Maximin Grunhaus Abtsberg Riesling Superior 2018
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Parker
Robert -
Suckling
James -
Spectator
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Superior is a special designation at Grunhaus. It is a reference to “Father Superior” and its Benedictine monastery roots. It is made in the “semi-sweet” Feinherb style with about 1.5% residual sugar. It’s not dry, it’s not sweet, it’s just perfect. Produced exclusively from the oldest vines on the Abstberg, this wines rivals the GG in its aristocratic pedigree. Blue slate-driven aromas and flavors of peach cobbler, apple marmalade, guava juice, oolong tea, minty herbs and smoky slate.
Downright rich and intense for a riesling, this could easily stand up to Osso Bucco, Jaeger schnitzel, wild boar or a rosemary pork tenderloin.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Maximin Grünhaus Abtsberg Riesling Superior is very intense and concentrated on the deep, mineral and highly impressive nose. Lush and generous, with a creamy texture and quite a bit of sweetness (15 grams per liter), this is a crystalline, tight woven, very long and lush Abtsberg with enormous power and concentration. The wine needs some years to reduce its baby fat but, it is full of promise.
Range: 93-95
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James Suckling
Stoney nuances, such as chalk, flint, white pepper and nutmeg come to the fore. Lightly off-dry with impressive balance to the acidity and a chalky, cutting texture of lemon and grapefruit pith.
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Wine Spectator
This shows a core of juicy fruit, featuring mineral details midpalate, balanced by a generous amount of acidity. Citrus, nectarine and floral details are consistent and harmonious. Stays firm and complex on the mouthwatering finish. Best from 2022 through 2031.
Other Vintages
2020-
Suckling
James
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Parker
Robert
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
Following the Mosel River as it slithers and weaves dramatically through the Eifel Mountains in Germany’s far west, the Mosel wine region is considered by many as the source of the world’s finest and longest-lived Rieslings.
Mosel’s unique and unsurpassed combination of geography, geology and climate all combine together to make this true. Many of the Mosel’s best vineyard sites are on the steep south or southwest facing slopes, where vines receive up to ten times more sunlight, a very desirable condition in this cold climate region. Given how many twists and turns the Mosel River makes, it is not had to find a vineyard with this exposure. In fact, the Mosel’s breathtakingly steep slopes of rocky, slate-based soils straddle the riverbanks along its entire length. These rocky slate soils, as well as the river, retain and reflect heat back to the vineyards, a phenomenon that aids in the complete ripening of its grapes.
Riesling is by far the most important and prestigious grape of the Mosel, grown on approximately 60% of the region’s vineyard land—typically on the desirable sites that provide the best combination of sunlight, soil type and altitude. The best Mosel Rieslings—dry or sweet—express marked acidity, low alcohol, great purity and intensity with aromas and flavors of wet slate, citrus and stone fruit. With age, the wine’s color will become more golden and pleasing aromas of honey, dried apricot and sometimes petrol develop.
Other varieties planted in the Mosel include Müller-Thurgau, Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) and Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), all performing quite well here.