| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | Germany > Rheinhessen |
| Colour | White |
| Type | Still |
From 51-year-old vines on very barren rocks, Keller's 2015 Westhofen Kirchspiel Riesling Trocken GG is clear, intense and precise on the nose. It is very ripe and concentrated, provided with refreshingly chalky lemon and even discreet mocha/nougat flavors. Great purity and vitality on the palate, but it also has lots of power! Its power is very well captured by the concentration of everything: fruit, minerals and acidity. The 2015 Kirchspiel is full of terroir and vintage expression, a dense and round, yet tension-filled and vitalizing Riesling. This wine has a very linear and straight-forward character, with an enormous complexity and power, as well as finesse, grip and minerality. Keller's Kirchspiel was picked in two passes: one earlier and one later. "It was important to keep the grapes shadowed and to not pick too early," says Keller, who was still full of fear in August, due to the drought and heat. But he is pretty happy with the result, today.
The 2015 Kirchspiel GG is a superb wine in the making. The bouquet is nascently complex and very precise, wafting from the glass in a mix of orange, sweet grapefruit, chalky minerality, just a touch of wild yeasts, citrus zest and a topnote of dried flowers. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, pure and very, very racy, with a rock solid core, brisk, ripe acids and stunning backend mineral drive on the very, very long and oh, so promising finish. A magical vintage for the Kirchspiel!
