The "Other" Kirchspiel
2009 Keller Riesling Kirchspiel "RR"
One Single Parcel for the U.S.
I had always wanted to taste this bottling.
It's a curious wine, sourced from a unique, red-soil parcel within the Kirchspiel Vineyard; a tiny island of color surrounded by the pure yellow limestone that makes up the rest of the Kirchspiel (and from which the GG is sourced).
John Gilman has written very positive things about this wine and while none ever made it to the U.S., I had been frustrated year after year in my attempts to taste it at the estate.
I'd love to say that I did something different this year, that somehow my wisdom guided me to this wine, but in truth the scenario is much simpler. This year, for whatever reason, Klaus-Peter poured the "RR" and I absolutely loved it. I bought everything I could, on the spot.
And thus we have what I think is the U.S.'s first and only parcel of the Kirchspiel "RR." In the grand, grand 2009 vintage, this is a bottling not to miss. This is profound juice and while it is not the greatest wine in this great collection, it might be my favorite.
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Riesling is incredibly sensitive to its surroundings and thus the "RR" has a much different voice than the regular Kirchspiel GG. The fruit is darker, more glazed and complex with notes of petrol and mint - the nose especially conveys a sense of dark-sweet pungency, stones and moist earth, even tobacco and clay highlighted by ripe stone fruit and citrus. If the nose is almost brooding and mysterious, on the palate this wine is fierce, with Keller's signature glossy acids, razor-sharp definition and simply superb length.
The "RR" was fermented spontaneously and allowed to find its own balance, thus we're left with 11 grams residual sugar, 2 grams too many to be called "Trocken" or dry. This extra residual sugar gives the wine a profound push and pull between acidity and sweetness.
This bottle looms beautifully in that category of wine called "dry tasting," and while it seems to me the extra residual sugar gives the "RR" a bit more length and density on the palate, the gush of mineral and acidity on the backend provides for a mouthwatering finale, not to mention definition and more than enough lift.
The Kirchspiel "RR" is sourced from a .33-hectare parcel (that's one-third of a hectare) and if my notes are correct, only about 1,500 bottles are made. We've received only a few cases, so this offering goes out only to those of you who have supported our Riesling program.
Please give us your maximum request and we'll do the best we can to allocate fairly. Please note all orders are subject to confirmation - a confirmation which you'll by Monday at the latest.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Stephen Bitterolf
Wine Director
Crush Wine & Spirits
View from the Cellar: "As readers might recall, the “RR” bottling all hails from a section of the Kirchspiel vineyard that is all red soils. The 2009 offers up a more citrus-centric aromatic profile than the Von der Fels, as it delivers scents of oranges, sweet grapefruit, wild yeast, great minerality and every type of citrus zest known to humankind. On the palate the wine is fullish, crisp and complex, with just a touch of sweetness on the attack, great focus and balance, bright acids and lovely length and grip on the very long and classy finish. Another terrific value."
Keller Kirchspiel RR is in stock!
NET | No further discount