2014 Keller Westhofener Brunnenhäuschen Abtserde Riesling Auslese
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Tasting notes
Licorice and mint candy, nectarine preserves and glazed pineapple are signaled already in the nose, and dominate a palate of liqueur-like glycerol richness, creaminess and viscosity. Sweetness is more obvious here than in its counterparts from Pettenthal and Hipping but there is an admirable sense of buoyancy, and just enough primary juiciness is retained for the enormously long finish to eventually call forth the next eager sip. As this site is rich in active limestone, one might have hoped for an Auslese with more energy or a mineral edge. But botrytis is inevitably a wild card, and even though Keller says that less than one-quarter of the material here was affected, the character of a wine like this is going to depend greatly on the precise condition of the fruit and the influence of its fungal accompaniment. I would not be surprised to see this gain significantly in bottle.
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Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2014 Westhofener Abts Er de Riesling Auslese Gold Capsule shows a very intense and concentrated bouquet of precisely botrytised Riesling berries. The wine is richer and even more intense than the Morstein, but does not have a single Oechsle more than this. Concentrated, terribly sweet and piquant on the plate, this is a remarkably well structured Riesling with great intensity and tannin structure, thanks to several days of skin contact and the basket press that presses with much more DRUCK than a pneumaric press -- and thus extracts more tannins and freshness This is one of the greatest Ausleses I ever tasted in Rheinhessen and also in this avant-garde estate. This is simply great, not just in quality but also in style. Highly recommended.
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.