About This Wine
This is Weil’s “villages” level Riesling, the village being Kiedrich. The fruit here comes exclusively from the top, classified, hillside sites of Klosterberg, Turmberg and Gräfenberg. It's a blend of younger vine material, as well as first-picked parcels from these sites. As you would expect from a wine drawn from such sites, this is a massive step up, with considerably more texture, power, class and sense of place than the wine above. It’s full of pulpy stone fruit and citrus rind/grapefruit goodness and is driven by tangy, intense, rocky mineral freshness. There’s plenty of flesh but the wine simply dances across the palate. The style is archetypal Kiedrich (i.e. mineral, high grown and driven) and beautifully expresses both its origins and the meticulous culture behind the wine. Stunning and, dare we say it, every bit as good as the 2015 at this stage.
| Type | White Wine |
|---|---|
| Varietal(s) | Riesling |
| Country | Germany |
| Region | Rheingau |
| Brand | Robert Weil |
| Vintage | 2017 |
About German Wines
Germany is the world’s northernmost fine wine producing region and thus requires its vines to endure some of the coldest temperatures. Fortunately, the country’s start variety, Riesling, does well in cooler climates and can survive even these freezing winters.
Germany Riesling is classified by ripeness at harvest which is also used to indicate the wine’s level of residual sugar. Picking earlier means the grapes have less time to ripen and the corresponding wines will be on the drier side; while picking later gives the grapes the opportunity full ripen and produce a lusciously sweet Riesling. The classifications from driest to sweetest: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese and Eiswein (ice wine). While not as common to age white wines outside of Chardonnay, top tier German Rieslings can be aged for decades.
Other notable white grape varieties produced in Germany include Müller-Thurgau (a cross between Riesling and Madelaine Royale in the search for varieties that could withstand the extreme temperatures), Grauburguner (Pinot Gris) and Weissburguner (Pinot Blanc). The cooler German climate leads to earlier harvesting in general and gives German wines a distinctive character of higher acidity.
Historically red wine has always been harder to produce in the German climate. However, Pinot Noir grown in slightly warmer pockets of the country, has been highly successful in recent times. Going by the German name, Spätburgunder, German Pinot Noir can be elegant, structured and have vibrant acidity.
James Suckling – Quite a serious dry Riesling with very good depth, elegant harmony and some real minerality that carries the long finish. Drink through 2024.” 91 points, Stuart Pigott, JamesSuckling.com
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