Thank you for your comment; much appreciated. In Germany, the GE/GG are more and more seen as the flagship wines, perhaps with the exception of those producers that focus on sweet wines (some of them will still make small quantities of GG). I haven't really seen much of them in the UK - they appear to sell out rapidly in Germany and some producers do now even sell them in subscription.
Not all GG wines are as closed as the Künstler; some can be enjoyed pretty much straight away, but you are right that in general producers aim for a more complex style that needs time. Interestingly, GG from the south are not necessarily always heavier. For instance, I have had Pinot Blanc from the Mosel with 15% ABV, but a Riesling GG from Salwey (Baden) with only 12.5%. Also some of the Pinot Gris GG from Baden come in at 12.5% or 13%. Much depends on the vintage and the stylistic preferences, it seems to me. Also, GG do not have to be bone dry, they can in fact go up to 9g residual sugar per litre, so there is some room to control the amount alcohol.
In Germany, you would probably have to pay between 17-45 Euro for a GG, with the average going closer to €30...
In reply to Grosses Gewachs/ Erstes Gewachs by Al McCall
Großes Gewächs/ Erstes Gewächs
Thank you for your comment; much appreciated. In Germany, the GE/GG are more and more seen as the flagship wines, perhaps with the exception of those producers that focus on sweet wines (some of them will still make small quantities of GG). I haven't really seen much of them in the UK - they appear to sell out rapidly in Germany and some producers do now even sell them in subscription.
Not all GG wines are as closed as the Künstler; some can be enjoyed pretty much straight away, but you are right that in general producers aim for a more complex style that needs time. Interestingly, GG from the south are not necessarily always heavier. For instance, I have had Pinot Blanc from the Mosel with 15% ABV, but a Riesling GG from Salwey (Baden) with only 12.5%. Also some of the Pinot Gris GG from Baden come in at 12.5% or 13%. Much depends on the vintage and the stylistic preferences, it seems to me. Also, GG do not have to be bone dry, they can in fact go up to 9g residual sugar per litre, so there is some room to control the amount alcohol.
In Germany, you would probably have to pay between 17-45 Euro for a GG, with the average going closer to €30...