Weingut Keller
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 Hügelland (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 Gewächs. 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, spätburgunder 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 ageing 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 cuvées 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.
2019 is considered the iconic vintage. From this vintage, three wines have been rated exceptionally high. The Riesling G-Max was awarded 100 Parker Points, making it the first dry Riesling ever to achieve the maximum score. The Absterde Riesling GG and Morstein Riesling GG Alte Reben both received 99 points. A great achievement!
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