Große Gewächse – current assessment 2024

While German winemakers prepare for the numerous tastings of their 2023 Großen Gewächse – that annual ritual in which hundreds of wine critics battle their way through youthful, austere tank samples – it is worth taking a look at those wines that have already enjoyed the favour of time.

The “Großes Gewächs” classification has marked the pinnacle of the German wine pyramid since 2002. Created as an answer to Burgundy’s Grands Crus, this category established itself surprisingly quickly as a reliable indicator of quality. The strict regulations – a maximum yield of 50 hl/ha, exclusively classified top vineyard sites, selective hand harvesting, a minimum must weight of 89° Oechsle and mandatory dry vinification – form merely the technical framework. What truly matters is the interpretation by the winemakers.

One could certainly argue that the already complex German wine classification system needed another category about as urgently as it needed another summer of the century. Nevertheless, the Großes Gewächs classification has established itself as a surprisingly precise guide to Germany’s most ambitious dry wines. After an extensive tasting of current collections from some of the country’s most serious producers, I find myself – at times genuinely surprised – impressed by their quality.

The 2022s – A Vintage of Precision

The press coverage of the past decade impressively demonstrates the development German wine has undergone. Kühling-Gillot’s Riesling trio of GGs (Pettenthal, Hipping and Ölberg) displays remarkable consistency, with the Pettenthal standing out for its fascinating tension between ripe stone fruit and almost saline minerality. At 12–13 per cent alcohol, they preserve an admirable freshness without displaying the austere angularity that once plagued many a dry German wine.

Battenfeld-Spanier’s 2022 Kirchenstück GG proves equally convincing, albeit in a distinctly different register. Here we find more citrus oils and wet stone, with a structure that promises great longevity. Their Frauenberg GG offers somewhat more immediate pleasure without being any less serious in intent.

The Ageing Question

The evolution of these wines provides fascinating study material. Peter Jakob Kühn’s 2018 Jungfer GG impressively demonstrates why patience pays off. The initial austerity has given way to complex notes of dried herbs and preserved citrus, while the characteristic minerality remains undiminished. The 2021s show similar potential, although they are currently still firmly cloaked in youthful reserve.

The Burgundian Connection

Anyone seeking proof that German Spätburgunder deserves serious attention will find it in Franz Keller’s Eichberg Oberrotweil Großes Gewächs. At the risk of committing vinous heresy: in a blind tasting of Premier Cru Gevrey-Chambertin, it would by no means need to hide. The integration of fruit and wood shows admirable restraint, and at its current price, many Burgundian counterparts make their pricing appear rather optimistic.

Regional Differences

Ökonomierat Rebholz continues to demonstrate impressively why the Palatinate deserves our attention. Their 2022 ‘Im Sonnenschein’ GG Riesling offers textbook precision, while their Weißburgunder from the same vineyard site convincingly proves that Riesling is not Germany’s only great white hope. Both display that characteristic restraint which has become the hallmark of this estate.

The region of Franconia, unjustly overlooked in some quarters, offers a few pleasant surprises. Zehnthof Luckert’s 2021 Maustal Riesling GG proves that excellence is not confined to Germany’s more internationally renowned regions. Here one finds a density that speaks of old vines and serious vineyard work.

Value for money

At current market prices (roughly between €35 and €95), these wines offer remarkable value for money compared with white Burgundy or other premium white wines of similar ambition. The finest examples – and there are many in this collection – deliver complexity, ageing potential and that most precious of all qualities: a clear sense of origin.

Buying recommendations

For drinking soon:

• Kühling-Gillot Pettenthal GG 2022 – Crystalline fruit
• Zehnthof Luckert Maustal GG 2021 – Cultivated

For the cellar:

• Battenfeld-Spanier Kirchenstück GG 2022 – Built for the long haul
• Franz Keller Eichberg Oberrotweil Spätburgunder GG – A serious red wine with potential
• Ökonomierat Rebholz ‘Im Sonnenschein’ GG 2022 – Classic structure with development potential over a decade

Clever choice:

• Peter Jakob Kühn Riesling Doosberg GG 2020 – Beginning to show secondary complexity
• Karthäuserhof GG 2020 – Traditional Saar style with ample reserves of life

These wines demonstrate that Germany’s top dry wines have found their identity. They no longer attempt to imitate the styles of other regions, but instead offer something unmistakably their own: precision, clarity and an unambiguous sense of origin. The finest examples are world-class by any measure.

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