2019 Weingut Korrell, Riesling Trocken, Nahe Germany.
The 2019 Nahe Riesling wines look to be legendary and this Korrell basic trocken is absolutely glorious and pure liquid summer in the bottle with spot on terroir and varietal character shinning through showing lime, green apple, white peach fruits along with hints of crystalized ginger, clove and chamomile as well as fantastic fresh mineral and wet stone. Korrell is a winery that should be on your Riesling radar, I’ve been following them since trying this wine from the 2016 vintage and each wine that followed got better and better. As I’ve mentioned in earlier reviews, Martin Korrell, the sixth generation of the Korrell family, is the talent behind this ambitious and innovative estate, he has a wonderful palate of diverse soils to work with here, not far from the likes of Donnhoff, Schlossgut Diel, Hexamer, Gut Hermannsberg, Kruger-Rumpf and Schäfer-Fröhlich. There is an array of soils and distinct parcels found at Korrell, with some volcanic influences, slate, quartz and gravel around the estate, plus Korrell has their prized single vineyard monopole Paradies cru vineyard which is set on mineral intense clay and fossilized limestone, that gives Korrell’s flagship Riesling a fantastic textural richness and depth that reminds me of some of the great Pfalz GG’s. While just a simple Riesling by label, on the palate it is nothing short of delicious with a impressive medium bodied sensation and stainless steel raised clarity, it compares well with much more expressive wines, on par with some classic names in the German elite. This wine has excited me to try the later releases of the single cru offerings from this region, they look likely to be something special.
This 2019 Trocken is generous, flirty and full of flavor, it goes a long way to checking off all the boxes in a great wine with zesty acidity, floral detail and a touch of leesy richness gaining depth as it warms slightly in the glass where it glistens with a lovely golden/yellow hue. This vintage is so good, you have to check the label to make sure you didn’t actually open the GG or Cru bottling, you’ll want to stock up on it, such is the sense of completeness and the insane value you get. I certainly, as I have said since my first taste of Korrell, recommend getting some of their (dry) Trocken Riesling, plus the awesome GGs (Grosses Gewachs – Grand Cru) like the Paradies and the very unique bottling called the Von Den Grossen Lagen, sourced from exceptional VPD Grand Cru sites, blended from serious names you’d know. I just also received Donnhoff’s estate Trocken from this 2019 and I am really looking forward to that too, this region is killing it right now and the winegrowers here are raising the bar with almost every new year bringing a wealth of fabulous choices. Martin and Britta’s Korrell Johanneshof Estate in Bad Kreuznach, which was founded by Martin’s ancestors that interesting enough came originally from Spain and settled here to farm in the Nahe River family, is farmed in sustainable methods to preserve the quality of the place for future generations. This Trocken that opens up with orange blossoms and stays racy fresh made for a great sipper with this California heatwave, adding a nice crisp saline note and great with a light selection of foods, but will be fantastic with a touch of spice and Asian cuisine.
($24 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive