2020 Weinbiet Philipp Bassler Riesling Trocken Grosses Gewachs Pfalz 750 ml

To truly appreciate what the 2020 Weinbiet Philipp Bassler Riesling Trocken Grosses Gewachs delivers, it's worth brushing up on a bit of German wine terminology. The producer labeled this release “Grosses Gewächs,” which means “great growth” and denotes the highest possible quality of dry Riesling.

The classification, while technically unofficial and not a part of German wine law, was instituted by the VDP, a prestigious consortium of the oldest and greatest wineries across Germany. Wines with this distinction typically cost $100 and define the Riesling offerings on MICHELIN-starred lists.

The Weinbiet cooperative is not associated with the VDP, but it has borrowed the term (often shortened to GG) to capture the excellence of this premier bottling, which is made only in the best vintages. They named the wine after Philipp Bassler, one of the founders of the co-op and its original quality director, and the grapes that go into it are culled from the greatest parcels across their best vineyards.

This is an exquisite expression of the Pfalz region—the warmest and driest area in the country, which sees 2000 hours of sunshine a year. In our opinion, those conditions make it the perfect region to produce this style of Riesling. While the colder climes of the Mosel are ideal for lean, pure Kabinett, the Pfalz makes wines that already possess the generously proportioned structure and body that translate into mouthwatering dry Rieslings.

Drink some early and lay the rest down for a decade—this incredibly rare Riesling will only get more delicious.