The annual preview of the latest VDP Grosses Gewachs (GGs) in Wiesbaden is widely considered the best and most comprehensive dry Riesling tasting in the world. 

Invitations are scarce and attendees hand-picked to ensure that the Kurhaus Kolonnade is for three days a year filled with the world’s leading German wine experts. Justerini & Brooks was privileged to be invited this year to join for an in-depth look at the latest releases from all over Germany.

With impeccable organisation, the tasting is conducted in perfect conditions. Approximately 500 wines are submitted for tasting, comprising all the major German grape varieties, meticulously arranged in flights organised by region, village and individual vineyards. Over the three days, I focused on 2016 GG Rieslings from the Nahe, Rheinhessen and Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, as well as the latest 2015 Spatburgunders from the Rheingau, Baden and Pfalz.

The day's tasting began at Willi Schaefer where we were met by the charming Christophe Schaefer.

In tasting our way through a beautiful set of wines from the Himmelreich and Domprobst vineyards in the village of Graach we discovered great "ripeness and structure but also fantastic ripe acidity". We came away stuck by their finesse, elegance and purity. An estate doing great things.

On route to Maximin Grunhaus we stopped at Reinhold Haart to taste his wonderful Piesport Goldtropfchens. A vineyard reknowned for producing some of the richest and most opulent wines in the Mosel, the 2009s are exotic but not without refinement, their richness and almost Rheingau-esk power coming from the soft slate soils and sunbaked aspect of the site.