2023 Weingut Keller "RR" Riesling, Rheinhessen, Germany

ABOUT THIS WINE

Kellers RR is one of those insiders bottles. Normally, the wine is sourced from a rare red-soil parcel within the Kirchspiel. This cask rarely ferments totally dry and the Kellers have always enjoyed the natural balance of the wine. Its what wed call a feinherb the wine is just a bit off-dry. Normally, youll see the bottle labeled as Kirchspiel RR, the RR denoting Riesling from the Red soil.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

Rheinhessen, Germany, is home to the family winery Weingut Keller. The wine estate traces its origins back to 1789 when the Swiss Keller family moved to Germany to establish a winery there. The domain is located in the so called Hgelland (hill country) where the best vineyards of the region can be found. Currently, Klaus Keller, the 11th generation, is in charge. Before then, Keller was known for its sweet wines, but Klaus changed that. He was the first in the family to start producing dry riesling as well.

The property consists of almost 20 hectares. Of these, about 70% are classified as Grosses Gewchs. These include the iconic vineyards Hubacker in Dalsheim and Kirchspiel, Morstein and Abtserde in Westhofen. Riesling is the star of Weingut Keller, but it also makes beautiful wines of Silvaner, Grauburgunder, Sptburgunder and Scheurebe.

Klaus and his wife Julia both graduated as oenologists. Klaus gained his experience at the renowned wineries Armand Rousseau and Hubert Lignier in Burgundy, among others. Together, they make an excellent team. The grapes are fermented exclusively by indigenous yeasts. Both fermentation and aging take place in large casks of French oak. The wines then mature in bottle for at least six months before being released. One of the special cuves is the Riesling G-Max. Only 1,500 bottles of this wine are produced per vintage. It is one of the most expensive Rieslings in the world. But all of Weingut Keller's wines are of sublime quality. The winery has been named Germany's best winery several times.