2018 Morstein Riesling Grosses Gewachs
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Tasting notes
The 2018 Morstein Riesling GG shows clear, open, elegant and dense fruit with the first ripeness on the generous and finely salty nose. Juicy, full-bodied and expansive on the palate yet delicate, elegant, stimulatingly salty and chalky, this is a potent but also taut Morstein with good astringency on the finish. There's plenty of power but also elegance here. Tasted at the domaine in August 2024.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
A marine combination of salinity and alkalinity greets the nose, along with penetrating scents of lemon and tomatillo, anticipating the surprising tart-edged, tangy brightness and the piquancy that emerge on a full, firm, concentratedly sappy palate. Char, chalk, mouthwatering salinity and pungent herbal inflections combine with cheek-grabbing phenolic intensity and tartness for a strikingly vibrant, gripping finish. Wittmann’s Morstein is notoriously the darling among wine critics inside Germany, and here is a vintage in which I’m inclined to go along (though not overboard) with the adulation it so regularly receives.
A warm and rich fragrance adds an unusual but seductive notion of Ambrosia rice pudding to the more conventional aromas of ripe yellow fruit. The palate is packed with sweet and juicy fruit flavours, a hint of exotic spice and well-rounded acidity add subtle accents. Despite its generous character, the Morstein shows great purity of taste and does not lose itself in opulence. (MS)