Here they are, the wines from what Jancis Robinson calls “the excellent 2016 vintage in Germany”. We know 2015 was superb, and the follow-up – a more challenging year some describe as victory snatched from the jaws of defeat – turned out beautifully for these, some of the best Riesling growers on the planet.
- LOOSEN – Mosel
“The Estate crafted a beautiful collection of classic Mosel wines, which show ripe acidity, great aromatics and shine, as usual, through great drinking playfulness.” – Jean Fisch & David Rayer, Mosel Fine Wines
HEYMANN-LÖWENSTEIN – Mosel
“Reinhard and Sarah Löwenstein have crafted another beautiful collection of wines which pair great aromatic charm with elegance and good underlying presence and structure.” – Jean Fisch & David Rayer, Mosel Fine Wines
GEORG BREUER – Rheingau
“Tasting Theresa Breuer’s most recent vintages is always a highlight while traveling through the Rheingau. Her Rieslings are lean, straight and very mineral, and although they might appear a bit austere in their youth, they are highly refined and can age terrifically well, revealing their complexity year after year a little bit more.” – Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
DÖNNHOFF – Nahe
“The 2016 Hermannshöhle GG from Dönnhoff is once again one of the top dry Rieslings of the vintage in Germany thanks to its stunning combination of concentration and finesse.” – Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com
- CHRISTMANN – Pfalz
“Fine mineral and herbal notions add interest and the merest hint of residual sugar serves only to increase Idig’s power of seduction. I liked the 2014 for its subtlety, but think the 2016 deserves an extra half point for elegance. – Michael Schmidt, jancisrobinson.com
KOEHLER-RUPRECHT – Pfalz
“The wine is intense, full of grip and yet at no point weighty on the palate. Bracing acidity eventually comes through and adds length and some power to this overall very delicate and highly elegant expression of dry Riesling.” – Jean Fisch & David Rayer, Mosel Fine Wines
GUNDERLOCH – Rheinhessen
Johannes and his team handcrafted another excellent series of wines. Gunderloch’s dry “GG” Rieslings Rothenberg and Pettenthal belong to the very best I have tasted from Nackenheim and Nierstein this year.” – Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
WITTMANN – Rheinhessen
“Wittmann selected so strictly in the vineyard and cellar that quantities of the crus are up to a third less than usual. His 2016 grand crus (Grosses Gewächs) are great wines.” – Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate
WURZELWERK – Rheingau, Rheinhessen & Kamptal
A uniquely fascinating three-way juice-swap exploration of Riesling terroir between Georg Breuer, Gunderloch & Jurtschitsch.
- LOOSEN – Mosel
2016 Dr Loosen Dr L Dry Riesling RRP $25
Very fruity and charming. Leaps out at you and has such a playful personality. Drink now or any time into 2020. 90 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com June 2017
2016 Dr Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Grosses Gewächs RRP $74
Still rather closed on the nose this has both seductive peachy fruit and graceful acidity on the palate. A seamless harmony and the finish is long and refined! Better from 2018 through 2035. 94 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com September 2017
2016 Dr Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Grosses Gewächs RRP $92
A very exciting 2016 Mosel GG that’s still very young, but grabs you by the collar and won’t let go. As the name suggests this is a real spice garden and the acidity carves a totally straight path through all these aromas before lifting off in the very long pure finish. Drink through 2040. 95 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com September 2017
2016 Dr Loosen Erdener Prälat Riesling Grosses Gewächs RRP $182
The most concentrated of Loosen’s 2016 GGs, but also the most closed. This has everything you expect from a Grand Cru quality dry Mosel riesling. After the creamy richness on the mid-palate comes a mighty wave of minerals at the bold finish. Better from 2018 and for many years after. 96 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com December 2017
2016 Dr Loosen Bernkasteler Lay Riesling Kabinett RRP $40
Super-bright and crisp with beautiful balance. Just off-dry with a great, lemon-herbal finish. Better from 2018, but then at least a decade ahead of it. 91-92 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com June 2017
2016 Dr Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett RRP $44
MAGNUM RRP $106
Super-crisp and bright with lots of flowers and a delicate herbal touch. Sleek and filigree with everything you expect. Drink any time during the next 10 years. 93 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com June 2017
2016 Dr Loosen Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Kabinett RRP $44
The small village of Graach lies between two more-famous neighbours: Bernkastel and Wehlen. This vineyard’s steep, southwest-facing slopes and deep soils produce wines that combine the elegance of Wehlen with the rustic strength of Bernkastel. Because of the forceful minerality from the abundant blue slate in the soil, wines from Graach have excellent aging potential and will improve in the bottle for many decades.
2016 Dr Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Spätlese RRP $66
Fresh and delicate with a lot of charm. Brimming with fruit and very succulent. Better from 2018 and should live for a decade. 92-93 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com June 2017
2016 Dr Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Auslese 375ml RRP $64
Still very youthful and unready, but packed with flavour. Beautiful fruit and silky acidity. This is a raw diamond. Drink from 2018 to 2050. 94-95 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com June 2017
2016 Dr Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Auslese 375ml RRP $64
Another astonishing 2016 auslese from Dr. Loosen with a great interplay of concentrated fruit and spice. A very fresh, lemony acidity that gives the finish a big kick. Drink from 2020 to 2060. 95-96 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com June 2017
2016 Dr Loosen Erdener Prälat Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel 375ml RRP $91
More exotic than Dr. Loosen’s other 2016 auslese and a bit more opulent too, but it also has a very serious structure that drives the powerful finish. Drink from 2020 to 2060. 96-97 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com June 2017
HEYMANN-LÖWENSTEIN – Mosel
2016 Heymann-Löwenstein Schieferterrassen RRP $58
MAGNUM RRP $117
Ripe pear and white peach deliver a delightful combination of ripeness and primary juiciness, and the midpalate impression is a flattering combination of stuffing and creaminess. Regionally typical suggestions of tarragon and anise cool a lingering finish that gains welcome invigoration by way of lime zest piquancy. Given this wine’s low acidity, the overall effect is quite sumptuous, and a faint but entirely supportive hint of sweetness is engendered by close to seven grams of residual sugar. Fortunately, there is animating freshness, and I was amazed to discover that there is nearly 13% alcohol here, as there is no heaviness. 89 points. David Schildknecht, Vinous Media January 2018
2016 Heymann-Löwenstein Kirchberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs RRP $74
White peach, mirabelle and lime inform an enticing nose and silken palate, and hints of cocoa powder and coffee add a sense of roasted richness. Yet, for all that, the lusciously long finish remains refreshingly juicy and remarkably transparent to stony and smoky nuances. Given its soft overall impression, I suspect this will not be one of those Heymann-Löwenstein bottlings worth holding for a decade or more. As is the case with other wines in the present collection, 13% alcohol does not engender any heat or heaviness; on the contrary, there is even some sense of buoyancy. It’s striking how different this wine from crumbly red slate is from the corresponding Stolzenberg, grown cheek-by-jowl but on unusually compact blue slate. 91 points. David Schildknecht, Vinous Media January 2018
2016 Heymann-Löwenstein Röttgen Riesling Grosses Gewächs RRP $94
MAGNUM RRP $193
White peach, fig, muskmelon and lime are site-typically accented with anise and smoky black tea on an effusive nose and a luscious, lush, silken-textured palate. One finds not only smokiness and chalky stone infusion but also a tingling sense of crystalline mineral impingement to the animated, long-lasting, mouthwateringly salt-tinged finish. “I’m really very, very satisfied with this,” noted Löwenstein, “as it comes close to my ideal of ripe, even tropical fruit combined with a cooling, minerally finish. In the past,” he added, “my Röttgen was often quite baroque and very broad due to botrytis influence and a few too many shrivelled berries, whereas now we have finesse, while preserving the strength of Röttgen.” I can’t disagree with that assessment. 92 points. David Schildknecht, Vinous Media January 2018
2016 Heymann-Löwenstein Uhlen Blaufüsser Lay Riesling Grosses Gewächs RRP $108
MAGNUM RRP $215
Rowan and heliotrope hauntingly garland ripe white peach and pear on the heady nose and luscious, satiny palate. Hints of site-typical anise, piquant nut and fruit pit counterpoint, and a hint of sweetness – a function of the wine’s low acidity – are all supportive. For its sheer richness, this seamless Riesling’s lingering finish delivers refreshment as well as transparency to wet stone underpinnings. (For reasons explained in my introduction to this estate’s 2014s, the label here refers to the Blaufüsser Lay in large script solely via the initial “B,” whereas “Terroir Blaufüsser Lay” – as does “GG” elsewhere on the label – appears below that in minuscule print.) 92 points. David Schildknecht, Vinous Media January 2018
2016 Heymann-Löwenstein Uhlen Laubach Riesling Grosses Gewächs RRP $115
MAGNUM RRP $230
This offers a stunning even if still rather reduced nose of pear, grapefruit, start fruit, ginger and smoky elements. The wine is beautifully balanced on the palate, where creamy fruits are nicely wrapped into a hint of acidity and some superb mineral and herby elements. The delicately powerful aftertaste oozes refinement, under-toned freshness and multi-layered complexity. This is a gorgeous Uhlen L in the making and one with great upside potential as the wine further gains in elegance and harnesses its power with bottle age. 2021-2028+. 92+ points. Jean Fisch & David Rayer, Mosel Fine Wines October 2017
GEORG BREUER – Rheingau
2016 Georg Breuer Rüdesheim Estate Riesling RRP $39
The 2016 Rheingau Riesling Rüdesheim “Estate” is super clear, bright and elegant on the nose, with lovely stony-mineral notes, almost stone dust but also beautiful concentration. On the palate, this is a round, juicy, very fruity but clear, piquant, well-structured and finely mineral Rheingau classic at 11.5% alcohol. It drinks perfectly today and will also do so over the next 15 to 20 years. Sweetness and acidity are in perfect balance here (8.4 grams per litre). A highly filigreed and delicate Riesling. 91 points. Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate December 2017
2016 Georg Breuer Terra Montosa Riesling RRP $58
The 2016 Rheingau Riesling “Terra Montosa” is the “second wine” of the grand crus, although the grape quality is the same as for the grand crus. The decision about which vats become which wine is made after several tastings and with a clear focus on the expression of the terroir and vintage. The 2016 opens with a very clear, deep, intense and complex bouquet of crushed stones and concentrated stone fruits. The wine is round and creamy on the palate, rather soft and aromatic, very juicy and seductive. There are fine tannins and a mineral backbone, but this is a very sensual Riesling. Gorgeous. 92 points. Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate December 2017
DÖNNHOFF – Nahe
2016 Dönnhoff Estate Riesling RRP $40
An amazing everyday wine that’s full of peach, citrus and floral aromas. Juicy and elegant this is beautifully balanced with a ton of character and a long clean finish. Drink now or hold. Made from organic grapes and Fair’n Green certified. Screw cap. 92 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com November 2017
2016 Dönnhoff Tonschiefer Riesling RRP $53
A finely-nuanced medium-bodied dry riesling with plenty of floral delicacy, but also a firm mineral backbone and a long filigree finish. Drink or hold. Made from organic grapes and Fair’n Green certified. From the excellent Leistenberg site. Screw cap. 92 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com November 2017
2016 Dönnhoff Felsentürmchen Riesling Grosses Gewächs RRP $140
Unexpectedly charming on the nose for a wine from volcanic soil this has stunning grapefruit and lime character. Then just when you think it’s a nice guy the totally radical, smoky and mineral finish comes through to remind you how strong nature can be! Drink now or hold. 97 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com December 2017
2016 Dönnhoff Dellchen Riesling Grosses Gewächs RRP $140
MAGNUM RRP $297
Very refined peach, rose hip and wild berry on the nose. Stunning concentration, elegance and finesse make this one of the stars of the vintage on the Nahe. The super-mineral finish almost literally takes your breath away. Drink now or hold. 96 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com December 2017
2016 Dönnhoff Hermannshöhle Riesling Grosses Gewächs RRP $149
MAGNUM RRP $322
The 2016 Hermannshöhle GG from Dönnhoff is once again one of the top dry rieslings of the vintage in Germany thanks to its stunning combination of concentration and finesse. The super-mineral finish tugs at your lapels trying to pull you with it into the distance. Don’t resist! Good for several decades at least. 97 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com December 2017
2016 Dönnhoff Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Spätlese RRP $89
Super-cool and super-racy, this Spätlese has electric freshness and dangerously intense minerality, the complex aromas ranging from lemon zest to pineapple just beginning to open up. Better from 2018 and decades of ageing potential here. Made from organic grapes and Fair’n Green certified. 95 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com December 2017
2016 Dönnhoff Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese RRP $105
Another 2016 Spätlese from Dönnhoff that’s still a bit shy on the nose, but on the palate it’s like a huge glittering diamond with more facets flashing many colours. An extremely long super-mineral finish that is impeccably clean in spite of the generous grape sweetness in this masterpiece of elegance. Better from 2018 with decades of ageing potential. Made from organic grapes and Fair’n Green certified. 96 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com December 2017
2016 Dönnhoff Hermannshöhle Riesling Auslese RRP $168
This very concentrated Auslese demands a lot of patience if you want to experience all its thousand nuances. Has the crystalline purity of a great Spätlese rather than the honey of a luscious Auslese, but is way too big to be the former. Made from organic grapes and Fair’n Green certified. 96 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com December 2017
A.CHRISTMANN – Pfalz
2016 A. Christmann Riesling RRP $39
This has a great balance between ripe fruit (you find a bit of all the citrus fruits in here), crisp acidity and a pronounced mineral character along the long, clean finish. Drink now or in 2018 and 2019. Screw cap closure. 91 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com December 2017
2016 A. Christmann Ruppertsberg RRP $49
A generous wine with great vigour and some real power. Long, clean and polished finish for a dry white with just 11.5% alcohol! Drink or hold. Screw cap closure. 92 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com December 2017
2016 A. Christmann Idig Riesling Grosses Gewächs RRP $149
MAGNUM $313
The delicious paradox of this great dry riesling is the way it is built on an imposing scale, but is very pure and super straight without any hint of heaviness, even on the very long powerful finish. You’ll need to be patient for at least a couple of years if you want to experience all the subtle nuances, but the ripe mirabelle note is already delightful. At least thirty years of ageing potential. 96 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com December 2017
KOEHLER-RUPRECHT – Pfalz
2016 Koehler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Kabinett Trocken RRP $29
The 2016er Kallstadter Kabinett Trocken was made exclusively from grapes harvested in the Steinacker and Annaberg, and was bottled at the end of June. It delivers a beautiful nose of yellow peach, grapefruit, floral elements and mint. The wine is superbly balanced and delicately smooth, as well as fresh and juicy on the palate. It leaves a light and fully dry feel in the very long and spicy finish. This is an outstanding dry Riesling. 2021-2031. 90 points. Jean Fisch & David Rayer, Mosel Fine Wines October 2017
2016 Koehler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Saumagen Auslese Trocken RRP $114
The 2016er Kallstadter Saumagen Riesling Auslese Trocken will only be commercially released as of September 2018. It offers a quite spicy and refreshing nose of almond cream, dried flowers, coconut, gooseberry, herbs and white minerals. The wine intense, full of grip and yet at no point weighty on the palate. Bracing acidity eventually comes through and adds length and some power to this overall very delicate and highly elegant expression of dry Riesling. The finish is very pure and fully dry. This wine has immense potential, but will have to be cellared for a good decade to deliver upon it. 2026-2046. 96+ points. Jean Fisch & David Rayer, Mosel Fine Wines October 2017
2009 Koehler-Ruprecht Kallstadter Saumagen Auslese Trocken ‘R’ RRP $163
Clear and Baroque on the nose, the 2009 Saumagen Riesling Auslese trocken R starts with peanut brittle and caramel flavors (along with ripe and cooked apples) that lead to a full-bodied and elegant, tension-filled, clear and mineral palate that repeats the sweetish dessert flavors from the nose. However, the wine is pure, really dry, long, lingering salty and aromatically intense. I would decant it for several hours before I serve it but there is no hurry to get it out of your cellar. 93 points. Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate May 2015
GUNDERLOCH – Rheinhessen
2016 Gunderloch Fritz Riesling RRP $23
Made from fruit grown on the famous Roter Hang, this wine shows lovely stone fruit and lime, fresh natural acidity, spice and aromatic lift. Dry, fresh and full of character.
2016 Gunderloch Als Wär’s Ein Stück Von Mir Riesling RRP $39
The dry 2016 Riesling “Als Wär’s Ein Stück Von Mir” (or “A Piece Of Me” in many English-speaking markets) is from the Hipping, from younger vines in the Rothenberg. Fermented in stainless steel and bottled with six grams of residual sugar, this dry Riesling (produced in 2012 for the first time to introduce the new and personal style of Johannes Hasselbach) opens with an aromatic bouquet of bright tropical fruits. It is a round and juicy but light and finessed Riesling with a delicate mineral background and nice grip on the palate. The 2016 is quite powerful with its 12.5% alcohol plus the unfermented sugar. 87 points. Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate November 2017
2016 Gunderloch Nierstein Riesling RRP $43
Cool and crisp, but also powerful and mineral this has a lot of drive at the finish. Where is that seafood platter? Best through 2025. 92 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com September 2017
2016 Gunderloch Pettenthal Riesling Grosses Gewächs RRP $96
MAGNUM RRP $223
Still rather closed this is a very concentrated wine with a beautiful balance that makes it taste less powerful than it really is. Major minerality at the very long, powerful finish. And all this at just 12.5% alcohol. Better from 2018. 95 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com September 2017
2016 Gunderloch Rothenberg Riesling Grosses Gewächs RRP $107
MAGNUM RRP $280
A super-elegant and filigree wine that is both deep and finely-etched with a very long pure finish that’s as straight as a laser beam! Best from 2018. 95 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com September 2017
2016 Gunderloch Virgo Riesling RRP $190
Grapes from the parcel used for Rothenberg GG are completely processed outside in the vineyard, with no connection to the cellar. Johannes Hasselbach builds a bespoke open-air pop-up crushpad/cellar for this it. WIld fermented in amphora in a flat pocket of the Rothenberg vineyard. The idea is to learn about the pure, undisturbed nature of the site.
2016 Gunderloch Jean Baptiste Riesling Kabinett RRP $32
The 2016 Riesling Kabinett Jean Baptiste is from different vineyards on the red slope and includes 30/40% of the pre-selections in the grand crus plus the flatter parts. Fermented in stainless steel, the wine is clear, pure and intense on the nose but also fresh and slatey. Round and lush but also piquant and fresh on the palate, this is a salty and well-structured Kabinett with a certain power, lingering salinity and tension. Absolutely gorgeous! 90 points. Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate November 2017
2016 Gunderloch Rothenberg Riesling Auslese 375ml RRP $70
Made from grapes with 30/40% botrytised berries, the 2016 Rothenberg Riesling Auslese has a clear citrus colour and opens with a bright, fresh and concentrated bouquet of grapefruits, lemons and wet stones. Round and deliciously lush on the palate, this is a mouth-filling, highly elegant, piquant and salty Auslese with nice grip, grapefruit flavors on the aftertaste and pencil wood on the finish. Really stimulating. Very erotic and provided with great aging potential. (Roughly 100 grams of residual sugar.) 94 points. Stephan Reinhardt, Wine Advocate November 2017
WITTMANN – Rheinhessen
2016 Wittmann Estate Riesling RRP $39
If somebody presented this to me as a village wine from a top producer then I’d believe them, because this has a ton of herbal and chalky character at the long finish and is one third of the total Wittmann production! Drink now. 93 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com September 2017
2016 Wittmann Aulerde Riesling Grosses Gewächs RRP $108
Cool and super-herbal in the nose, before all the ripeness and the racy power which this site can give charges through and leaves you a little breathless. Drink now. 95 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com September 2017
2016 Wittmann Kirchspiel Riesling Grosses Gewächs RRP $132
Welcome to the Riesling fjord! Enormously deep, but also extremely elegant this is the perfect riesling answer to the Grand Crus of Burgundy. If you’re in doubt just let this wine roll over your palate and pay attention to the gigantic finish. Drink now, though this also has tremendous ageing potential. 97 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com December 2017
2016 Wittmann Morstein Riesling Grosses Gewächs RRP $149
MAGNUM RRP $305
Be prepared! This is the most closed of the 2016 Wittmann Grosses Gewächs, but it has extraordinary finesse. Then the fundamental power climbs out of the abyss and pushes the incredibly fine, chalky finish out towards infinity. Please wait until at least 2018, because this has enormous potential. No hurry! You can even hang on through 2050. 98 points. Stuart Pigott, jamessuckling.com December 2017
WURZELWERK – Rheingau, Rheinhessen & Kamptal
2016 Wurzelwerk Pack RRP $990
It’s back! The return of this trail-blazing three-way, border-hopping juice-swap experiment in 2016 involves Johannes Hasselbach of Gunderloch, his brother-in-law Alwin Jurtschitsch in the Kamptal, and Theresa Breuer of Georg Breuer in the Rheingau.
The vineyards – all grands crus, whose real name couldn’t be used because this boundary-pushing concept breaks local wine laws – were: Nonnenberg (nicknamed Die Nonne Berg) in the Rheingau; Rothenberg (Der Rote Berg) in Rheinhessen; and Heiligenstein (Der Heilige Stein) in the Kamptal. The grapes were vinified similarly with minimal intervention (spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel) in three separate cellars, each with a personal interpretation.
The wines come in a nine-pack wooden box of 500ml bottles, with each winemaker producing an interpretation of each other’s vineyard.