Wittmann Riesling Westhofener Aulerde Grosses Gewächs 2019

93 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): “The Aulerde vineyard sits at the foot of the Kirchspiel hillside, with much of the soil here a mix of loess and clay, with only a small sector having limestone like the other grand crus in Westhofen. The Wittmann family only has Riesling planted in this chalky subsection of the Aulerde. This is the warmest microclimate in the Wittmann vineyard patrimony. The 2019 Aulerde GG from Philipp Wittmann comes in at 12.5 percent alcohol, with 3.5 grams per liter of sugar and 7.9 grams per liter of acid. It offers up a ripe and very attractive nose of tangerine, apple, lemongrass, wild yeasts, plenty of smokiness, a good foundation of chalky soil and a topnote of straw. On the palate the wine is youthful, full-bodied and zesty, with an excellent core of fruit, fine focus and grip, good soil undertow, a suave girdle of acidity and a long, complex finish. This does not have quite the same mineral drive as the other 2019 Grosses Gewächs from the estate, but I really like its balance and depth and it will be an excellent bottle once it is ready to drink. 2026-2060. (Mar/Apr 2021)”