WTN: 2004 Keller "Hubacker" GG

“The other relatively large vineyard holding from which a Grosses Gewächs bottling from Weingut Keller is made is from the town of Dalsheim, and this is the Hubacker vineyard. This was the first vineyard that the Kellers owned, and it has been in the family since the estate was started in 1789. The Hubacker is also a limestone-based terroir, but in this case it is a yellow-veined limestone (as is also found in the Burgundy vineyard of Beaune “Sur le Grèves”, which is quickly becoming famous for its brilliant affinity for white wines), and which has a more southeasterly-facing exposure than the Kirchspiel. Consequently the Hubacker is the slowest ripening vineyards in the Kellers’ portfolio. Klaus-Peter reports that it is not infrequent that the Hubacker is harvested two to three weeks after the Grosses Gewächs vineyards in Westhofen. The Kellers’ parcel in Hubacker was planted in 1974. It is unequivocally a great wine, which Klaus-Peter describes “as often having the most exotic flavors (of the four grand crus) with a deep mineral core.” John Gilman



2004 Keller, Hubacker GG, Rheinhessen, Germany
What a delicious wine, a hedonistic Riesling on TOP level! A colossal fruit.........lush, exotic, baroque with a underlying creamy texture. In addition a deep mineral core. Very long persistency on the palate and a never-ending finish. Still hours later the fruit flavors are present. In comparison to the other Grand Cru Rieslings/”Großes Gewächs” from the estate Keller “Hubacker” shows an different and exotic stilistic more like a Smaragd from Austria. In general the Rieslings from Keller need time, first after 4-5 years they show its outstanding potential and their best years are ahead. BTW, the vintage 04 is considered to be so far the best vintage at the estate and will maybe only surpassed by the promising 07 vintage.
94-95pts.

[David M. Bueker]

Martin - very nice note & background information.

I'm very curious how a vineyard like the Hubacker was able to be granted GG status in the first place. Was it historically notable?

Yes David, it is historically notable,as the Dalsheim area produced in 1490 around 800 Fuder wine. In comparison 1990 they produced 500 Fuder wine.
Also in the 16 century many monasteries found it recommendable to buy wine properties in the area Dalsheim.

Label: http://www.snakvin.com/foto/displayimag ... =87&pos=10

[David M. Bueker]

Thanks Martin. I have never seen anything that told me the logic for the selection of all the GG sites, and some surprise me because they were not particularly well known outside of Germany until people like Keller started making top wines from them.

Thanks Martin. I have never seen anything that told me the logic for the selection of all the GG sites, and some surprise me because they were not particularly well known outside of Germany until people like Keller started making top wines from them.

David,
I don't think clear rules have ever been formulated, except for the Rheingau. There, the rules involved climatic criteria, and led to a great protest from the late Georg Breuer, who saw some of his best vineyards excluded, becaue they were too cool. I don't think one can fomulate water tight criteria anyway, so it ends up as a political game. Even people like Knipser got their GG for sites that other Pfalz producers would classify as potato fields...

All this is not to say anything about Hubacker. Keller's wines from that site are clearly worthy of GG status - no question about it.

Peter

[David M. Bueker]

Indeed no disrespect to the Hubacker was intended, but there are some rather strange sites designated as GG. It undermines the whole system, much like the grand crus of Alsace.

Indeed no disrespect to the Hubacker was intended, but there are some rather strange sites designated as GG. It undermines the whole system, much like the grand crus of Alsace.

We are in total agreement for the 2nd time in a day (Now that IS a first! ) The VDP and DWI need to reach a collective agreement on this. A lot of the GG/EL sites have been proclaimed so because of 19th century tax records. This, because of climatic changes and ownership changes should be reevaluated. It has never been a huge priority because of the modern German preoccupation with the Prädikat pyramid. Instead, they should be focusing on a Grand Cru/Premier Cru system like Burgundy. Grand Cru vineyards in northern regions are Grand Cru BECAUSE they fully ripen grapes (underripe in these sites seems to be a thing of the past even in Germany.)

Don't get me started on Alsace. They need a Premier Cru system worse than Germany (51 GCs is too many.)

Cheers,
Bill

[David M. Bueker]

We are in total agreement for the 2nd time in a day (Now that IS a first! )

We've got to stop agreeing like this.