2016 Weingut Kunstler, Riesling Kabinett Trocken, Hochheimer Holle, Rheingau Germany.
Gunter Kunstler is one of the greats of dry Riesling and his new Holle Kabinett Trocken, which is really more of a Grosses Gewachs than a Kabinett in the real world, is a lovely delicate vintage, but with fantastic detail and steely character. The 2016 Hochheimer Holle Kabinett Trocken Riesling is brightly brilliant with loads of lime, green melon, subtle mango, white peach and tangerine fruits, as well as liquid mineral, almond oil, wet rock, saline, plus a touch of white licorice and basil. More than flavors or words this wine is about feel and class in the glass with it’s electric vibrancy and refined nature, the Kunstler Holle Kabinett Trocken just feels right, start to finish, and it’s still a baby, look for this beautiful Riesling to fill out over the next couple of years and drink well into the next decade. Grown as organically as possible, the Holle is a humid site and needs lots of care and excels when done with the care that Gunter employs in the cellar, the deep clay and sediments with a bit limestone show through clearly in this vintage, making for a terroir driven white that reminds me of a Premier Cru Chablis in style with it’s pure and soulful expression of place and vitality. Air really allows this Riesling to shine with lingering white cherry, unripe apricot, chalky/stone, rosewater and a faint creamy/leesy note adds to the complexity of this wine that has an icy beauty about it, this really gives you a huge insight into Gunter’s precise clarity of mission, it’s a stunner and because it’s labeled Kabinett Trocken (because of a quirk in the VDP system) it will be flying under the radar, so I encourage you to think of this as a GG at a great price!
($36 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive
