saar), but I do find some of what I think of as Ruwer character in this wine with its herbal aspects The wine is light on the palate, firm, dry, salty, and racy with just a bit of juiciness to its citric, especially grapefruit, flavors. Very good intensity and concentration here, too. 12.0% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 33 18. 90/B+
2017 Kaseler Riesling trocken Bereich Ruwer
This wine, from vineyards in Kasel in the Ruwer Valley, takes a little while to unwind, but then it shows attractive white peach skin aromas and a nervy, steely, medium-weight body with incipient apricot fruit. The wine tastes completely dry and has good acid balance. 11.5% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 06 18. 91/A-
2017 Wiltinger Riesling trocken (Saar)
Here is GG quality from a village wine — Kesselstatt’s holdings are that outstanding, and my guess is that there is wine is all or primarily from declassified Scharzhofberger and/or Gottesfuss. The wine is pure, crystalline, taut, and nervy with grapefruit flavors that are just beginning to come to the fore, and a little lead pencil at the back of the mouth. The body is medium-light and there’s a lovely way the wine rolls around the tongue and caresses it. 12.0% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 04 18. 92/A
2017 (Graach) Josephshöfer Riesling feinherb
The Josephshöfer feinherb, nearly dry, might recall to older readers the way the way Kabinett used to taste (although at 10.5% stated alcohol, it reflects the changes of global warming). The wine has attractive rose and apricot aromas and flavors. It is medium-light in weight and displays sufficient acidity. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 10 18. 91/A
2017 (Kaseler) Kehrnagel Riesling Kabinett feinherb Bereich Ruwer
This Kehrnagel is medium-light in weight with saltiness and excellent acidity in a crystalline body. There’s minerality, but with more time the wine should become more expressive. The acidity is sufficient to keep this wine essentially dry-tasting. 10.5% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 12 18. 92/A
2017 (Wiltinger) Gottesfuss Riesling Kabinett feinherb
Off-dry and round, this wine has Saar firmness and stoniness with some salinity to add complexity. What’s missing from a straight Kabinett is the sharpness of the acidity. 11.0% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 07 18. 90/A
2017 Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett feinherb
All the Scharzhofberger energy and tension one expects are on display in this wine. It’s medium-weight, stony, and off-dry with incipient peach and apricot fruit. 10.5% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 11 18. 92(+)/A
2017 Riesling RK (Mosel)
This off-dry wine is made from bought-in fruit. It is light and smooth with lemon and some tropical fruit — ideal as an informal aperitif or with meals, especially for events where you need a good number of inexpensive wine but want to have quality. 10.5% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 75 18. 86/B
2017 (Piesporter) Goldtröpfchen Riesling Kabinett
This is classic Goldtröpfchen Kabinett — light and elegant with just a little sweetness to play against the good acidity. The wine has intensity to its typical peach fruit and good concentration and length. 8.0% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 21 18. 92/A
2017 (Ockfener) Bockstein Riesling Kabinett
Kesselstatt’s Bockstein Kabinett is medium-weight with breadth, melon and apricot fruit, and good length. It tastes relatively sweet for a Kabinett, but not overly so. 8.0% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 24 18. 90/A
2017 (Graach) Josephshöfer Riesling Spätlese
Kesselstatt’s Josephshöfer Spätlese has quite a bit of sweetness to it but also shows good supporting acidity. It shows peach fruit in a medium-weight body. The wine can be drunk now, but I’d be inclined to let it sit in the cellar a bit to allow the sweetness integrate a bit more. 9.0% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 20 18. 90/B+
2017 (Brauneberg) Juffer-Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese
This gorgeous bottle shows the best of the 2017 vintage in the Mosel. The wine is light and elegant with finesse and well-defined apricot fruit. Sure, it should age well for decades but it’s so delicious now, why wait. 7.5% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 23 18. 94/A
2017 (Piesporter) Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese
The Goldtröpfchen Spätlese is quite sweet for a Spätlese, and indeed could pass for an Auslese. The wine has very attractive yellow peach skin aromas and flavors, a light body, and good acidity and nervosity. 7.5% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr. : 22 18. 92(+)/A
2017 Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese
The Scharzhofberger Spätlese is a riveting wine with great intensity to its stony lemon fruit. There’s a fair bit of sweetness here, but it’s balanced by the knife-sharp acidity. 7.5% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.L 19 18. 93+/A
2017 (Kaseler) Nies’chen Riesling Auslese #26 (gold capsule)
This beautiful wine has crystalline, pinpoint apricot and peach fruit with an outstanding sugar/acid balance that leaves the wine sweet, but not too sweet. And it drinks wonderfully, already. 7.5% stated alcohol. Last digits of A.P. Nr.: 26 18. 95/A