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. — 5 days ago

Carmen

9.0

Orange blossom and the slightest touch of residual sugar to balance out the razor sharp acidity (and balance out my spicy Thai food). This is a light wine but I can almost taste the slate soils and steep slopes.

Whole-cluster grapes and spontaneous fermentations

From Importer:
Appellation: Saar
village: Ayl
vineyard work: All vineyard work is done by hand due to the incline of the vineyards. Absolutely no use of insecticides/pesticides or
fertilizers; the work is completely organic but not certified as such because Florian refuses to spray copper on the vines. — a month ago

Bob McDonald

9.3

Light yellow in colour. Paraffin notes with Toast and Honey on the nose. Good refreshing citric acid (lime and lemon) - still very youthful at 12 years of age. On the palate, purity and power with amazing flavour persistence. Regarded as one of Australia’s Premium Rieslings with good reason. — 20 days ago

Kapyrick Wine

9.0

v19. Very good! Soft butterscotch and fusel oil nose. Luscious apricot and lime zest fruit. Pleasant, clingy, slightly oily finish. Enjoyable! — 13 days ago

Gilbert Van Hassel

9.4

Tangy, clean, very fruity. Great Riesling — 25 days ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.5

Gorgeous.
— a month ago

Francesca Spedalieri

9.5

Had it with vongole pasta -- it was really fresh and bubbly. Excellent easy drinking. Not too sweet.
Good with light seafood and, likely, with shrimp/pork light preparations (vietnamese summer rolls, wonton soups, etc ...).
Would definitely drink again. — 21 hours ago

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.0

Limey, crisp and delicious. — 4 days ago

Joe Weinberger

9.7

No other dry Riesling comes close to Keller in my opinion. Magical stuff. — 10 months ago

Tom Elliot

Founder Northwest Wines

10

Amazing! Still fresh but with deep layered complexity. — a month ago