Müller-Catoir - Gimmeldingen Riesling 2019

Druvor

Riesling

Tasting note

The 2019 Gimmeldingen Riesling opens with a clear, pure and slightly flinty bouquet with intense and upfront Riesling fruit, yellow paprika and peach/nectarine aromas and stony notes. Round and elegant on the mouth-filling and silky textured palate, this is a supple and dense yet fine and elegant dry Riesling that is not as fresh and finessed as the Haardt sibling, showing more tannins and a lingering phenolic grip. The Gimmeldingen is not as fine as the Haardt Riesling, but it is substantial and slower in its development. Time will help for more refinement. Tasted as a sample in April and June 2020 (AP 04 20).

After a very dry winter, the season started with a very early budding and with temperatures already up to 30 degrees Celsius at the end of March! A very cool May slowed down the development so that the flowering went on almost in the normal period until mid-June. “The dryness of the winter, however, haunted us throughout the summer,” reports technical director Martin Franzen. 

Characteristic for the summer of 2019 were three heat waves, which lasted for three or four days at the end of June, July and August. They all were unusually hot, with temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius. “The first two heat waves did not cause any major problems for the vines, especially since the first three weeks of August were unusually cool,” Franzen said. “This explains the freshness and elegance of the 2019s.” The first three weeks in August “saved the acidity and slowed down the ripening process in a very positive way. However, the third heat wave at the end of August was not necessary. The Riesling suffered a little less than the Pinot varieties.” 

The harvest started with summer temperatures on September 10 “with perfectly ripened Pinots.” By September 22, all grape varieties except the Riesling family were harvested. “Due to the dryness, ripening was a bit slow, so the announced change in weather with rain gave us hope. The fact that we then immediately entered autumn and the rain would not stop was not desired, though,” Franzen said. He stopped harvesting for four days in order to pick all of the Riesling grapes during the only dry phase—on September 28 and 29. The unstable weather continued, but “this was not a big problem for the remaining Rieslings and Scheuereben due to the lighter soils,” said Franzen. The main harvest ended very quickly on October 3. Noble sweet wines were again only possible with Rieslaner and still only under quite difficult conditions. With 51 hectoliters per hectare, the yields were on the normal/desired level in 2019, said Franzen.

I have to admit it is very difficult to taste and evaluate the Rieslings of MC at such an early stage. Half a year ago, in December, I tasted the 2017s and 2018s, which was a good moment to understand the wines, but the 2019s are still very tight and puristic seven to nine months after the harvest. The Rieslings improve relatively fast, as five wines demonstrated in June after I was rather reserved in April. However, all of the 2019 Rieslings are still far too young to be enjoyed that soon, but Martin Franzen produced a fantastic dry Muscat from the Bürgergarten that was picked long before the rain came.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate

AWARDS

• 2019: James Suckling: 93/100 "Very fragrant and enticing with lemon-zest, licorice and herbal notes. This dry Pfalz riesling is a cool customer, in spite of the depth and juiciness. Long, straight finish with lots of freshness. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold." | Ronn Wiegand 5/5 "This is an outstanding 2019 Riesling. The Gimmeldingen is a ripe, supple wine with medium full body, good depth and flavor (peach, apple, lime, pineapple, honeysuckle), and a long finish. Delicious. Can age further."
• 2017: James Suckling: 93/100
• 2016: James Suckling: 93/100
• 2015: Robert Parker: 91/100
• 2008: Robert Parker: 88/100
• 2007: Robert Parker: 90/100 | Best of Riesling 2018: 91/100