2020 Weingut Maximin Grünhaus – Von Schubert, Riesling Trocken, Schloss, VDP Gutswein, Ruwer-Mosel, Germany.
The new label “Schloss” replaces the “Monopol” Riesling and is produced with the same fruit as before, all harvested from the estate’s wholly owned and organically farmed Abtsberg, Herrenberg and Bruderberg Grand Cru vineyard sites that sit steeply set above the Ruwer, not far from the confluence of Mosel and offers a vividly dry, generously fruited and mineral laced character in the glass. Steely and electric at first, this 2020 adds depth as it opens and indices the palate with lime, white peach, green apple and zingy quince with flinty slate accents, saline, a touch of earth and herbs along with tropical notes. As with the Monopol or prior editions, this is an impeccable and crystalline wine that displays a graceful tension and is a sublime value, earning its place in Maximin Grünhaus’ dry Riesling line, just below the sensational trio of GGs. Since this bottling doesn’t require any serious aging, the screw cap or Stelvin closure is just perfect in function, making sure you get a fresh and pure wine every time. All the wines at Maximin Grünhaus are fermented naturally, with spontaneous yeasts in the deep and cool cellar, where they are matured in a combination of stainless steel tanks and neutral oak casks, to promote a sense of place and transparency, as this wine show with pristine clarity. This dry Riesling can easily be sipped with Sushi and or starter dishes, but can stand up to heartier cuisine as well, making it very flexible and a serious wine.
Maximin Grünhaus is one of the most historic wineries in the world, which looks to date back to February 6, 966, when the first document mentions the place, when Emperor Otto I, heir of Charlemagne, recognized, as the winery notes, a donation that had been made in the Seventh century by the Frankish King Dagobert! But it really started to make a name for itself as the Benedictine monastery of Saint Maximin, which farmed and produced wine here. The estate was bought by the current owner Carl von Schubert’s ancestors back in 1882 and five generations helped create the modern legend that is Maximin Grünhaus and its three amazing vineyards, mentioned above, Abtsberg, Herrenberg and Bruderberg, which are some of the most coveted sites in Germany. These vineyards are most known these days for their VDP Grosse Lagen status and the single vineyard dry wines made from these grapes which come from vines all set on classic Devonian slate soils, though the Herrenberg has mineral/iron rich red slate that adds an exotic quality and structures to age. The Bruderberg, though separate is almost a continuation of the famed Abtsberg, which has been planted with vines for over a thousand years, even though it is believed the Riesling didn’t came here until the 1800s, after it had gained success in the Rhein region, where it is from. Located on the left bank of the tiny Ruwer river, about two kilometers upstream from where it joins the Mosel, this property stands out as a place for distinctive terroir driven wines, an understatement maybe, as it is a winery that elevates the wine world. I am a fan of these wines and glad they are pretty easy to find in the states, especially this Schloss, which delivers big Riesling bang for the bucks.
($24 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive