Keller, Dalsheimer Hubacker Riesling GG, Rheinhessen

Ripe Keller wines + X (Restaurant Holz und Feuer, Kirchheim, Germany) : Glass: Gabriel Universal Standard Popped and poured. Note is based on a tasting pour and should be read in this context. The wine presents a clear, youthful yellow colour — notably fresher and more primary in hue than the 2011s tasted earlier in the flight, the 2013 vintage's cooler, slower-ripening character immediately legible in the glass. On the nose, the wine is clean and of medium(+) to full …

2013 vintage

Hefty fruity aromas with pineapple and other tropical fruits, and some petroleum. Full bodied, concentrated and soft on the palate with pronounced acidity. Still with great elegance. Feels young.

2013 vintage

Bottle 2/6. Taken to a restaurant, this deserved better temperature control and glassware but still shone. Highly concentrated pineapple, lemon, lemon rind and a herbal finish. Magnificent pairing with Chinese New Year dim sum and crispy duck. 93-94. Compared to Abst Erde less passionfruit, yuzu and lemongrass and a slightly shorter finish.

2013 vintage

Very concentrated and chiseled. Slight chamomile nose albeit dominated by yellow fruit. A riot of tropical fruit on the palate with not much lemongrass and yuzu. Not quite as complex or ethereal as Abst Erde (LOTB 96/100) or G-Max (LOTB 98/100) but makes up for it with its gut punch of fruit purity. Beautiful pairing with rare yellowfin tuna. 94-95

2013 vintage

Der Wein ist anfangs extrem verschlossen und macht nur sehr langsam aber dafür kontinuierlich auf. In der Nase etwas Curry, immer mal wieder sehr dezentes Petrol, angedeutete Zitrus-Zesten, helles Steinobst und immer mal wieder auch ganz leicht gezogener schwarzer Tee. Fein rauchig. Mit sehr viel Luft wird es weiniger, und auch grüner Apfel kommt durch und etwas Waldmeister. Die Komplexität ist beeindruckend. Am Gaumen recht würzig und pikant, fein saftig, mit zupackender aber nicht dominanter Säure. Recht leicht, trotzdem mit …

2020 vintage

Light golden. Intense, yet showing medium complexity. This is fully mature from my warmer, than textbooks suggest, cellar. Clearly outstanding. 5/13/18/10.- 2035+ if cellared in a cool cellar since release. But there is nothing to wait for, I guess.

2013 vintage

Very consistent with Don Johnson's note. Fresh and with a mineral core, but more exotic/tropical than expected.

2020 vintage

Hmmm… not loving this bottle. A bit too sweet and not enough acidity. Solid wine, but doesn’t hold up to other Keller GG’s I’ve drank.

2012 vintage

So young, yet such a beauty. Stone orchard fruits, deep minerality, with tart lemon acids. Bright and tense with underlying richness. A little baby with real potential. First bottle was corked per the Somm. 150 euros on the list in Pfalz.

2020 vintage

Wine 3 yellow in color. On the nose most open, tropical fruit, petrol, saline, smoke. Very fruit forward bright nose. On the palate wine has high acid, light body, medium to long finish. Wine shows fruit forward palate with citrus and unripe tropical fruit, saline. Very bright wine.

2020 vintage

It seems a bit fashionable to gripe about Keller's scarcity and high prices and to anoint heir's to the not yet vacant throne. It is true that Keller GG's are quite hard to source in Oz and - it seems- in other places. It is also unarguable that their wines are costly in numerical terms and, perhaps, compared to other German Rieslings. But why is scarcity a crime? Is it not evidence of commitment to quality over quantity? It is …

2020 vintage

Color is mid golden. On the nose: Apple, pineapple and tropical fruit, petrol and citrus. On the palate: Pineapple, green apple, pear, crème brûlée, lots of minerality and great acidity. Seriously good wine.

2012 vintage

Ripe Riesling Tasting (@Weindorf, Kirchheim) : Glass: Gabriel Universal. Opened about 2-3h before tasting. Clear, medium golden color. Floral, fruity nose with lots of limestone. Classic Hubacker palate. Lots of stone fruit, crushed stones. Wonderful balance and tension, good energy, long, fruity finish. Upside potential for 3-5+ years. 93+

2012 vintage

Decanted 3 h prior to tasting. Needed all of those hours and some more. Lemon, peach, passion fruit, ripe banana, herbs, rubber, butter cookies. Lots of concentrated tropical fruit notes, but lacking a bit in acidity. For my taste, this was performing better in earlier stages of its life – I recall more freshness and minerality. May develop further, but if you prefer freshness don’t wait too long.

2012 vintage

Opened at Whale in HK. P&P and enjoyed. Really unfurled with some air. Consistent with expectations - a fantastic bottle of Riesling. Expect slight upside with patience, and would ideally forget about these for another 5+ years. Keller always delivers though, and I'm already looking forward to the next one!

2020 vintage

Decanted 2 h prior to tasting. This is awesome! Kiwi, passion fruit, pineapple, strawberries, lemon, cucumber. Incredibly rich and versatile fruit profile. Intense minerality – a bit smokey, almost like a cigar. So balanced and harmonious. This is complaining at a high level, but it could maybe have used a little more oomph and drive in the finish. Bought this for 40 euros ten years ago, what a good decision. One bottle left, no hurry at all.

2013 vintage

Great wine, open and ready to go.

2013 vintage

No formal notes, but this was consistent with the last bottle. Outstanding wine!

2013 vintage

Possibly my favorite bottle of Keller yet which just makes me more excited to try the Kirschspiel I have. A couple years of age has helped this wines, but so far in my limited experience Keller is a story of concentration and acidity. These wines are a great break away from the typical evenings of Champagne and Burgundy that we all love, and really gives shock to your salivary glands. The bottle smells of straight gasoline in the best way, …

2020 vintage

Well this was just about flawless. Oily and honeyed, with loads of weight and complexity, this was a world class wine near its peak. I could see it holding, continuing to improve, but there is no harm in getting into this right away. The quality of the wine was apparent on its face - weight and texture for days.

2013 vintage

The Return to the Ledbury (The Ledbury, London) : Arrived on unsuspecting palates ( and noses) and the table went “Wow”. And this tells everything about this beautiful wine, well aged but full of energy, soft petrolly and toffee on nose, dry and firm and with a lot of depth. We can go on but we don’t get many of those wow moments recently and this says it all. 94-95

2012 vintage

Dinner at John's Food and Wine (Chicago, IL) : Pretty consistent with my last bottle; this is probably a below-par edition of this wine. There's a nice riesling-forward element to the nose, but the palate feels very dilute and weak in comparison to better vintages. Some golden apple notes on the palate, this picked up with some air, but at the end of the day, this might be one to skip unless you're a completionist.

2020 vintage

Pristine fruit here. Tropical, but not over the top. Mango, peach. Lovely palate weight and intensity. Pure. Little or no petrol, minimal tertiary development. In a great spot right now.

2013 vintage

6h vorher belüftet. Am Gaumen zunächst mit beinahe burgundischer Anmutung. Florale Noten, etwas Fenchel. Kaum Frucht. Dann nimmt zupackende Säure Überhand, fordernd und komplex. Enorme Länge. Mein bislang größtes Weißwein Erlebnis. Gänsehaut! — Aerated 6 hours beforehand. The palate initially has an almost Burgundian flavour. Floral notes, some fennel. Hardly any fruit. Then gripping acidity takes over, demanding and complex. Enormous length. My greatest white wine experience to date. Goosebumps!

2020 vintage

Still young, full of life and acidity. Not often you can say a white wine paired very well with ribeye. Hold for 5+ years

2020 vintage

From magnum, this was still a little young!? Beautiful salty and yeasty tones combine with citrus, stone fruits and flowers on the nose. On the palate it is full and textured, a little grippy, perfectly pithy and herbal, beautifully salty. Long and engaging, the core of perfectly tart ripe fruit shines through as everything fades, delicate pithy and mineral tones providing persistent counterpoint. I would think this is still 3 to 5 years away from its plateau, it is still …

2012 vintage

2013 Keller Hubacker GG. More tropical and less chiseled than last bottle over a year ago. After an hour of air intense green pineapple, mango, apricot, kiwi, lychee and a long finish of honey. Not much secondary yet albeit a hint of petrol and wax. Stunning complexity and fruit purity. 94-95

2013 vintage

not blind, side by side with 2021, 2 hours decantation A bit more closed than the 2021 but for me the better wine. More structure, more reluctant but more concentration. The 2021 was more accessible, more balanced with more to drink. 95

2020 vintage

Dinner at D Cuisine (Chicago, IL) : #25-21, 12.5% abv. A good, not great edition of this wine. It is relatively lighter in stature than other orange labels, and I have to think it might be a bit a product of the vintage. Good attack and midpalate, but the finish falls off a little coming across as fairly light with a slight bit of tartness. Not gonna kick this off the table anytime soon, but I've enjoyed other vintages of …

2020 vintage

blind, side by side with Hirtzberger Singerriedel 2005 A bit broad but still in good shape, maybe a hint too sweet. At his peak. 94

2005 vintage

Nose: Fine boned petrol. Not overpowering like at a gas station. Slight gunsmoke. Slight ocean breeze. Palate: Steely tension. I think that’s the cool temperature or maybe the air that brought the tension out. Slight note of apple/pear. Not particularly intense or concentrated. Fine boned. 93-94

2012 vintage

[Restaurant purchase] At Maeve*, Utrecht. No detailed notes. As always brilliant, this is in a great place at the moment. Medium+ intensity with grapefruit, lime, mint, ripe yellow apple, just ripe peach, floral. High acidity, long finish. Such a pleasure

2013 vintage

Vinklubben Dionysos 2024; 1/1/2024-12/31/2024 : Lys gyllengul og godt utviklet på farge. Intens, sødmefull duft med innslag av tropisk frukt, aprikos og fersken og etter hvert grapefrukt. Et lite whiff av petroleum. Den oppleves som sødmefull også på smak, og blindt gikk vi til en kabinett eller til og med noe enda søtere, så her ble vi lurt av alderen. Svær munnfølelse, ganske breial og rik med tydelige grapefrukttoner og god kompleksitet. Godt moden og overraskende utviklet, lett krydret stil. …

2012 vintage

Plenty of power and depth but also grace. Full backbone of minerality but doesn't blow your head off. Keller is the standard bearer for a reason!

2013 vintage

Interesting showing -- vibrant and lively on pop n' pour, and then started to shut down over a few hours becoming tired, listless and almost oxidized, and then awoke to be vibrant, layered and full of life on night two. Likely just getting back into a drinking window? 93 points at peak.

2012 vintage

Wonderful interaction of intensity and savory aspects. Long and focused, with lychee, apricot, stone, plumeria, golden apple and chalk. Full body, with a gliding manner. Viscous in the front end, then elegant on the back, with a perched, round middle. Such a treat and ideal for many a cuisine. Drink now - 2030.

2005 vintage

Tasted next to the 2019 and came across a little less austere but also a little less intense. Clearly, this needs another 5-10 years in the cellar before it will become enjoyable. Nose not quite up to the 2019 with a slight "aspirin" note.

2020 vintage

Asperg Wine Syndrome Tasting Group: 3 Guys, some wine II (Asperg) : Glass: Zalto Universal / Bordeaux The 2012 Hubacker is an interesting wine. Had it very balanced, round and almost quite and I had with a lot of energy and tension. Always from perfectly stored bottles. This one falls a bit under the first category. Clear, youthful medium color. Clean, medium+ intense, developing nose. Lots of sweet fruit, mineral notes, zests. Deep. On the palate legally dry, medium+, ripe …

2012 vintage

Sweetness on nose. Grapefruit and citrus. Intense and lots of power but still light of its feet. Found this less tense than the last bottle. Developed more of citrus and grapefruit flavours with time although still an underlying sweetness throughout. Very clean very complex. Superb and fascinating to follow the evolution.

2013 vintage

Another great bottle of this - unfortunately my last. Open and expressive in a very elegant and linear style. Ripe fruit, herbal notes, minerality - all in near perfect harmony. Almost crystalline in its precise, linear purity. Vibrant finish, very persistent and fine. Drink or keep. 95-97

2012 vintage

Opened at Otto e Mezzo in HK. Decanted but served immediately, enjoyed over several hours. This was an interesting experiment for me: the youngest Keller GG that I've had, and wanted to see where it was at. Would it be infanticide? The answer is a mix of yes and no. The emphasised petrol, fruit, floral notes that come with age in these wines was quite subdued. What we got instead was immense racy energy and tension that came from the …

2020 vintage

Intense Lemon, some lime, crisp acidity, good minerality and Super long finish. The Quality is evident but it still feels so young. Very clean style maybe a bit too much for my liking. Difficult to rate the ageing potential is very exciting, would love to taste one with even more age in it.

2012 vintage

Super intense and long, citrus, flowers, some sweetness, good acidity, slight bitterness on the finish. One of the best Kellers I've had.

2012 vintage

BYOB dinner NOTK (Rotterdam, NL) : For me the WOTN, this Hubacker. Still in its developing phase, will gain more complexity with time. This is why I love Keller so much; so much depth and concentration while being so lean and elegant. Medium+ intensity with petrol, ripe but lean fruit, lemon, lime. High acidity, (very) long finish. 94+

2012 vintage

Wow - this is drinking incredibly well right now. Lush tropical fruit and just a touch of sweetness - there seems to be no bounds to what Keller achieved with the '13 vintage and it very clearly shows.

2013 vintage

Loads of petrol on the nose. Very chiseled palate with less sweetness/honey than other vintages I’ve had. Obviously very young.

2020 vintage

Superb! Very lively nose , nice acidity and young in the mouth. Very subtle sweet/acid balance and very young. Gonna try the next bottle over 5 years

2013 vintage

Beautiful Wednesday tasting (@Private location, S-Botnang) : Glass: Spiegelau Burgundy Popped and poured. Clear pale golden color. Very fresh and complex nose that opens up with every minute in the glass. Green apple poured over chalky stone. Beautiful warm, ripe fruit, zests,lots of extract, phenolic, very mineral. Beautiful tension and energy, very good balance. Very long and mineral. Still not at its peak. 94+

2012 vintage

Some petroleum on the nose from the sunny vintage. Pulled through some years muted and showing very well some mature notes while still young both on the nose and palate. Elegant tropic fruits balanced with acidity and an elegant finish.

2013 vintage

This just sings from the first smell of the wine, has great potential with ripe golden fruits and color and good acidity. Wait a couple yrs a be rewarded.

2013 vintage

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Keller, Dalsheimer Hubacker Riesling GG, Rheinhessen

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