Weingut Keller
Bürgel Spätburgunder
Rheinhessen, Germany
KP likes to say that he makes pino for fun. However, if this wine is of any indication, KP's pino's are as serious as any of his rieslings. The 11' Burgel would easily give the Burgundies of the vintage a run for their money. In fact, it's apt to say that the wine was very Burgundian, given how most placed it in the region in our blind.
The wine's in a great spot for drinking at the moment. No greeness or lady bug. Bouquet of red and black cherries, sous bois, floral spice, mushroom, soy. The palate's energetic and tangy, fruit's a little more dried out with a more profound spice element, and a touch of creaminess. Silky texture, with tannins and oak fully resolved. There's a sort of balancing VA, which also brings savouriness - I feel this is what makes it quite Burgundian. Up for discussion of course.
It's good to see a pino from when KP still bottled them in riesling bottles - perhaps from when he still thought of them as "fun". This is the oldest pino that I've drank from Keller (would have been the 07' Burgel Felix last year if it wasn't corked. FU cork!) and I think it's safe to say he never did treat his pino's lightly. I mean, it's arguably even crazier now - we did spend four days just sorting the Morstein pino grapes, berry-by-berry, in 2017.
Unpopular opinion: KP's spatburgunder's are not value buys anymore (heck! The 2015 Morstein had a hammer price of 610€ in last year's VDP auction). For me, there's still better wines to be found in Burgundy at the prices that the Keller pino's go for. That said, with the rising prices of the latter, this opinion may soon be invalid.
KP likes to say that he makes pino for fun. However, if this wine is of any indication, KP's pino's are as serious as any of his rieslings. The 11' Burgel would easily give the Burgundies of the vintage a run for their money. In fact, it's apt to say that the wine was very Burgundian, given how most placed it in the region in our blind.
The wine's in a great spot for drinking at the moment. No greeness or lady bug. Bouquet of red and black cherries, sous bois, floral spice, mushroom, soy. The palate's energetic and tangy, fruit's a little more dried out with a more profound spice element, and a touch of creaminess. Silky texture, with tannins and oak fully resolved. There's a sort of balancing VA, which also brings savouriness - I feel this is what makes it quite Burgundian. Up for discussion of course.
It's good to see a pino from when KP still bottled them in riesling bottles - perhaps from when he still thought of them as "fun". This is the oldest pino that I've drank from Keller (would have been the 07' Burgel Felix last year if it wasn't corked. FU cork!) and I think it's safe to say he never did treat his pino's lightly. I mean, it's arguably even crazier now - we did spend four days just sorting the Morstein pino grapes, berry-by-berry, in 2017.
Unpopular opinion: KP's spatburgunder's are not value buys anymore (heck! The 2015 Morstein had a hammer price of 610€ in last year's VDP auction). For me, there's still better wines to be found in Burgundy at the prices that the Keller pino's go for. That said, with the rising prices of the latter, this opinion may soon be invalid.
This is supposed to be a Rieslingfeier...
This is supposed to be a Rieslingfeier...
Feb 21st, 2016
Still as intriguing and perplexing on the 2nd night as the 1st. A very unique expression and style. An intellectual beauty, that is hard to recognize blind.
Still as intriguing and perplexing on the 2nd night as the 1st. A very unique expression and style. An intellectual beauty, that is hard to recognize blind.
Jan 27th, 2014