2012 Riesling Kiedricher Gräfenberg Beerenauslese

Wilhelm Weil generally bottles some of the finest wines that the Rheingau produces in any given vintage--and he now has a new cellar that should help him preserve his position at the pinnacle of the pecking order. His 2011s were monumental. The climatic conditions in the Rheingau in 2012 were a tad more challenging, making his goal of producing every category of Germany's wine scale considerably more demanding. Most estates would be pleased to have made such wines once in a lifetime, but the 2012s will probably not be core items in the estate's anthology. I suspect that Weil will be back soon with an even better batch of rieslings. (www.weingut-robert-weil.com) Also recommended: 2012 Kiedricher Riesling Trocken (85), 2012 Kiedricher Klosterberg Riesling Trocken (87), 2012 Riesling Spatlese (87), 2012 Kiedricher Turmberg Riesling Auslese (90), 2012 Kiedricher Grafenberg Riesling Auslese Gold Capsule (91), 2012 Kiedricher Turmberg Riesling Beerenauslese (91). Other wines tasted: 2012 Riesling Trocken.