Hubacker, Riesling, Grosses Gewächs, 2017
More closed on the nose than Kirchpiel, nothing new there, with savoury, herbal and fine lees notes dominating for now. On the palate this is composed and tight knit, with complex mineral notes, green apricots and salt all corseted in a rippling, firm linear GG of great power and poise. The pure limestone soils of Hubacker always tend to produce powerfully mineral wines that take a few years to reveal themselves fully.
critic reviews
Seedy huckleberry, seed-tinged apple and chalky suffusion combine for a performance of pithy, piquant concentration. The texture is firm and the overall impression formidable, but even with a finishing rush of apple and lemon juiciness, somewhat austere. I miss the textural allure and salinity of this wine’s Kirchspiel counterpart, or what I termed the “unusual animation and transparency” exhibited by its vintage 2016 predecessor. Possibly I tasted it at an awkward moment; even so, I would be inclined to wait before popping more than the first cork.