This is a controversial Riesling that makes van Volxem's wines seem downright conventional. The “Drei Trauben”, or three bunches of grapes, represents the top of Kühn’s range. Although Kühn is a VDP member, his top wines – fiercely biodynamic, and with extended skin contact and all, have been deemed too atypical to merit the Erstes Gewächs designation; hence the proprietary classification system here. As one might suspect, this wine has nothing in common with more traditional dry Riesling from the Rheingau. It is also a far cry from the only previous Kühn wine that I have ever had, a 2000 Lenchen Spätlese that would not have seemed out of place if it had been made by Spreitzer, whose makes wines from most of the same named vineyards as Kühn does.
2007 Peter Jakob Kühn Mittelheim St. Nikolaus Riesling Trocken “Drei Trauben”
Medium yellow-gold color. The spicy, mineral, barbecued pork nose let you know immediately that this is not your typical Riesling. Full-bodied, bone dry, powerful, yet well balanced, with good underlying acidity; moderately tannic, sharply defined, and focused. Smoky, very mineral, leesy, and somewhat yeasty, even; with notes of spiced apples, cracked black pepper, wildflowers, and chestnuts. Long finish.
On Day 2, this softens a bit, becoming more floral and peachy, and less nutty/peppery; while maintaining the same mineral clarity and picking up some saline notes on the finish.
Excellent in my own humble opinion, but not every Riesling fan will like it. Maybe more for the Gravner crowd than the Weil and Leitz fans?