2019 Weingut Wittmann, Riesling Trocken, Aulerde VDP Grosses Gewächs, Rheinhessen, Germany.
A friend opened this fantastic GG from Wittmann with a casual dinner the other night and as no stranger to Wittmann it was no surprise just how good his bright golden hued 2019 Aulerde Grosses Gewächs was, drinking on similar terms as a Les Clos Grand Cru Chabis with exceptional stony character and energy. That said, there’s an added dimension here that sets these GGs apart with this one revolving around lime, white peach, green apple and quince fruits, along with mineral intensity, lemon verbena, orange oil, chamomile, yeasty notes and lingering wet chalk. The GG’s usually see the organic Riesling grapes being all hand picked and carefully sorted before seeing a gentle pressing to fuder to age. The fermentation was “Sponti” using native yeasts and the Westhofener saw a full 10 months on the lees, in the large neutral oak casks, which explains the beautiful play between dynamic energy and luxurious roundness. Wittmann is known especially for the Grand Cru fruit from the legendary Morsteiner and the Brunnenhäuschen Crus, but Aulerde is awesome too, a warmer site, adds subtle tropical notes, with a pure nose, depth and vibrancy due to fruit coming from old vines that were planted in 1949 and 1959.
The Wittmann family estate, as mentioned in prior reviews, based in Westhofen, under the direction of Philipp Wittmann, one of Germany’s finest winemakers, has been certified organic since 1990 and biodynamic since 2004, but the Wittmann family has a long history here and has been growing grapes and producing wine in the Rheinhessen village since 1663. Today, according to the winery, Wittmann cultivates 62 acres of vines in the rolling limestone hills found in the southern part of the Rheinhessen region, just to west of the Rhein river valley. They have been pioneers in developing the full-bodied, well-balanced style of dry wines, of which Philippe with his talents, has gained a huge following for, especially for his GGs and Premier Cru offerings like this one. Of course, Riesling is the dominant grape variety here at Wittman, as the winery adds, accounting for 65% of the estate’s vineyard area, but they also produce Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, as well as Silvaner, plus small amounts of Scheurebe, Chardonnay and a few other things, like St Laurent I believe. If you’ve not experienced Wittmann’s wines, now is the time, especially the Erste Gewächs and Grosses Gewächs, like this one. A big thank you to my friend and wine professional Alex Lallos, who again, showed off tremendous generosity by sharing this wine with me, which was stunning on the night and should continue to develop over the next 5 to 10 years.
($70-100 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive