2012 Weingut Kruger-Rumpf, Riesling, Munsterer Kapellenberg, Trocken, Nahe Germany.
The dry Kapellenberg Riesling from Rumpf was a fresh experience, I had not had an opportunity to taste and spend time with this wine before in a finished sense and oh my, this is delightful and serious stuff, I had to check the Terry Theise Germany guide to get my head around where this vineyard site was and why it seemed so unique from other Kruger-Rumpf offering and why it was different from most Nahe wines. Of course, sure enough there was something to be learned, thank you Mr Theise, the Kapellenberg is a tiny parcel set in a valley near where the Nahe meets the Rhein, close to the Rheinhessen with different soils, here there is more quartzite with clay loess, this I believes gives the wine a more generous nature, maybe less heightened energy, but this wine certainly feels more round and is easy to enjoy, even in it’s youth, the dry nature doesn’t shock the palate in anyway, everything is lush and graceful. The 2012 Kruger-Rumpf Kapellenberg Trocken is a fine and entertaining Riesling with class and style, it starts with lime, melon and yellow peach along with a core of ripe apple, kiwi and tangy tangerine while mineral notes and tropical essences fill in the background, this wine doesn’t feel super dry or brisk, it has lovely texture and length about it, not that you get a sweet sensation, it is just that it is less aggressive, this is a subtle and balanced dry wine made with a gentle artisan touch. The 2012 vintage is a major success story in Germany and with out question the Kruger-Rumpf wines reflect that, and this Munsterer-Kapellenberg Trocken is a super value and a terrific little wine, drink from 2014 to 2023.
($22 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive
