2014 Forster Kirchenstuck Grosses Gewachs
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Tasting notes
There is all of the decadent, musky, exotic floral perfume here--not to mention almost overripe peachiness--one could conjure up under the rubric “typical Kirchenstück.” But the dense, polished, glycerol-rich palate is nevertheless positively buoyant, and it’s a joy to experience the decadent ripeness and exotic complexity of Riesling from this site without having to put up with alcoholic weight or to sacrifice focus of flavors and genuine refreshment. What’s more, there is an alluring sense of shimmering interchange between flowers, fruits and crystalline mineral impingements in the long, soothingly succulent yet persistently stimulating finish. This is irresistible already, but its complexity and seductive appeal should both be compounded by time in bottle.
Critic scores
Average Score
Jancis Robinson MW
Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Crushed stones with a dash of lemon juice on the clear, precise, fresh and concentrated nose of the 2014 Kirchenstück Riesling GG lead to a full-bodied, intense, pure, very clear and salty wine with discreet power but great length and finesse. This is purity in its most complex and elegant expression. There is no richness of fruit and no alcohol that tries to impress you; everything here is terroir and subtle winemaking. The wine is cool and almost delicate, and much fresher and stimulating than a Kirchenstück used to be. This von Winning was bottled with less than 12% alcohol and one can surely discuss if a great Kirchenstück needs to have 13% or more of alcohol. The proud price of 140 United States dollars is even more than you have to pay for the prestigious Kirchenstück from Bürklin-Wolf.
Fruit to the fore, barrique to the back – or in this case almost non-existent. Maybe it is a kind of inverted snobbery which endears the Kirchenstück to me, but here I can indulge in the generous and sweet fruit because it comes from the branches rather than stem of trees. A subtle herbaceous note adds refinement, and although a solid substance is undeniable, the strength of this Grosses Gewächs is its structure and elegance. (MS)