WINE ADVOCATE - 96 POINTS The 2024 Oberer Hubacker Dalsheim Riesling GG displays very elegant, aromatic and bright fruit reminiscent of white nectarines and just-ripe yellow stone fruit, marrying this fruit with a delicate sur lie and limestone note. Round and intense on the palate, this is a full-bodied, elegant, purist, salty Hubacker with enormous substance and stimulating grapefruit and lemon notes. This Keller classic is textured and displays the finest tannins in a salty finish. In its own way, it almost has a Palatinate character. 12.5% stated alcohol. Natural cork. Tasted at the domaine in August 2025.
"The 2024s bring enormous elegance and joie de vivre to the glass!" promised Klaus Peter Keller, early in the year after tasting the young wines still in the barrels. He considers the 2024 to be a "wonderfully juicy vintage with fine character, extract and excellent balance." During the tasting in late summer, he explained that it took quite a bit to achieve these results.
After a cold January and a relatively warm February, the vines budded early. While many vineyards in Germany were almost completely destroyed by frost during three weeks of April, the beautiful Rheinhessen hills were almost completely spared. "Only in the slightly cooler Zellertal Valley were there minor losses of 10% to 20%," says Keller. In May, it quickly became warmer, and "the young shoots began to grow exceptionally fast, so we had to hurry to keep up with nature." Flowering proceeded largely without problems, with only Abtserde and Kirchspiel experiencing some coulure. As May and June were also very wet, the mildew pressure was high and plant protection was correspondingly challenging. "There were hardly any free weekends during this period," said Keller.
After a comparatively cool early summer, the weather changed dramatically at the end of July: "It became drier and warmer, with temperatures sometimes rising to a midsummer 30 degrees Celsius." The warm August also provided ideal conditions for the grapes to ripen healthily and steadily on the vine. In glorious weather conditions, the first "bright, healthy and crisp" Pinot and Chardonnay grapes for sparkling wine were harvested at the beginning of September.
"The Pinot Noir harvest lasted 10 days, including the eagerly awaited first crop from the extremely densely planted plot in the Am schwarzen Herrgott vineyard, with 20,000 vines per hectare." Thanks to the high planting density and the associated competition for nutrients, as well as the constant wind in the Zellertal Valley, the grapes remained small and loose. "A magnificent sight and a moment of pure happiness," according to Keller. "The years of planning for this planting, the worries and fears—everything was now blown away."
A few days later, the Pinot grapes in the crus Bürgel, Frauenberg and Morstein were picked. "2024 was a classic, great year for Pinot and Chardonnay. The wines have a great potential," Keller summed up, while I was thinking about the 2023s I had in my glass, which I had never liked as much as I do now. And 2024 is supposed to top that? Let's wait and see!
The main Riesling harvest began in Nierstein with small-berried, very beautiful grapes and, believe it or not, good yields! "Finally," said Keller. "Since 2015, harvest volumes had halved due to the dry years." And Keller's wines are so sought-after that he could easily sell twice the amount, even in these alcohol-averse and pleasure-averse times.
Perfectly healthy, thick-skinned and aromatic Riesling grapes were harvested in both Westhofen (Abtserde, Morstein and Kirchspiel) and Dalsheim (Am Oberen Hubacker). The first Riesling harvest from old vines in the grand cru Im schwarzen Herrgott (Palatinate) was another "very emotional experience for the entire team," according to Keller. They harvested "wonderful grapes with bite and lots of character" before celebrating the end of the harvest on October 7 in Schubertslay on the Moselle.
Additional info from Wine Advocate:
"2024 was not an easy year, but we will remember it fondly," Keller sums up. And at the end of several hours of tasting on the terrace of the winery, it has to be said that Keller has a magnificent collection that could hardly be surpassed anywhere in Germany. The only regret is that those who are just reading this and are not direct customers of Keller will hardly be able to appreciate this ode. But you can still sing along. Published: Nov 06, 2025
"The 2024s bring enormous elegance and joie de vivre to the glass!" promised Klaus Peter Keller, early in the year after tasting the young wines still in the barrels. He considers the 2024 to be a "wonderfully juicy vintage with fine character, extract and excellent balance." During the tasting in late summer, he explained that it took quite a bit to achieve these results.
After a cold January and a relatively warm February, the vines budded early. While many vineyards in Germany were almost completely destroyed by frost during three weeks of April, the beautiful Rheinhessen hills were almost completely spared. "Only in the slightly cooler Zellertal Valley were there minor losses of 10% to 20%," says Keller. In May, it quickly became warmer, and "the young shoots began to grow exceptionally fast, so we had to hurry to keep up with nature." Flowering proceeded largely without problems, with only Abtserde and Kirchspiel experiencing some coulure. As May and June were also very wet, the mildew pressure was high and plant protection was correspondingly challenging. "There were hardly any free weekends during this period," said Keller.
After a comparatively cool early summer, the weather changed dramatically at the end of July: "It became drier and warmer, with temperatures sometimes rising to a midsummer 30 degrees Celsius." The warm August also provided ideal conditions for the grapes to ripen healthily and steadily on the vine. In glorious weather conditions, the first "bright, healthy and crisp" Pinot and Chardonnay grapes for sparkling wine were harvested at the beginning of September.
"The Pinot Noir harvest lasted 10 days, including the eagerly awaited first crop from the extremely densely planted plot in the Am schwarzen Herrgott vineyard, with 20,000 vines per hectare." Thanks to the high planting density and the associated competition for nutrients, as well as the constant wind in the Zellertal Valley, the grapes remained small and loose. "A magnificent sight and a moment of pure happiness," according to Keller. "The years of planning for this planting, the worries and fears—everything was now blown away."
A few days later, the Pinot grapes in the crus Bürgel, Frauenberg and Morstein were picked. "2024 was a classic, great year for Pinot and Chardonnay. The wines have a great potential," Keller summed up, while I was thinking about the 2023s I had in my glass, which I had never liked as much as I do now. And 2024 is supposed to top that? Let's wait and see!
The main Riesling harvest began in Nierstein with small-berried, very beautiful grapes and, believe it or not, good yields! "Finally," said Keller. "Since 2015, harvest volumes had halved due to the dry years." And Keller's wines are so sought-after that he could easily sell twice the amount, even in these alcohol-averse and pleasure-averse times.
Perfectly healthy, thick-skinned and aromatic Riesling grapes were harvested in both Westhofen (Abtserde, Morstein and Kirchspiel) and Dalsheim (Am Oberen Hubacker). The first Riesling harvest from old vines in the grand cru Im schwarzen Herrgott (Palatinate) was another "very emotional experience for the entire team," according to Keller. They harvested "wonderful grapes with bite and lots of character" before celebrating the end of the harvest on October 7 in Schubertslay on the Moselle.
Additional info from Wine Advocate:
"2024 was not an easy year, but we will remember it fondly," Keller sums up. And at the end of several hours of tasting on the terrace of the winery, it has to be said that Keller has a magnificent collection that could hardly be surpassed anywhere in Germany. The only regret is that those who are just reading this and are not direct customers of Keller will hardly be able to appreciate this ode. But you can still sing along. Published: Nov 06, 2025