Riesling Aristocrats
2012 Rebholz Grosses Gewächs:
Ganz Horn GG &
Kastanienbusch GG
Unapologetically Mineral
"Hansjörg Rebholz has surpassed himself in 2012 with an array of wines almost without peer." -Joel Payne
We've been waiting to get a Rebholz offer since tasting the wines at Rieslingfeier. His 2012 collection is absolutely stunning.
Along with 2008, this is the best collection of dry wines that we've tasted from Rebholz.
We're happy to offer our two favorites of Rebholz's 2012 Grosses Gewächs: Ganz Horn and Kastanienbusch.
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Rebholz's dry Rieslings are ruthlessly defined, crystal clear and razor sharp. Every time I taste Rebholz's Grosses Gewächs, the clarity shocks me. For me, Rebholz's Kastanienbusch shares the stage with the great dry Rieslings of the world - Clos St. Hune, Keller's Abtserde, Schäfer-Fröhlich's Felseneck, etc.
Both the Ganz Horn and Kastanienbusch GGs deliver this clarity with a startlingly purity, length and complexity. It's as simple as that. This is a "the stars aligned" sort of vintage.
Ganz Horn is a sub-parcel of the Im Sonnenschein site that’s composed of gravel and colored sandstone. It is among the most mineral and rigorous and Zen-like of Rebholz's Grosses Gewächs. In 2012, Ganz Horn hit an insane level of tension and length. This is always one of our favorite German dry wines, but the 2012 is startling to us.
Kastanienbusch is Rebholz's magnum opus. It's a red slate site that delivers elegance, complexity and incredible depth. The interwoven notes of smoke and citrus are studded with minerals. There's plenty of palate presence, clarity and drive. With that said, the 2012 is off-the-charts. In Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar, Joel Payne comes out and says, "this is one of the finest dry rieslings of the vintage."
For us, Ganz Horn and Kastanienbusch both represent the pinnacle of dry wines in 2012. If Rebholz remains unknown in the U.S. (aside from a small group of devotees), he is widely regarded as one of the greatest winemakers in Germany. These two wines serve as exemplars of Rebholz's greatness.
To order, reply to offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Joe Salamone
Wine Buyer
Crush Wine & Spirits
Joel Payne for Stephen Tanzer: "Sensuous aromas of white peach, hazelnut, basil and lemon oils. The bright, shimmering guava fruit and salty minerality remain fresh and lively for minutes on the palate. Clearly focused and impressively long on the finish, this seductive riesling rates among the great successes of the vintage."
Joel Payne for Stephen Tanzer: "Herbal aromas of peach pit, persimmon, woodsmoke, nut oils and mineral salts. The combination of rich, dense apricot pit flavor and a spicy saline minerality lends this wine enormous complexity on the palate. With beguiling depth, refreshing acidity and stunning length on the aristocratic finish, this is one of the finest dry rieslings of the vintage."