2021 Burklin-Wolf Forster Ungeheuer GC Riesling, Wachenheim Pfalz

Bürklin's 2021 Ungeheuer G.C. is clear, deep and intense as well as flinty on the saline and lemony nose that combines richness and intensity with precision and freshness. Pure, saline and very fresh on the palate, this is a full-bodied, dense and savory, enormously tight and even finely tannic Ungeheuer with fine grip and a saline finish with ripe, concentrated fruit. 12.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in November 2022.

"2021 is a classic German vintage," says Steffen Brahner from Bürklin-Wolf, remembering the cool spring with its late flowering. The summer months brought abundant rainfalls, which challenged the vineyard crew, as even more attention and precision with the vegetation was required than in a dry year. "On the other hand, after three consecutive dry years, the periodic rainfall did the soils of the Mittelhaardt good to compensate for the pronounced water deficit." A similarly wet autumn forced them into meticulously early negative selection, and then they proceeded on a vineyard-by-vineyard basis in order to achieve the ideal ripeness of the grapes. This obviously paid off, and Bürklin was able to harvest healthy, ripe and flavorful grapes in all of the vineyards. When I tasted the premier and grands crus for the first time in August this year, I was still a but reserved since the wines were dense and compact but also still caged in their phenolic grip and firm structure. Some months later, in November, the wines had slightly opened up and showed promising qualities, especially in the Kirchenstück, which is again one of the most magnificent dry Rieslings produced in Germany that year. Unfortunately it is very rare and highly expensive, Pechstein and Ungeheuer are more highlights of the 2021 vintage. I also took the chance to taste the 2020 crus, which come from a much warmer and sunnier vintage represented in full-bodied, rich and concentrated but also structured and in the best cases—Pechstein and Kirchenstück again—also tensioned wines. As always when tasting the young and the previous vintage side by side, the sympathy is with the younger. Time will reveal which is the greater vintage: the lean and classic or the richer one.

96 points SR robertparker.com

Powerful and generous, but still very youthful. Delicate notes of basil, Amalfi lemon, oolong tea and a touch of dried pear. Stunning concentration with a very compact core this has been built for the long term and needs some time to reveal all its abundant treasures. From biodynamically grown grapes. Vegan. Drinkable now, but best from 2024.

96 points Stuart Pigott JamesSuckling.com August 2022

Located in the village of Forst, Ungeheuer (enormous, tremendous, prodigious) was one of the five top-rated sites in the 1828 Classification. The south-east facing slope comprises basalt rock and tightly-packed layers of clay and sand, providing good water retention and key minerals. Dr Bürklin-Wolf owns 0.93 hectares. Replanted in 1985.