Wittmann Westhofener Riesling Trocken 2018
(Rheinhessen, Germany) - [JS 95] [WS 92] [WA 91] [VM 91]

About The Winemaker:

The Wittmann family has been growing grapes and producing wine in the small Rheinhessen village of Westhofen since 1663. Today, the estate cultivates 62 acres of vines in the rolling limestone hills found in the southern part of the region, just west of the Rhine river valley. They have been pioneers in developing the full-bodied, well-balanced style of dry wines for which the region has become known. And they were early adopters of organic (1990) and biodynamic (2004) viticulture.

Riesling is the dominant grape variety, accounting for 65% of the estate’s vineyard area. They also produce the three Pinot varieties (Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir), as well as Silvaner. In addition, small quantities of Scheurebe, Chardonnay and some minor varieties are grown.

About the Wine:

A stunning and complex “premier cru” dry Riesling, the Westhofener Riesling bears the new VDP Rheinhessen designation, “Aus Ersten Lagen,” which simply means “from premier cru vineyards.” This is analogous to the Burgundian use of “Premier Cru,” without vineyard designation, when the wine is a blend of two or more climats. These wines may also contain declassified fruit from grand cru sites, however, which is exactly the case with the Westhofener.

This wine was selected from maturing parcels (15 years or older) in the Morstein and Brunnenhäuschen vineyards, both of which are classified as Grosse Lage. Rich in mineral tones, this wine shows the great potential of these top sites.

95 Points - James Suckling:
"Plenty of butter, milk, apricot pie, mangoes, papaya and dried-pear tart. Even a touch of bananas. While the nose is certainly in the tropical zone, the palate is unexpectedly steely with a deep indent of acidity punctuating the otherwise soft and round impression. A contrastive, tense white in the end."

92 Points - Wine Spectator:
"This ripe version exhibits guava, peach and mango aromas and flavors, with an underlying spiciness. Balanced, yet exhibits electric acidity. A bit intense at the moment, but should balance out with short-term cellaring. Salty hints mark the finish. Best from 2021 through 2029."

91 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:
"The 2018 Westhofener Riesling Trocken is sourced entirely from grand cru vineyards (predominantly Morstein but also Brunnenhäuschen) and is a concentrated, intense and juicy wine with a tight mineral structure. Tasted at the domaine in March 2020"

91 Points - Vinous Media:
"Sourced entirely from Morstein, this leads with rather austere, pungent and piquant suggestions of char, crushed stone, grapefruit peel, caraway and crushed citrus seeds. Wittmann reported that in keeping with the recent establishment of wine “Aus Ersten Lagen” as an official VDP category (as explained in the introduction to this report on Rheinhessen), he was much stricter in his choice of raw material for this Westhofen bottling than had been the case with its eponymous predecessors. And at this address, stricter selection and higher quality are associated with less fruity and more minerally demeanors. That association is certainly reflected in this wine’s chalky, stony grip, accompanied by cheek-tugging, glowing overall phenolic intensity. Happily, though, not only do zest of grapefruit and lime lend pizzazz to the finish, they also serve for welcome primary juiciness that insures refreshment, while a lick of salt serves for equally welcome salivary stimulation. Drinking window: 2020 - 2026"