Weingut Keller - Dalsheimer Hubacker Riesling Auslese 1992 '200 years of Weingut Keller'

Weingut Keller - Dalsheimer Hubacker Riesling Auslese 2002

A wine of legend - an embodiment of the art of German winemaking

The Dalsheimer Hubacker Riesling Auslese 2002 from Weingut Keller is not just a wine; it is a timeless document of an exceptional vintage, a grandiose site and the visionary work of one of the world's top winegrowing dynasties. This wine is one of the iconic wines that have established the reputation of Rheinhessen in the new era.

1st Weingut Keller: The revolution from Flonheim

Under the leadership of Klaus Peter Keller and his wife Julia, Weingut Keller has been changing the German wine world since the late 1990s. What once began as a simple winery is now one of the most sought-after addresses for dry and fruity Rieslings in the world. The philosophy combines minimal intervention in the cellar with maximum care in the vineyard. The vineyards at the rear of Rheinhessen, particularly around Dalsheim and Westhofen, are among the best terraced vineyards in Germany with volcanic, limestone and marl soils that give the wines an unrivalled minerality and structure.

2. the site: Dalsheimer Hubacker

The Hubacker is one of Klaus Peter Keller's top single vineyard sites. The south-facing steep slope is characterised by limestone-rich marl soil ("Terra Fusca"), which provides excellent drainage and intense minerality. These geological conditions are fundamental to the complexity and depth of the Rieslings grown here. The Hubacker produces wines with a powerful stature, salty flavour and long, straightforward acidity.

3. the 2002 vintage: classicism and finesse

The 2002 vintage was an outstanding, classic year in Rheinhessen. A long, rather cool summer with perfect autumn weather allowed the grapes to ripen slowly over a long period while maintaining a lively acidity. It was not a hot year like 2003, but a year of elegance, finesse and balance. The grapes reached optimum physiological ripeness without excessive sugar accumulation, which is ideal for Auslese wines of this calibre: they are powerful, but never heavy or overloaded, but always carried by a moving acid structure.

Sensory description (as of 2024)

After more than 20 years in the bottle, this wine has developed into an absolute masterpiece.

• Colour: Deep golden yellow with amber reflections - a sign of its maturity and concentration.

• Nose (bouquet): Extremely complex and multi-layered. The primary fruity youth gives way to an incredible aroma of maturity. It smells of ripe apricot, preserved peach, quince jam and dried mango slices, interwoven with noble botrytis notes of honey, caramel and orange marmalade. Underneath are mineral, almost smoky nuances of damp chalk, pebbles and a characteristic salty note that is typical of the Hubacker. Not a trace of age, but a harmonious fusion of fruit, ripeness and minerality.

• Palate (flavour): On the palate, the wine has a breathtaking density and at the same time a floating lightness. The sweet fruit of apricot and mango is omnipresent, but is immediately cut throughby a sparkling clean, salty-mineral aciditythat gives the wine incredible tension and length. The texture is silky, almost oily, but the wine always remains fresh and lively. The finish is almost endless and leaves memories of honey, salt and stone.

Evaluation and ageing potential

• Current state:The wine is at its absolute peak. It has transformed its youthful freshness into a complex maturity and offers an overwhelming drinking experience. It is ready to drink, but still has enormous ageing potential for another 10-15 years or more due to its immense acidity and concentration .

• Price & value: As a sought-after rarity from a top producer, the price per bottle on the secondary market is easily in the upper three-digit to lower four-digit range (depending on provenance and storage). It is an object for connoisseurs and collectors.

Serving recommendation

• Temperature: 10-12°C. Do not serve too cool, so that the flavours can fully develop.

• Glass: A large, bulbous Riesling or Burgundy glass.

• Food pairing: This is a wine that is best enjoyed neat as a contemplative wine(wine for meditation). It is an excellent accompaniment to fine blue cheeses (Roquefort, Gorgonzola), intense dried fruit or nut desserts (walnut cake) or simply as an absolute moment of pleasure on its own.

Conclusion

The Dalsheimer Hubacker Riesling Auslese 2002 from Keller is a legend, proving that great German Rieslings not only have a long life, but can also develop into incomparable flavour experiences over decades. It combines the powerful sweetness of an Auslese with the mineral rigour and acid structure of a Grosses Gewächs. This wine is more than just a drink; it is a piece of contemporary history and an undisputed highlight in the biography of one of the world's greatest wine estates. A wine that inspires awe.