2016 Morstein Riesling Grosses Gewachs

Zesty lemon and tangerine are tinged with chalk dust on the nose. To the accompaniment of white peach, the citrus fruits turn surprisingly juicy and generous on the palate, which is notable also for its almost caressing silkiness. This is Morstein with a generosity, almost a youthful charm, that I don’t recall from past installments. A judicious measure of dissolved CO2 underscores the wine’s sense of energy as well as (again, surprising) buoyancy. Its chalkiness and sheer density come back on the finish as palpable pithiness, but generous juiciness prevails for rewarding refreshment, while an influx of marine salinity stimulates the salivary glands. Too bad that Wittmann reports nearly a third less Morstein this year than usual, not so much attributable to the rigors of the growing season as to the decisions made about which lots to choose and how much to declassify into the village-level bottling.

I don’t get to drink enough of this Grosses Gewächs to be able to confidently declare a change in style, but the 2016 takes me by surprise with its abundance of aromatics and extreme ripeness. Apricot, peach and nectarine are just some of the fruits that ooze sweet juice on the palate, and a curvaceous body and creamy texture only serve to emphasise the generous expression of the vintage. But Wittmann’s Morstein does not just rely on big is beautiful, as it adds some fine spicy and mineral notes for sophistication. (MS)