Barry Shailes

10

Had this at Marc179 — 18 days ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

8.9

Rich and opulent style. Nice wine despite not exactly being my style. — 2 months ago

Janna Lister

9.0

Publix $26 — a year ago

Dee Wise

8.9

Decent - a bit too much fruit for my taste. Cherries, light agreeable scent 13.9% — 3 years ago

Matthew Cohen

9.0

Nose: some candy. Port like ? Candied blackberry.

Palate: sweet candied blackberry. Some spice. — a month ago

Maxwell Riesberg

9.3

Lighter than expected, great tertiary notes — a year ago

Jordan Costello

9.2

Kiwi style — 2 years ago

Severn Goodwin

9.3

Blinded a dear buddy in the wine trade on this tonight, guesses all over the place, in a great spot, want to see this in 10+Y.

72H Update:
Nose has crushed blackberries, ripe plum, dried plum, dried tart cherries, moist mahogany and faint moist soil. Palate has tart plum, light molasses, blackberry compote, faint leather notes and fine tannins. Not as good as day one, but no slouch on day three. A wonderful experience, many years in the bottle to go ahead. — 3 years ago

Aaron Tan

9.9

One of the best evenings of wine I’ve had this year, and it was just focused on this duo. Opened as inspiration for this year’s red pick at Miao Lu (a name to remember for those reading. I’ll say it here first - some of the best Pinot’s and Chard’s in the world will be coming out of this project high up in Yunnan!), and they both gave great context to the task.

When I harvested with Klaus-Peter in 2017, the vineyards bore the scars of hail, every last one of them. The damage was manifest in what we came to call "hail berries" (misshapen berries). To my untrained palate, they tasted perfectly fine. Naturally, I asked KP why we were discarding them, and his response, while not entirely unexpected, was still astonishing (paraphrasing of course): "I don't need to know precisely what they do," he said, "but if there's even a chance they might diminish the wine by 1%, they're gone. And these? They look capable of much worse."

That unyielding spirit of his was, I must admit, my torment at Abtserde, the vineyard hit hardest by the hail. We spent an entire day sorting and picking a single row - granted, the rows were long, but the pace was glacial. The true enemy, though, wasn’t the relentless sorting, but the wasps. Those little demons made an already grueling task even more daunting, dodging their stings as we plucked berries one by one, like selecting pearls from a troubled sea. What we ended up with were, quite literally, tiny gems - "caviar" berries of purity. By day’s end, the sight was something to behold. Despite the torment, the hard work was unquestionably worth it. The 17’ Abtserde is my wine of the vintage.

I’ve had the 17’ Abtserde on numerous occasions but this takes the cake as the best (note to self: best to decant a young Abtserde hard). It is a marvel of purity and depth, with its nose evoking Meyer lemon, iodine, chalk, and flint. These aromas reappear on the palate with a nearly overwhelming intensity, blending piquant brightness and mineral-rich concentration. With more air, a floral, bittersweet herbal note very typical of the vineyard appears (smells like the place even). As the evening unfolded, the wine seemed to grow younger, each glass more lively than the last. The final sip was almost painfully austere, like drinking pure limestone, its explosive palate held together by sharp acidity and a palpable, phenolic grip. The finish seemed endless. One of my best Keller experiences this year. — a month ago

Brent Clayton

8.9

Lots of jammy fruit, less peppery. It really fleshes out well over a couple of hours. Good everyday value. — 4 years ago