2018 Schubertslay Trocken 37 19
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Tasting notes
Lemon, grapefruit, nectarine and cassis are coolingly and stimulatingly laced with mint and oregano on a soaring nose and a polished, brightly juicy, remarkably delicate palate. Apropos of delicacy, at 9% alcohol, here is one of those 2018s that brilliantly demonstrates the advantages of letting more alcohol accumulate than is generally associated nowadays with Kabinett, thus holding sweetness in check while paying no price in terms of perceived levity. Brightness of citrus, piquancy of huckleberry, green herbal pungency and a prickle of nettle combine for electrical, tongue-tingling invigoration as well as consummate refreshment on a buoyantly wafting, superbly sustained finish. This wine caused quite a stir because after the Mosel VDP (a.k.a. Grosser Ring) rejected Keller’s proposal to have it offered at their September auction in Trier, his VDP colleagues from Rheinhessen and the Nahe allowed it to be auctioned at their annual event, where, at €550 per bottle, it achieved the highest hammer price.
Critic scores
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Like the 2019 Schubertslay Alte Reben, this is more spicy, more mineral on the nose than the Kabinett from the 60-year-old vines. Savoury, mineral and deeply spicy. There’s also a slightly wild herbal note here. Intensely mineral. On the palate, that same grip and super-salty finish. Pulls your palate into a tight hold, a grip. The minerality here seems to come from deeper under the ground. (JH)
A myriad of fresh spices and minerals here â everything from cloves to slate, to gin and tonic, to sheer rock face to chalk cliff. So delicate and dainty on the medium-bodied palate with the slightest touch of sweetness that is more or less seamless. The acidity drive and cut-throat, piercing texture is awe-inspiring. The finish is like chewing sharp pierces of porcelain that have been wrapped in wool. Drink now or hold.
Cask sample. Own-rooted centenarian vines. Picked in the last few days of September at 82 Oechsle. Basket-pressed. Fermented in old oak and now in tank on lees to retain freshness. Like the baby on the mother’s breast, says Keller. If you stir, you round the edges; he explains that he wants precise edges. Total production c 600 bottles. This has all the aromas of the Grosses Gewächs but is a little more lifted from the glass, perhaps by the sweetness? And there’s even more orange on the nose; it’s a touch less savoury, a little sweeter-smelling but still with those wild herbs and sour fruits. Here the minerality has a slightly lighter touch, more stones than oily spice. Lime fruit and dried grasses. This wine has a delicacy and yet takes hold of your palate – and all your attention – with the intense contrast between fruit sweetness and acidity. It’s an intense Kabinett but still has the finesse of the style. Gorgeous depth with hints of orange and apricot and yet that sour freshness that is entirely Mosel Riesling from a great site. Sweet, silky and great length. Has strength at its heart but lightness in its limbs. It opens up to a lighter, more herbal prettiness compared with the defiant intensity of the Grosses Gewächs, which becomes more spicy with air. (JH)
About the producer
Based in the Rheinhessen, Keller is one of the finest Riesling producers in the world, and has set the benchmark for German Pinot Noir.