Wittmann – Morstein Riesling Grosses Gewächs GG 2024

Wittmann – Morstein Riesling Grosses Gewächs GG 2024

1. Basic information

2. The vineyard: Westhofener Morstein

Morstein is Westhofen’s oldest and most famous single vineyard and ranks among Germany’s best-known Riesling vineyards. The soils consist of limestone with clay components, which produce powerful, complex and very long-lasting wines. The grapes for this GG come from the heart of the vineyard, covering just three hectares.

3. Professional reviews (overview)

The 2024 Morstein GG has received top marks from all leading wine critics:

4. Tasting notes in detail

James Suckling (98 points)

“Still very young, this masterpiece of dry Riesling possesses enormous textural complexity. Gigantic concentration, yet also very racy. Great freshness from citrus and herbs, as well as formidable acidity in the extremely long, focused finish.”

Robert Parker / Wine Advocate (97 points)

“Pure, intense and precise bouquet with fully ripe yellow fruit, a hint of sweet oak, lemon zest and chalky-salty notes. On the palate, full-bodied, refined and very elegant – a pure, very salty and energetic, very long and mouth-watering Morstein with substance, citrus notes and fine, crisp tannins.”

Vinous (98 points)

“The 2024 Riesling Westhofener Morstein Grosses Gewächs sparkles with yeast, chervil and lemon zest. The palate is so cool and serene. There is something profoundly serene here, with the purest lemon and limestone. This may be more subdued than other Morstein vintages, but it has self-assurance. The 2024 is fresh, bright and salty.”

Decanter (96 points)

“A monumental wine. The acidity displays a finesse rarely found in other Rieslings. The fruit plays with nuances of zest: candied lemon and orange, accompanied by freshly cut herbs and a pinch of saltiness. Above all, however, the sheer endless length is impressive.”

Falstaff (95+ points)

“The very reserved nose reveals floral hints alongside a note of flint. Despite being a rather medium-bodied vintage, the palate feels dignified: suppleness, body, acidity and minerality are closely interwoven. Dense and long.”

Mosel Fine Wines (95 points)

“The Morstein Westhofen Riesling GG 2024 offers a beautifully delicate and complex nose of yellow flowers, aniseed, almond, light toast, acacia, hawthorn and liquorice. On the palate, the wine displays great finesse and only gradually reveals the more powerful side of the Morstein. The finish is superbly elegant, refined and playful.”

Jancis Robinson (17.5/20)

“A wine of immense, stony density and compact concentration. An exciting portrait of potential, a monument in the making.”

5. Characteristics and Style

The 2024 Morstein GG is unanimously describedby critics as anexceptional, monumental wine, characterised by the following features:

• Bouquet: Initially still very closed, with floral hints, flint, ripe yellow fruit, lemon zest and delicate spicy notes

• On the palate: Full-bodied, elegant, with enormous textural complexity, salty minerality and fine, crisp acidity

• Finish: Extremely long, focused, mouth-watering and precise

• Distinctive feature: Despite the vintage’s medium-bodied character, the wine comes across as dignified – supple, substantial and dense

Compared to the more powerful 2023 vintage, the 2024 is more harmonious, refined and classic in profile. It is described as a quiet yet self-assured Morstein.

6. Prices and availability

The wine is available in shops at the following prices (guide prices for a 0.75-litre bottle):

7. Drinking recommendations and ageing potential

The 2024 Morstein GG is a wine that requires great patience:

• Earliest drinking: 2028 at the earliest

• Optimal maturity: 2030–2050

• Ageing potential: 12–15 years or considerably longer

• Serving temperature: 8–10 °C

“Still very young (...) – drink now or leave to age.” (James Suckling)

8. Summary

The Wittmann Morstein Riesling Grosses Gewächs 2024 is undoubtedly one of the great white wines of the vintage. With average ratings of around 97 points and top scores of 98 points, it ranks among Germany’s finest Rieslings. The wine combines enormous concentration with great elegance, a salty minerality with a fine acidity structure and an impressive length.

Characteristic of this vintage is its initial reserve – the bouquet is still closed, and the wine appears calm and composed. Behind this façade, however , lies a monumental wine of exceptional potential, which requires at least a decade of ageing to unfold its full splendour.

For lovers of great German Rieslings, the 2024 Morstein GG is a must-buy – provided one has the patience to give it the time it needs to mature.