"German Montrachets"
2011 Keller Kirchspiel GG
Hitting the Mark: Keller's Value GG
"Klaus-Peter Keller has made absolutely stunning wines across the board in 2011...
In short, they were probably the most consistently brilliant range of Rieslings I tasted on the trip through Germany this year." -John Gilman
In no time at all, Klaus-Peter Keller has become one of Germany's most skillful practitioners. These wines deserve to be included among the great white wines of the world.
What no one does better than Keller is to shape this considerable intensity into a form that is elegant, finessed - beautiful. Keller GGs are incredibly concentrated, lavish with detailed fruit, yet it's the minerality, the clarity, the form that makes these wines unforgettable.
 |
As Jancis Robinson has written, Keller's dry Rieslings "are the German Montrachets."
Keller's 2011 collection testifies to just how skilled of a winemaker he is. As the Gilman quote above makes clear, Keller really nailed it in 2011. And, without a doubt, his Kirchspiel GG is one of the biggest success stories of the vintage.
The trick to producing great wines in 2011 was giving enough rigor to the pure, tender fruit quality of the vintage. Keller really hit the mark here, particularly with his Kirchspiel GG - a bottling that's always the tautest and nerviest of his GGs.
We've always been very fond of Keller's Kirchspiel for its interplay of concentration married beautifully with a sharp, chiseled structure. Not to mention the huge value that it offers.
Kirchspiel GG has always seemed like the younger sibling of the monumental Abtserde. While it may not reach the insane levels of complexity that Abtserde does, Kirchspiel possesses a tension-filled clarity and palpable minerality that's just lovely. Equally important, it clocks in a good $35 less than Abtserde.
As Gilman writes, Keller's 2011 has the potential to stand out as one of the finest examples to date: "Where this vintage of Kirchspiel will ultimately rank with some of the other great wines produced from this vineyard in the last several years is uncertain, but it seems likely to rank right up there at the summit."
You can sum up Kirchspiel in one word: mineral. The wine possesses astounding clarity (you can smell the limestone) and incredible grip.
In 2011, the Kirchspiel GG has a great depth of material and yet, remains sharp and agile. It's led by ripe citrus (tangerine, lime, orange) and gives way to a seamless minerality and floral notes.
The world has certainly not overlooked the world-class level that Keller's wines exist in. Keller's GGs are cult wines. There's simply never enough to go around, and as his reputation continues to spread with each vintage, the situation only gets worse.
Please give us your ideal order and we'll try out best.
To order, please email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
2011 Keller Kirchspiel GG is prearrival!