Keller G-Max vs Clos St Hune

Both are considered the best of the dry Riesling. G-max is more expensive and harder to find. I do not have any experience with the G-max, but love clos st hune.
Can anyone explain to me the difference between the two?

David

I think I’ve only had a G-max one time, but all my other experience with Keller wines puts them at the opposite end of the spectrum from a Hune. Hune is dry, dry, dry, lean, even austere. Every Keller I’ve had has been rich, opulent, lush. I’ve actually stopped buying Keller, it’s a little outside my wheelhouse.

Others with even more experience across more vintages may be able to correct my mis-impressions, or offer other advice.

I was curious to read others thoughts.
I agree with Alan. They are really nothing alike. Hune is dry dry petrol - Gmax is tropical. My experiences fwiw. I like both, but would take Hune if I could have only 1.

Clos Ste Hune is a bit like the strangely articulate silence outside a hermitage atop a quiet hill somewhere on the wooded slopes of Sainte-Odile.
G-Max is a boisterous, full-on special effects, late Baroque stage-set (think the interior of Balthasar Neumann’s Vierzehnheiligen).
Or something along these lines
Anyway, as Alan wrote, very, very different wines.

Thanks for the opinions

I really want to try the G-Max. But it is so difficult to find and often cost more than twice the clos st hune. Seems like it does not worth the money.

Just to muddy the waters, I’ll throw in that, while I don’t want to label any particular wine as “the best”, into this mix must be added any number of Austrian Rieslings that can be as marvelous and thrillingly complex and delicious as a Keller or Trimbach. Austria is actually the bulk of my Riesling cellar and purchases these days.

Absolutely. In my limited experience, I’ll take Alzinger Steinertal, Hirtzberger Singerriedel, FX Pichler Kellerberg, Nikolaihof Steiner Hund etc etc against any Riesling anywhere.

Then there are the other GG wines that may not be as heralded or flamboyant as G-Max. What Grosses Gewachs type wines have you had? If you are new to top dry German Riesling I would not start with G-Max.

My experience with Austrian Rislings are pretty mixed. I often find the alcohol level too high and the wine somewhat lacks the elegance of clos st hune.

David

My experience with dry German Riesling is limited. I had many basic bottlings from different producers. While they are enjoyable, but never wow me .

Can you recommend some that I should try?

Thanks

Ryan, an outstanding list, to which many more could be added. But one I’ll call an outlier is the Singerriedel, which I have decided is generally too ripe for my tastes for a food wine. Though it can be a thrilling wine as well, it’s almost the Austrian analog of the German G-Max.

For GGs, my palate leans towards the Nahe. Producers like Donnhoff and Schaefer-Frohlich would be my recommendations.

Keller GGs don’t begin and end with G-Max either. I love Abtserde and Morstein, personally.

I’m going to assume you are referring only to dry riesling. Otherwise I might have to fight you

Alan, have you tried Hirtzberger’s Hochrain? It usually strikes me as a “better proportioned” Singerriedel, with the added benefit of being more reasonably priced as well .

If my memory serves, I believe the vineyards are contiguous.

Similar to Matt, I would point you to the Nahe, but also to Leitz in the Rheingau. Wittmann makes lovely dry Rieslings, though they have gotten rather pricey as well. And as for Keller, why not try a Kirschspiel GG before going all G Max.

For those who mentioned the Austrian bottlings, where are you buying these? We get a very limited selection in Seattle.

I’ll add Kunstler as a personal favorite for dry German riesling.

Not to mention Koehler Ruprecht.

Bob, no I haven’t. But I have some 10 and 11 (guess I never bought it before that). I like to start drinking my Austrians at 10+, but I’ll probably crack one of these sooner to get a read.