“Situated in the wine region of Rheinhessen in Germany, the Morstein vineyard site in Westhofen has achieved cult status since the last turn of the century by playing a key role in the paradigm shift for German wines from sweet to dry wines. Today, the Morstein has garnered international attention for producing dry white wines of great complexity and restrained power.
The man behind this celebrated wine is Philipp Wittmann, owner and winemaker of the Wittmann estate in Westhofen. When he released his first solo Morstein, the great 2001 vintage he pushed the long-forgotten Westhofen into the spotlight, making this one of the great turning points in German winemaking.
In many ways, the Morstein site is typical for a new German “grand cru”. The soil is clay-marl over limestone cliffs, which means the soil is much closer to that of the Grand Cru Montrachet than to the slate of the Mosel Valley. Although the Morstein vineyard has an inclination of 20 to 25% —less than half that of the other top sites on the Mosel — the soil is only 20 centimeters deep in some places, and the maximum depth is only 1.5 meters. Due to the altitude of 180 to 240 meters above sea level, the site is best described as a cool corner in a rather warm region. This unique terroir and microclimate lead to a healthy acidity content, which helps explain the restrained power in Morstein dry Rieslings, preventing the wine from ever tasting heavy.”
100 POINTS, MORSTEIN RIESLING GG 2007
“It's almost supernatural how fresh and delicate this medium- to full-bodied dry Riesling is on the nose. Yet, it is also incredibly deep and complex on the palate. You don't need to know anything about German wine or this grape for it to take your breath away. The peachy fruits are so seductive and the harmony is so dazzling. Tasted on two occasions with consistent notes. Drink or hold.“
97-98 POINTS, MORSTEIN RIESLING GG 2017
“The smokiest and spiciest Wittmann's 2017 Riesling GG. Shows enormous depth and yet, it remains cool and poised. A super long and mineral finish with a delicate creaminess that balances the bright acidity exactly. An amazing achievement, considering the hail damage occurred just weeks before the harvest. Though the quantity was much lower than normal, there is no doubt that this is a masterpiece. Better from 2020.”
97 POINTS, MORSTEIN RIESLING GG 2012
“Already stunning on release, this has now turned into a spectacular beauty with a near-perfect apricot nose with hints of spices. Super rich but impeccably balanced. A very long finish that is so silky, making it impossible to resist. Very easy to enjoy now, but probably has a couple of decades ahead of it.”
96 POINTS, MORSTEIN RIESLING GG 2008
“This wine is from an ugly-duckling vintage, which is associated with high acidity and often poor ripeness, but it has turned into the most beautiful swan. Stunning apricot and mango nose. Rich and succulent on the palate with a lively acidity that perfectly balances the generous body and chalky power at the imposing finish. How did he do it? Picking for this continued into early November!”
95 POINTS, MORSTEIN RIESLING GG 2011
“Quite toasty on the nose, which is probably from bottle maturation. This Morstein is so bold, richly textural and dry that you could mistaken it for a grand cru white burgundy! Some dry German Rieslings of this vintage has dominant tannins, but here this quality gives the wine an extra dimension of power. At 13.5% alcohol, this is the heaviest Wittmann Morstein of recent times. Drink or hold.”
95 POINTS, MORSTEIN RIESLING GG 2001
“Although this medium- full-bodied dry Riesling lacks a bit of the originality and enormous length of the best recent vintages of Wittmann's Morstein, it is still remarkably fresh for its age. Considerable depth on the mid-palate with spot-on balance. Where is the lobster? Drink or hold”
94 POINTS, MORSTEIN RIESLING GG 2015
“Brimming with mirabelle aromas, this concentrated dry Riesling has a great balance of creamy richness and mineral freshness that extends through the very long finish. Just beginning to open up. The best dry white from this producer to date!”
94 POINTS, MORSTEIN RIESLING GG 2014
“Perhaps this isn't the most powerful Morstein Wittmann ever made, but it has all the smoke and chalky mineral character you'd expect from the site. On top of that, there is a gracefulness that is rare in this difficult vintage (rain at harvest and the Suzuki fly spreading sour rot). The crisp acidity is married to an attractive beeswax character. A long, complex finish. Drink or hold.”
94 POINTS, MORSTEIN RIESLING GG 2005
“A major contrast to the many German dry Rieslings of this vintage, which taste heavy and rather tired due to botrytis and late picking. This has a rich apricot and mango character. Full body with quite some creaminess, as well as enough acidity and vitality to lift all that weight. A long, chalky finish with a tiny hint of sweetness. Drink or hold.”
93 POINTS, MORSTEIN RIESLING GG 2013
“There's a hint of botrytis here that gives it candied citrus and acacia honey notes, but on the palate, the wine is concentrated and rich. The high acidity makes it slightly edgy at the finish, which is a typical attribute for this vintage. This should smoothen out a bit more with more bottle age. Impressive now, but may gain in harmony in 2030.”
93 POINTS, MORSTEIN RIESLING GG 2009
“Very cool and discrete for this ripe vintage. With quite some creaminess on the mid-palate, this is both concentrated and polished. But it lacks some of the complexity of the 2011 and the stunning fruit of the 2012, which are also both ripe vintages. Drink or hold.”
92 POINTS, MORSTEIN RIESLING GG 2010
“This is a delicious glass of dry Riesling, but its combination of caramelized mandarin and nectarine character and high acidity makes it an oddball in the row of Wittmann Morsteins. Interesting baked apples and parsley character at the chalk, slightly angular finish. Drink or hold.”
