2007 Riesling Westhofener Brunnenhäuschen Abtserde Grosses Gewächs

Although he built on a solid foundation, Klaus-Peter Keller has taken this estate to new heights since he took over from his father in 2002. Not only has he broadened the vineyard holdings, including the recent addition of the Abtserde in Westhofen, he also has tweaked the vineyard management, where his father is still active, and reverted to many of the best ideas of previous generations in the cellar, including the use of wooden casks for fermentation in order to underline the individual style of each site. The 2007 vintage is a perfect example of his talent. Few other estates in Germany took such full advantage of the potential Mother Nature provided, resulting five dry rieslings that are better than almost anything I have tasted here since 2004. Three of them are among the finest dry rieslings of the vintage. Not only that, but Keller is also one of the few estates outside the Mosel, Rheingau and Nahe that has excelled in 2007 with spatlese, auslese and trockenbeerenauslese as well. (Sussex Wine Merchants, Moorestown, NJ; Dee Vine Wines, San Francisco, CA) Also recommended: 2007 Silvaner Trocken "S" (89), 2007 Grauer Burgunder "S" (90), 2007 Weisser Burgunder "S" (91), 2007 Riesling Trocken von der Fels (89), 2007 Riesling Kabinett Limestone (88), 2007 Monsheimer Silberberg Rieslaner Auslese (91), 2007 Westhofener Morstein Scheurebe Beerenauslese (94), 2007 Westhofener Morstein Scheurebe Beerenauslese Gold Capsule (94), 2007 Monsheimer Silberberg Rieslaner Trockenbeerenauslese (95), 2007 Westhofener Kirchspiel Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese (95), 2006 Dalsheimer Burgel Pinot Noir Felix Grosses Gewachs (90). Also tasted: 2007 Grauburgunder Trocken, 2007 Riesling Trocken.