Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2018 Kalkofen GG "VDP. Grosse Lage" is intense and toasty on the ripe, pure and chalky nose with its lime aromas. Concentrated, very intense and persistent on the palate, this is a pretty sweetish as well as tannic Riesling with vivacious acidity and a long and intense, well-structured mineral finish. Impressive but still young. Tasted in Deidesheim, December 2019.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
This sunny and relatively dry region served for many years as a German tourist mecca and was associated with low cost, cheerful wines. But since the 1980s, it has gained a reputation as one of Germany’s more innovative regions, which has led to increased international demand.