2013 Riesling Deidesheimer Langenmorgen Grosses Gewächs

Over the past few vintages, there had been some controversy about the style of Steffen Christmann’s dry Rieslings, which sometimes suggested phenolic flavors of "natural" wine. Some colleagues bestowed praise, others criticism. I tried to reserve judgment, but must admit that they no longer had charm and spontaneity in their youth. I wondered if they would age better. In 2013, in any case, he appears to have reset the clock. “In listening to your criticism,” he told me as we were tasting the new vintage last August, “I realized that I was perhaps harvesting a touch too late and occasionally pushing the cold soaks too far.” Located on the Mittelhaardt, his sites are warmer that those of his friends Philipp Wittmann in Westhofen and Hansjörg Rebholz in Siebeldingen and bud, blossom and ripen earlier. Whatever he has in fact changed, 2013 is the best vintage that I have tasted here in a number of years, with the Idig being not only a long-distance runner but also one of the best dry Rieslings in Germany. Surprisingly, as he is the current president of Germany’s VDP, Steffen Christmann prefers to retain a low profile. He prefers allowing his wines to speak rather than basking in the limelight himself. They now have an important story to tell.