Volcanic Wine Awards | The Jancis Robinson Story | Mission Blind Tasting

2011 Grosses Gewächs – part 2

Image

Jancis writes: Last week we published part 1, my tasting notes from the big showing of  2011 Grosses Gewãchs in Wiesbaden at the end of August.

Below are the notes that Michael took on 100 other Rieslings there. Still to come are his notes on Silvaners and various Burgundian grapes. See our complete guide to all our coverage of this promising vintage.

MOSEL-SAAR-RUWER

Quite deep golden hue suggests very late picking, possibly some...
Herbaceous aromas include a touch of green pepper. Seems a...
Though spontaneous fermentation notes make their presence felt...
Trocken will probably never be the greatest strength of this...
The consistency in the Laurentiuslay Grosse Gewächse over the...
Essentially Grosse Gewächse are dry wines, but an almost...
Very dry is not the wont of Grans-Fassian’s grands crus and the...
Spontaneous fermentation does not have to be in your face, and...
The spicy and quite aromatic character of the Sonnenuhr differs...
With its apricoty, almost Viognier-like fragrance, Haart has...
Quite closed, delicate notes of exotic fruit. On the palate the...
Attractive fragrance of fresh yellow fruit finds further...
Sightly on the sweeter side of the trocken scale, the Sonnenuhr...
Restrained green fruit aromas are supported by a subtle notion...
The Prälat shines with a generous expression of fruit which...
Call me a philistine, but the Treppchen has never rocked my...
The nose does not give away much at this early stage. The palate...
The olfactory promise of ripe yellow fruit and just a hint of...
Very gentle aromas of meadow flowers and herbs lead to an...
Nose quite mute at this early stage, just gently perfumed. Green...
Delicate citrus fruit notes are ably supported by a gentle spicy...
Mouth-watering and succulent green fruit with touches of apple...
Quite restrained on the nose, but faint apricot and mandarin...
The Josephshöfer does not rely as much on fruit as Kesselstatt’s...
Quite spirity on the nose, aromas equally shared by citrus fruit...
Big on herbaceous aromas of spontaneous fermentation at this...
The aftermath of roaming wild yeasts is still prevalent at this...
Ripe yellow fruit aromas are well supported by an attractive...
A lightly medicinal herbaceous aroma may indicate the activity...
A slightly singed fragrance seems to suggest a wine in a phase...
Blackcurrant flower and gooseberry aromas almost scream...
Is there such a thing as peach perfume? But why splash it all...

RHEINGAU

Delicate citrus notes and a gentle apricot scent bear some...

Herbaceous attack of wild yeasts does not make this instantly...
Peardrops and citrus fruit aromas are followed by a sweeter...
Sweet and sour seems to be the direction taken for Barth’s Erste...
Attractive yellow fruit, but too sweet for my liking and could...
A delicate exotic fragrance finds confirmation on the tastebuds...
Attractive fresh green fruit scent gets the backing of sweet...
Still a little yeasty, but fresh peach and nectarine aromas are...
Once in a while a wine gets you right between the nostrils, and...
Green fruit aromas are supplemented with a gentle herbal notion...
Lightly tropical with an attractive notion of lime. A delicate...
The opening attraction is provided by a gentle peach aroma, and...
Reticent on the nose with a gentle yeasty aroma. Grapefruit and...
A delicate apricoty aroma makes for an attractive opening, and...
I’m always in a quandary with Jost’s trocken wines, as they tend...
Stone fruit plays an important part in terms of both aroma and...
An attractive aroma of apricot and peach could indicate barrel...
A light touch of caramel is well balanced by refreshing acidity...
A little citrus fruit on the nose. Straightforward sweet-and...
Deep hue suggests some botrytis influence. The nose exhibits...
Gentle fragrance of green fruit with just a smidgeon of clove...
Gently flowery and peachy aromas flatter the olfactory...
Stone fruit and gentle dusty note create some intrigue on the...
The herbaceous aromas of spontaneous fermentation may still keep...
Sweet and juicy exotic fruit with more than a hint of kiwi is...
The nose does not appear to have recovered entirely from the...
Ripe green fruit and a gentle scent of herbs raise great...
The promise of a fresh peach fragrance is fulfilled by...
A gentle herbal aroma precedes gentle flavours of melon and...
Still a little yeasty on the nose, but there is peach to make...

BADEN

The house of Heger is a top address in Baden, but Pinot rather...
Reicholzheim is a northeastern outpost of Baden and although...
Sour yeasty notes do not tempt, particularly when they are...
German Qualitätsweine need to get past a tasting panel to be...
The Stigler estate is well known for the longevity of its wines...

FRANKEN

Nose still very restrained, but the palate exhibits a harmonious...
Flowery and gently aromatic on the nose. A lighter style with an...
Nose still restrained but with the customary Centgrafenberg...
Meadow herbs remain the trademark fragrance of the Kallmuth, but...
Very faint herbal aroma with merest hint of fennel. Gentle...
Still in the transitional phase, but the yeasty stage of post...
Kicks off with an abundance of sweet fruit but has plenty of...
Not too much going on on the nose, but the flavour of juicy...
Quite restrained on the nose, with an unusual but not...
Expectations raised by an attractive green fruit fragrance are...
Not my favourite of the Hofkeller Grosse Gewächse this year, as...
Associations of green fruit and a delicate herbal fragrance on...
2011 has given the Julius-Echter-Berg a little more body and...
Apricot and vineyard peach aromas produce an almost perfumed...
The nose may not be giving away much for now, but the palate is...
Still quite closed on the nose. The taste buds are treated to...

MITTELRHEIN

Mildly exotic fruit aromas on the nose, lemon drops on the...
Déjà vu! Peardrops and boiled sweets on the nose, pineapple...
Still very yeasty on the nose, but with a flattering scent of...

WÜRTTEMBERG

Aromas of pear and melon on a still slightly unsettled nose, but...
Aldinger is something like the Grand Master of Württemberg...
Another follower of the wild-yeast school of thinking, Dautel...
Do I detect a hint of oak? There is also a slight sorrel-like...
The Altenberg shows that Ellwanger believes in the work of...
A delicate green fruit aroma provides a gentle introduction to a...
Very gentle fresh green aroma reminiscent of melon and meadow...
The Pulvermächer sports some exotic fruit, but maybe has turned...
Citrus fruit and pear drops delight the olfactory senses, and...

Become a member or log in to continue reading
Member
$135
/year
Save over 15% annually
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
  • Access 295,206 wine reviews & 16,089 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Access askJancis, our AI wine assistant
Inner Circle
$249
/year
 
Ideal for collectors

Everything in “Member”, plus:

  • Early access to the latest wine reviews, 48 hours in advance
  • Early access to the latest articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
  • Access 295,206 wine reviews & 16,089 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Access askJancis, our AI wine assistant
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade

Everything in “Professional”, plus:

  • Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
  • Access to submit wines for review
  • Offer memberships to your employees and manage them from a single place
  • API access available for an additional fee
Pay with
Visa logo Mastercard logo American Express logo Logo for more payment options
Join our newsletter

Get the latest from Jancis and her team of leading wine experts.

By subscribing you agree with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

More Tasting articles

Glass of rose with food
Tasting articles Rosés for every occasion, from poolside pinks to robust BBQ-ready versions. We at JancisRobinson.com view the world through rose-tinted spectacles...
Tertius Boshoff of Stellenrust shows off multiple Chenins in London
Tasting articles The many Cape Chenins and Chenin blends shown at a big South African tasting in London in May reviewed. Tertius...
Beaujolais vineyard harvest imminent
Tasting articles Bien Boire (‘drinking well’) en Beaujolais is more fun than Bordeaux’s primeurs and offers plenty of excellent wines, reports Natasha...
Alessandro Campatelli of Riecine
Tasting articles Pleasant surprises from a torrid year. Above, Alessandro Campatelli, director and oenologist (and now owner) at Riecine, made a 2022...

More from JancisRobinson.com

A bottle of Moreau Naudet Chablis
Wines of the week A reference Chablis, albeit in a riper style, available from $39.95, £31.95 . Prompted by our recent forum discussion about...
The Pacific ocean view from Flowers Vineyards
Don't quote me Chris Howard asks, if there’s such a thing as volcanic wine, can there be oceanic wine? Above, seals on the...
Japanese Wine by Nick Rowan - book cover
Book reviews Nick Rowan’s new book is an amazingly complete guide to the wine (and cheese!) of Japan, for amateurs and professionals...
Ballymaloe House May 2026
Nick on restaurants An international institution in the southern Irish countryside. In 2011 I travelled to Ballymaloe House, a 40-minute drive from Cork...
female urban hands each holding a glass of wine - Shutterstock
Free for all Pauline Vicard asks, can wine still justify its cultural relevance? The answer to this question, rather than economics, may become...
Thomas Walk Vineyard in Kinsale
Free for all Jancis is put in her place, by the hybrid grapes of the Emerald Isle. A shorter version of this article...
Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc-Viognier bottle and glass of wine outdoors, on table with books
Wines of the week A summer-ready, silky white wine that’s widely available from just $8.99, £20.90 . The sleeper hit of Napa winery Pine...
Ungrafted monastrell vines in Jumilla
Free for all 4 June 2026 In advance of the 2026 Old Vine Conference on 8 June, we’re republishing this overview of our...
Wine inspiration delivered directly to your inbox, weekly
Our weekly newsletter is free for all
By subscribing you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.