2016 Keller, G-Max, Rheinhessen

The 2016 Riesling G-Max opens with an enormously wild nose with untamed notes and tobacco aromas as well as intense, dense and fleshy fruit that intermingles with iodine notes. Rich and elegant on the first palate, the 2016 quickly turns to a younger, slimmer and fresher Riesling and becomes taut, firm and salty toward the finish. From a vintage that saw an extremely wet spring but a dry and hot summer, the 2016 develops very good length and intensity but is still a young wine that shall better be forgotten for a while. Tasted blind as wine number 16 of the G-Max vertical at Steinheuer's Restaurant Zur Alten Post, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, in January 2024.

Lime, fennel and sea breeze on the nose set the stage for an equally pungent display of zesty citrus, bittersweet herbal concentrate and mouthwatering salinity on an expansive, faintly oily palate. Stony undertow and glowing citrus seed piquancy extend a long, mouthwateringly salt-tinged, intensely vibrant finish of sappy concentration, even if not one boasting the transparency, multiplicity or sheer refreshment of this year’s Abtserde. At the risk of sounding churlish, and while recognizing my great good fortune in being able to taste the annual editions of Keller’s always impressive G-Max, I can’t help suspecting that the long-standing cult status and the mystique of this Riesling from a never-to-be-mentioned site are what cause German wine critics to consistently rate it as the top wine in any given Keller collection.

Tasted blind. A wide variety of meadow herbs bustles on the nose, supported by an intense vegetal fragrance of boxwoodand elderflower aromas. A whiff of blackcurrant blossom invites a deep intake of breath. At this early stage of the wine’s development flattering fermentation aromas still add an element of superficial stimulation, but there is an exhilarating freshness about the bouquet, which is simply a consequence of the 2016 vintage and should remain a quintessential part of its expression for years to come. A perfectly pitched acidity invigorates the taste buds and provides a sublime foil for mineral and fruity components. There is also a delicious piquancy on the finish, which should probably be attributed more to the overall composition of flavours than any single gustatory constituent. (MS)