Maximin Grunhaus Abtsberg Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2017
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Suckling
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Spectator
Wine
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Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Be prepared to be amazed by what the tiny Ruwer sub-region of the Mosel can do. Enormous and complex herbs and spices on a medium body that’s supported by plenty of already well integrated yeasty notes and vibrant acidity that’s driving this thoroughbred racehorse along at breakneck speed. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
The wine's nose is quite earthy and brambly initially, but aeration coaxes out zesty whiffs of tangerine peel and lemon. It's a spry light-footed dry wine, with deeply concentrated lime and green-apple flavors anchored by steely acidity. The finish extends on a delightfully bitter hint of grapefruit zest. It's tight and nervy now, but should improve through 2035.
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Wine Spectator
This gorgeous dry Riesling has an exotic character, with elderflower and tropical fruit notes allied to passion fruit flavors that are accented by grapefruit, vanilla, and spice and mineral elements, which display depth and complexity, supported by the supple texture and vibrant acidity. Best from 2021 through 2034.
Other Vintages
2022-
Suckling
James -
Enthusiast
Wine
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Suckling
James
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Suckling
James -
Parker
Robert
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Enthusiast
Wine
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Suckling
James -
Spirits
Wine & -
Spectator
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Parker
Robert
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Parker
Robert
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
Following the Mosel River as it slithers and weaves dramatically through the Eifel Mountains in Germany’s far west, the Mosel wine region is considered by many as the source of the world’s finest and longest-lived Rieslings.
Mosel’s unique and unsurpassed combination of geography, geology and climate all combine together to make this true. Many of the Mosel’s best vineyard sites are on the steep south or southwest facing slopes, where vines receive up to ten times more sunlight, a very desirable condition in this cold climate region. Given how many twists and turns the Mosel River makes, it is not had to find a vineyard with this exposure. In fact, the Mosel’s breathtakingly steep slopes of rocky, slate-based soils straddle the riverbanks along its entire length. These rocky slate soils, as well as the river, retain and reflect heat back to the vineyards, a phenomenon that aids in the complete ripening of its grapes.
Riesling is by far the most important and prestigious grape of the Mosel, grown on approximately 60% of the region’s vineyard land—typically on the desirable sites that provide the best combination of sunlight, soil type and altitude. The best Mosel Rieslings—dry or sweet—express marked acidity, low alcohol, great purity and intensity with aromas and flavors of wet slate, citrus and stone fruit. With age, the wine’s color will become more golden and pleasing aromas of honey, dried apricot and sometimes petrol develop.
Other varieties planted in the Mosel include Müller-Thurgau, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), all performing quite well here.