Westhofen Brunnenhauschen, Abts E, Grosses Gewächs, 2019
critic reviews
The musky-sweet floral pungency here surpasses even the impressive Abtserde norm, with suggestions of lavender, peony, buddleia and narcissus. The glossy palate delivers bright lemon juiciness suffused with chalk and a sensational concentration of herbal piquancy and floral inner-mouth perfume. The finish offers a vibrant, kaleidoscopic reprise of flavors, and its sheer persistence is unequalled even by the remarkable corresponding 2020. As with others of the Keller Grosse Gewächse, 2019 impresses with sheer density, while 2020 provides a more striking sense of clarity.
Grown only 200 meters away from the old-vines Morstein, the 2019 Abts E(rde) Riesling GG combines perfect fruit ripeness with delicate concentration as well as notes of chalk, flint and iron. There is a similarity to both Kirchspiel (minty, herbal and chalky notes) and Morstein (transcendency), but this has unique ripeness and concentration of fruit, with shredded lemon rind and unique finesse. Round and juicy on the palate, this is a supple and intense yet delicate and silky Riesling with a firm structure built by very fine tannins and remarkably fine acidity. There is this slushy chalkiness combined with lemon oil typical for this terroir. The finish is highly intense and long.