Riesling Monopol

This new bottling replaces the former Estate Riesling (feinherb), and is produced with fruit harvested from younger vines in both dominant vineyards, the Herrenberg and the Abtsberg. It is made in the slightly off-dry “feinherb” style, perfectly capturing the exotic fruit and vibrant acidity that are classic characteristics of the Grünhaus estate. The term “Monopol” refers to the fact that all of the vineyards from which these grapes are grown are wholly owned by the von Schubert family.

The grapes are harvested by hand and carefully pressed by a pneumatic press. The must is then fermented with natural yeasts, 50% in stainless steel tanks and the other 50% in large oak casks.

TECHNICAL INFO
Grape Variety: 100% Riesling
Vineyard Source: Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg and Abtsberg
Soil Type: Red and Blue Devonian slate
Vineyard Management: Practicing organic, but not certified
Average Yield: 40 hl/ha
Harvest Method: Selective hand picking
Harvest Date: October 2016
Must Weight: 78 Oechsle (18.9 Brix)
Vinification: Native yeast fermentation
Alcohol: 11.5%
Total Acidity: 7.9 grams/liter
Residual Sweetness: 12.5 grams/liter
Total Production: 1,760 cases

Reviews for the 2018 vintage:

[92] JamesSuckling.com
Pretty honeysuckle and beeswax here, as well as lemon pith and orange blossom. Medium-bodied with a cutting edge of acidity to give a wine at this price point some serious structure and depth. Drink now. September 2019

[91] Wine Advocate
Blends fruit from the three grand crus and opens with clear, aromatic mango fruit and, after a while, lots of flinty notes of crushed stones. Silky, pure and enormously salty on the palate, this is a stunning,complex, tensioned and almost challenging Estate Riesling with lingering salinity and immense complexity and charisma. A spectacular wine at this price point. August 2019

[91] Wine Enthusiast
This fantastic value wine is a consistent favorite offering vibrant tangerine and lime flavors juxta-posed by complexities of earth, smoke and steel. Just a shade off dry,it’s an electric feinherb-style Riesling, with just the right amount of fruit, mineral and earthen intensity. Enjoy now through 2025.April 2020

[91] Fine Wine Review By Claude Kolm
This brilliant wine is from younger vines in the Abtsberg and Herrenberg vineyards. It is a dry wine with minerality, crispness, and incipient apricot fruit; very good tension and energy. An outstanding value for its class and price. February 2020

[88] Wine Spectator
Light, with sweet spice accents, hoppy hints and subtle pear flavors.Focused acidity and minerally crunch add to the overall experience.Drink now.Web Only 2020

Reviews for the 2016 vintage:

[90] Stuart Pigott (JamesSuckling.com)
“A very crisp and vibrant wine with a lot of herbal and apple character. Great balance and a very bright mineral finish. Drink now or wait up to 5 years.”
June 2017

[92] Wine Enthusiast
Candle wax, lime zest and honey lend lavish accents to crisp but concentrated tangerine, apricot flavors here. It’s just a shade off dry in style, with a vibrant mineral finish. A fantastic value for such an elegantly composed Riesling.
Drink now through 2022. February 2018

[90] Wine Advocate
A clear, fresh and well-concentrated bouquet of ripe and spicy Riesling berries. Round, lush and piquant on the palate, this is a crystalline and elegant, really fine and salty-piquant Grünhäuser Riesling that was bottled with a touch of unfermented sugar but has a pretty dry and perfectly balanced taste. The 2016 was fermented with natural yeasts in stainless steel and old fuder vats.
April 2018 – Issue 236

[91] James Suckling
Tons of fresh herbs and berry aromas here. A sleek and medium-bodied one, showing real, elegant balance for this category. A long finish. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
June 2018

[89] Mosel Fine Wines
Monopol (the new Estate wine) AP15 came mainly from fruit in the Herrenberg and was fermented down to 12 g/l of residual sugar. This offers a gorgeous nose of white peach, a hint of cream and herbs. The wine screams Grünhaus and leaves a great delicately cassis-infused feel in the finish. This is on the zesty side at the moment (as Maximin Grünhaus wines often are at this stage) and is best left alone for ideally two years for it to shine.
June 2017