Cellar Favorite: 2013 Keller Riesling Westhofener Kirchspiel Grosses Gewächs

BY BILLY NORRIS | AUGUST 24, 2026

Klaus Peter Keller’s 2013 Riesling Westhofener Kirchspiel Grosses Gewächs comes from a parcel of vines planted in 1964, which means they were just short of 50 years old at the time of harvest. Situated in the Wonnegau in the southern portion of Rheinhessen, the Kirchspiel vineyard is rich in limestone. Clay/marl soils sit atop deep layers of limestone substrate, lending wines from this site cut, tension and a hallmark chalky texture. The 2013 growing season across Germany was not an easy one: long and cool, with significant disease pressure from rain near harvest time and meager yields as a result. Strict sorting was absolutely necessary. Those cool conditions also made for strikingly high acids. In the case of Klaus Peter Keller, a very late harvest and extremely rigorous sorting allowed for wines with intense concentration, moderate alcohols and real drive.  

The 2013 Riesling Westhofener Kirchspiel Grosses Gewächs impresses out of the gate with a dense, nearly oily mouthfeel that saturates the palate but remains surprisingly lithe. Prickly, chalky acidity dances across the tongue as shades of fresh mint, apricot, tarragon, orange peel and chamomile unfurl graciously. There is real concentration here, delivered with a sense of clarity and poise. The season’s racy acidity is still in play, but its edges have been rounded by the passage of time. Pure and deeply mineral, the 2013 is drinking beautifully today and should deliver for the next five years. 94/Drink 2026-2031. 

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