2013 Keller Riesling G-Max

Keller's 2013 Riesling G-Max opens with a cool, very clear, pure and stony nose with light stone fruit aromas intertwined with almost smoky notes. Rich, dense and intense on the palate, this is an almost powerful but also enormously salty and still youthful dry Riesling that is still somewhat loud and overwhelming to the senses but should further refine over the coming years (or with sufficient aeration). The 2013 is still evolving, even more than 10 years after the fermentation. Tasted at Steinheuer's Restaurant Zur Alten Post, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, in January 2024.

Tasted blind. Almost pounces on the nose and opens the lungs with the menthol freshness of green herbs. Some may harbour reservations about the pronounced vegetal pungency, but dedicated followers of spontaneous fermentation will relish the sharp intake of minty breath. The G-Max 2013 is certainly not lacking ripeness, but is crunchier and tighter than other vintages, with vegetal notes gaining the upper hand over fruit and minerality. Invigorating acidity and a savoury piquancy tickle the palate in both sense of taste and mouthfeel. (MS)

Unctuous aromas of nectarine, honeysuckle and aniseed, with a hint of lime zest. An almost chewy fruit texture and wet-stone minerality vie for primacy on the palate. With superb precisionand depth and a complex finish, the 2013 G-Max is just beginning to show its potential. Further, its intriguing blend of concentration, lightness and purity make it one of the two or three finest dry Rieslings of the vintage.