The $30 Cult Wine from Keller...
(And a Surprise - RARE!)
2010 Riesling Von der Fels & 2010 Scheurebe Spätlese
"One of the finest vintages of 'von der Fels' that I can recall tasting." -John Gilman, View from the Cellar
The "von der Fels" is Keller's quiet cult dry Riesling.
There simply isn't a better dry Riesling value in the Keller arsenal. But be warned: The 2010 is going to make a very short appearance on the U.S. market - quantities are way down and due to the added juice from some old-vines in the Morstein vineyard, there has never been a better "von der Fels."
Indeed this is one of the most serious "von der Fels" I have ever tasted - absolutely mammoth concentration, extract coating the palate yet, as one would expect, there is an outrageous and sculpted acidity, beautiful balance and great precision.
More than any other "von der Fels" I've ever tasted, this bottle flirts with the style and the potential of the Grosses Gewächs - in its rigor, its seriousness and depth.
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In the past I've compared this bottling to Keller's Kirchspiel GG. It most often has a fine-ness, a lime-zest brightness to it. However, in 2010 it is without a doubt more Morstein - both factually and stylistically. The added juice from the old vines in Morstein give this wine broader shoulders and more power and depth than I've ever encountered before.
This is an incredible "von der Fels." Because of all this density and concentration, decanting this wine is recommended for the full show.
The bad news is that our allocation was nearly halved in 2010 as compared to 2009. For those who would like to put some 2010 "von der Fels" in the cellar, you're going to get one shot and one shot only. Please give us your maximum order and we'll do our best.
The good news is that Klaus-Peter gave us a tiny parcel of his 2010 Scheurebe Spätlese. Here's where friendship comes into the picture! We were emailing back and forth quite a bit about the vintage and I asked him what surprised him - what was really good.
He said I had to taste the Scheurebe - which is good enough for me. This is not someone who has to try and sell his wines; in fact, the five cases we're getting are more of a gift than anything else. I'm not sure any of his Scheurebe Spätlese has ever come into the U.S. before.
For those who have never had a Scheurebe, well, prepare yourself.
Terry Theise's writings on Scheurebe are about as entertaining and insightful as anything ever written on the grape, so I'll just quote: "We who love Scheurebe are truly in a kind of thrall to it. It has little of Riesling’s spiritual depth, but neither does Riesling have Scheurebe’s erotic power. Riesling may indeed represent "All that is Fine and Good," but Scheurebe offers "All that is Dirty and Fun."
Scheurebe is, technically, a cross between Sylvaner and Riesling. As Theise suggests, Scheurebe is very Riesling-esque, but a bit more flamboyant, with more obvious sex appeal. The problem with Scheurebe is that when it's not planted in the right place or tended thoughtfully, it has about as much harmony and charm as an out-of-tune piano.
Keller's 2010 Scheurebe Spätlese, however, is one of the most graceful and elegant Scheurebe I've ever had. It is restrained and has a very real core of minerality and beautiful, beautiful length. This is one seriously classy expression of Scheurebe.
Though Klaus-Peter is always very generous with us, this is a vintage with limited quantities. And while 2010 is indeed a complicated vintage, the wines are absolutely on point at Keller, no doubt.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463. All orders subject to confirmation.
Stephen Bitterolf
Wine Director
Crush Wine & Spirits
2010 Keller Riesling "von der Fels" Trocken
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2010 Keller Scheurebe Spätlese