2018 Riesling G-Max Trocken

From a vintage with a very warm and extremely dry summer, Keller's 2018 Riesling G-Max is clear, very dense and slightly phenolic on the nose that quotes citrus notes and ripe, concentrated stone fruit aromas. Juicy and very dense or even massive in its firm structure but also provided with fine mineral acidity, the 2018 G-Max develops an enormously salty, long-lasting finish but remains an embryonic dry Riesling with the structure of a Clos-Ste-Hune from Trimbach and probably also its life expectancy. Tasted blind as wine number 17 of the Keller vertical, right after the 2016 vintage at Steinheuer's Restaurant Zur Alten Post, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, in January 2024.

On the nose, a smoky, peaty, and far more overtly mineral impression is conveyed than from the corresponding Abtserde, without the latter’s anticipations of floral perfume. By way of fruit aromas, zesty lime and lemon, piquant huckleberry and prickly, pungent white currant dominate. But on the glossy palate, a succulent influx of ripe peach joins bright citrus and white currant, suffused by peat and crushed stone. Mustard and currant seeds seem to crunch, citrus zests to piquantly glow, and chalky, sooty mineral matter to almost indelibly coat the gums on an electrically invigorating, wake-the-dead finish.

Cask sample. Pale gold with green lights. This takes me back to the Kirchspiel in its greater subtlety on the nose compared with the Hubacker and AbtsE. It smells rich and golden, smells of wealth and luxury, but not in a showy way. Bitter orange, ripe pear, spiced lemons, but they are expressed in a way that you have to look for them and give them time. This is silky in the mouth, rich but light on its feet, spicy but pure-fruited. Full of contrasts that create balance. There is still the smoky spice of the Grosse Gewächse but again it is restrained and all tied up with the purity of fruit. I find this better balanced than the 2017, less extreme and therefore offering more pleasure, should you be lucky enough to be able to find and afford a bottle. Wonderful freshness and precision on the finish. (JH)