2017 Riesling Meerspinne Mandelgarten Grosses Gewachs
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Tasting notes
From an excellent vineyard in Gimmeldingen, the 2017 Riesling Meerspinne (im Mandelgarten) GG is clear, precise and piquant on the nose, with fresh and spicy, if not even flinty Riesling and concentrated white peach aromas intertwined with crystalline and peppery notes of crushed stones. On the palate, the wine is rather smooth and juicy but lacks a bit of the precision and crystallinity promised on the nose. The wine is round and juicy and a bit salty, but it's not as clear and bright as in its best years. There is a lack of inspiration, finesse and mouth-salivating salinity and complexity. In the end, it's rather one-dimensional. 12.5% alcohol. Tasted two times in December 2019.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
On the nose – and even more so on the invigoratingly tart-edged, zesty palate – lime and transparent summer apple project a brighter, less obviously ripe impression than in most other Christmann 2017s. A fusel note adds interest and anticipates the slightly oily texture, while a strikingly vivid sense of chalk and stone suffusion carries into a brightly penetrating, seriously sustained finish. (The informational – as opposed to presentation – label of this bottle reads “Gimmeldinger Meerspinne im Mandelgarten,” referencing the official Einzellage. For further background on this wine and its name, consult my reviews of the 2015 Meerspinne and the 2014 Gimmeldinger Mandelgarten Riesling Grosses Gewächs.)
On the nose the Meerspinne is a little less fruity than some of Christmann's other Grosse Gewächse – not to its detriment though. Herbal and mineral aromas give it an intriguingly cool aura. On the palate, fruit is given a little more leeway – subtle notes of melon and peach. The herbal-mineral combination takes over the finish. (MS)