Rebholz Ganzhorn Riesling Grosses Gewachs 2019
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Suckling
James - Decanter
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Parker
Robert
Product Details
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Typical for a wine from this vineyard side is the smell of hot summer days when the first raindrops fall. The wine has a salty acidity, a high complexity and a never-ending length. The strong mineralic and spicy smell is typical for colored sandstone. In addition it also brings elegant citrus notes in the nose. A complex and elegant wine which is, through our consequent and uncompromising style of wine-making, a wine with a huge aging potential.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Breathtakingly youthful and fresh, this dry riesling has the straightest line in the known universe! Great interplay of citrusy flavors and wet-stone minerality, driving it across the palate into the very long vibrating finish.
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Decanter
Cool, subtle notes of lemon dominate the nose. There is an uncommon transparency here. Just like juice expressed from chalky stone, there is a chalky texture and intense lemon - lovely depth but also a bone-dry, almost austere nature that unashamedly focuses on stone and soil rather than fruit. But that does not stop the lemon oil intensity and essential, soothing, calming coolness of this subtle yet intense wine.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
From sandstone soils, the sample of the 2019 Riesling "Ganz Horn" GG is exciting in its intensity, precision and flintiness. The fruit is perfectly ripe and healthy and intertwined with the purity of the terroir in this enclave of the limestone cru Im Sonnenschein. Vibrantly fresh and pure on the salty and beautifully grippy palate, this is a lean and linear, very elegant and finessed but also complex and tensioned dry Ganz Horn with lingering mineral grip and mouthwatering acidity and salinity.
Range: 95-96
The Rebholz estate, in the southern Pfalz region of Germany, is a pioneer in organic and natural winemaking. The estate has been certified organic since 2005 and practicing biodynamic since 2006. However, even as far back as 1951, Eduard Rebholz (1889-1966), who received the title Ökonomierat, an honorary title conferred upon a deserving agriculturist, was commenting on his natural approach: "You will receive only natural wine from my cellar, wine that is the result of intense and loving cultivation of the vines and of similar vinicultural methods (no chaptalization, no artificial addition of a Süßreserve or similar fundamental structural changes that alter the native character of the wine and, in my eyes, mean that it is no longer a natural product."
This tradition continues with the current generation; Birgit and Hansjörg Rebholz together with their children Hans, Valentin and Helene work as close to nature as possible. In an effort to promote a healthy ecosystem and to protect the environment, they forgo the use of herbicides, synthetic fungicides and mineral fertilizers. They use only organic and biodynamic techniques and materials that promote healthy plants, helping the vines grow strong and prosper naturally. While these methods involve more time and effort, it is a price they are willing to accept in order to best protect and preserve the biodiversity within their vineyards
The earliest recorded history of winegrowing by the Rebholz family in Siebeldingen dates back to 1632. From beer brewer to village mayor, family members have held a wide range of titles over the years. The single constant: always at least one winemaker in the family. Around 100 years ago the Rebholz clan took the estate house, first built in the 16th century, as their family home. The Rebholz family only began bottling their wine following the Second World War, as an alternative to delivering entire barrels to local inns and restaurants.
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.
This sunny and relatively dry region served for many years as a German tourist mecca and was associated with low cost, cheerful wines. But since the 1980s, it has gained a reputation as one of Germany’s more innovative regions, which has led to increased international demand.