2013 Riesling G Max

Having fine-tuned his pruning and canopy management in order to be able to extend hang time without getting higher levels of alcohol, Klaus-Peter Keller faced more than his fair share of drama in 2013 owing to the unpredictable weather patterns. “We were very patient trying to coax the best out of a difficult vintage,” he told me early in the harvest, but as major storms swept through the vineyards in October he was not certain that he had made the right choices. As conditions improved, though, his tone became more upbeat. Not only was he able to harvest a bevy of impressively well-balanced dry Rieslings in late October that stole the show in my tastings, but as the botrytis dried, a selection of noble late harvest wines on the 1st of November before further downpours ended a vintage that should bring a tear to the eye of any collector of Auslese from the Mosel. In fact, from the dry Silvaner to the excellent Pinot Noirs, there was nothing short of outstanding in 2013 from this estate, which across the board essentially has no peer in Germany. The only downside was the low crop levels, down 30%. Everything here was already on allocation; now the finest wines will be extremely difficult to find.