G-Max Rheinhessen Riesling

Some polished fruit but all quite restrained and contained. Very refined. Lemon. Sharp and tart finish. Lots of promise but restrained right now.

very pretty. Expressive in the nose. Delicate floral notes with real character. Fresh and integrated from first to last. Very good

I think how the wines were picked off in our little G-Max vertical is a nice way to rank the vintages: 2017, 2016, 2014, 2015. The 2017 was clearly everyone’s favourite and 2015 the least. I enjoyed the 2014 more at this stage, but the 2016 saw more fans. Frankly, all nitpicking when operating at this level, but I loved seeing all the wines side by side. A privilege really.

The 2015 stood out as the ripest of the lot. Just so different in style from the rest - exotic fruits dominating, creamy nuances coming through, monstrous concentration and density, and even a touch oily. Nevertheless, like the others, it was all wrapped in searing acidity and stoney minerality. A very Baroque wine and to me stylistically reminiscent of another era of KP’s wine (the era that established his wines as the Montrachets of Germany), though really its simply a consequence of the vintage. Open for business now, but will only really hit its peak in a decade or more.

The most closed of our little G-Max vertical. Aromatically quite shut with smokey and chalky aromas dominating, yet whiffs of blackcurrant, lemon drops, pineapple, and herbs managed to leak through. The palate seemed weightier than the 14’, but does not quite bring about the same level of precision. It’s a touch riper to me, though still far from being as ripe as the 15’ (still in the territory of what KP enjoys now for those in the know). Honestly, it’s all nitpicking here, but when you’re comparing wines at the absolute pinnacle, all necessary. Still a wine I was completely smitten with - deep, pure, and intensely saline.

A great, great G-Max! Doesn’t quite have the breadth and approachability of the 17’ at this stage, but the purity and precision is certainly on par, or perhaps better. The 14’ G-Max was the most filigreed in our little vertical for me - a more elegant iteration where flowers and herbs hit you first, before zesty fruits come through preceding the riper stone fruits; and where intense minerality and deep-cutting acidity take centre stage. This was a dancer that gently floats across the stage, yet her presence is undeniable… the audience enchanted by her fine and complex movements. She’s yet to hit the apogee in the performance yet, but burst of intense manoeuvres preview what is to come. I cannot wait!

The youngest of our little G-Max vertical, yet perhaps unsurprisingly the most open of the lot. For me, the 17’ G-Max has remained mind-bogglingly approachable across the years since release. A wine of emotion for me. It’s quite likely I worked on this wine unknowingly in my first vintage with the Keller’s. Simply amazing. Always so deep, textural, and intense, yet so pure and racy. Very clearly the product of an elegant vintage with tiny tiny yields. Perfection!

How do you describe perfection. Incredible nose, great depth, almost sweat lots of spices and then a dry taste with great salinity and tons of minerals. Clearly a master piece, thankful to drink a bottle. Sometimes words are not enough, this is one of these cases.

Insane nose or citrusy rose water and tons of minerals. Really aromatic. Ripe as the vintage suggests with intense power, citrus sap and concentration. Nice purity. Long long finish. Distinct and unique and the structure suggests maybe a few years more of agin. Great as always.

Wow. More notes soon. But transcendental.

Really a treat to taste the '01, Keller's inaugural G-Max vintage. The wine grows more nuanced, savory complex with time.