WTN: 2017 Wehrheim Kastanienbusch Riesling

2017s in Germany may be uneven right now, but I have had some very good showings over the past few months.

Tonight it was the 2017 Wehrheim Kastanienbusch Riesling GG, which has in fact been cranky over the past year. But this bottle showed much better, with just a bit of air.

Plenty of golden mineral fruit that has left the juicy exuberance of youth behind, but is still showing vigor and drive. Yes, some may prefer to wait for more aged elements to develop, but for my palate there is lots of fun to be had right now. Especially because there is still the rustic edge, so this may never reach the elegant heights of more recent vintages chez Wehrheim (or Rebholz Kastanienbusch), but doesn’t stop me from enjoying the wine. Will see how long I wait on my last bottle.

And didn’t hurt that it was a perfect match with the dinner of steelhead trout in a tahini miso sauce, couscous, roasted asparagus and sauteed maitake and fennel with basil.

[David M. Bueker]

Sounds like a fine bottle. Who brings in Werheim? Is that a Lyle wine?

Yes, imported by Lyle. I like them as a more generous (and cheaper) source of Kastanienbusch, a nice counterpoint to Rebholz. But Rebholz does have that extra level of elegance.

[David M. Bueker]

I do like Rebholz, but more often than not I am left thinking that they do not make wines that say "Pfalz" to me. Lucky me as they aren't cheap.

I do like Rebholz, but more often than not I am left thinking that they do not make wines that say "Pfalz" to me. Lucky me as they aren't cheap.

I guess it depends on your benchmark for the Pfalz. You probably have more extensive experience than me, but I've never had a stereotypical "Pfalz" profile in mind, certainly not compared to the Mosel or Saar (and I believe the Pfalz has almost 3x the amount of acres planted to vines as the Mosel, without the same defining feature of a river with steep slopes). If pushed, maybe I think of tropical leaf flavors as a note that screams 'Pfalz', but there are so many diverse wines in the region.

Yes, the Rebholz wines tend to be more restrained than some of the others in the region, but they still have the presence of the Pfalz, and like many other Pfalz wines, they sit nicely between the MSR and Rheinhessen in the spectrum of ripeness and power, and yes I know that is not the case geographically!

24 hours later it is maybe even better, which is rare for my palate. Nice texture coming together, more integrated, silky and seamless. Maybe not the deepest or most elegant wine in the world, but why focus on the downsides. There are A LOT of upsides here, as this is very nice riesling. I am excited about following more bottles, and will do a check in on 2021 in a few days...