B-21 Top Recommendation Read More
"Weingut Peter Jakob Kühn has produced a stellar range of 2021ers that will be cellar treasures a handful of years down the road."
- John Gilman,View From the Cellar
For whatever reason, the estate of Peter Jakob Kuhn flies under the radar of even many tried and true German wine fanatics, but this pair of 2021s on offer today should go a long way towards rectifying that situation. As classic and traditional as they come in terms of style, the wines are nonetheless made according to owner Peter Bernhard Kuhn's forward-looking vision and innovative approach to farming.
The 2021 vintage was a clear study in the classic German Riesling profiles, the cooler conditions lending themselves to old-school, pure, filigreed wines that buck the trend of recent warmer vintages like 2020 and 2022, instead defined by their bright precision, electric vibrancy, and most importantly, long-term cellar potential. The Kuhn estate releases a year later than the majority of their contemporaries, so these 2021s are just now showing up where many 2022s (and even 2023s) are already on the market. Carrying big scores from some prominent voices in German wine, Kuhn's 2021s belong on the shortlist of smart collectible buys for any serious enthusiast.
Leading off, the 2021 Doosberg Grosses Gewächs boasts a towering 97-point score from Vinous. "Utterly concentrated, intense, almost searing with luminosity and brightness," it's a spectacular rendition of a treasured Rheingau site and the crown-jewel in the Kuhn range. For those seeking a razor-sharp cellar buy that punches well above its price tier, the 2021 Hallgärtener Hendelberg Erste Lage is just the ticket. "A premier cru bottling that clearly approaches the quality of Grosses Gewächs because of its old vines," according John Gilman, the 2021 is resounding triumph, "superb, impressive, profound, absolutely focused and delicious, yet so resonant and rich" as described by Vinous. The only drawback (if you can call it that) is their highly limited presence in the US market, so the smart move is to lock in and add this pair of surefire cellar contenders to your collection while you can. |