Wittmann

A beautifully proportioned dry Riesling from the leader of Biodynamic viticulture in Germany’s Rheinhessen region.

The Wittmann Estate Riesling Trocken is harvested by hand from estate-owned vineyards around the village of Westhofen. It is fermented with native yeasts and matured in large, neutral oak casks. The wine shows a deep, stony aroma, with an elegant structure and bright citrus juice that leads to a lingering, piquant finish.

A stunning and complex “premier cru” dry Riesling that was selected from two grand cru (Grosse Lage) vineyard sites.

A stunning and complex “premier cru” dry Riesling, the Westhofener Riesling bears the new VDP Rheinhessen designation, “Aus Ersten Lagen,” which simply means “from premier cru vineyards.” This is analogous to the Burgundian use of “Premier Cru,” without vineyard designation, when the wine is a blend of two or more climats. These wines may also contain declassified fruit from grand cru sites, however, which is exactly the case with the Westhofener. This wine was selected from maturing parcels (15 years or older) in the Morstein and Brunnenhäuschen vineyards, both of which are classified as Grosse Lage. Rich in mineral tones, this wine shows the great potential of these top sites.

Fruit for the Niersteiner Riesling was sourced from the best premier cru sites on the Roter Hang; specifically, the Orbel and Ölberg sites. The clay slate soil provides explosive minerality that is supported by precise acidity. Enticing aromas of red currant, herbal spice, and delicate salinity meet vibrant grapefruit on the palate and concentrated long finish.

A dark and brooding dry Riesling from the warm heart of the Grosse Lage (grand cru) Aulerde vineyard in Westhofen.

First documented in 1380, the Aulerde site lies at the foot of the protective slopes of the Kirchspiel vineyard, and it is the estate’s warmest site. The topsoil is mostly a deep layer of loess, but in a small portion of Aulerde there is a heavy clayish marl with only a small amount of limestone. It is only in this parcel that Riesling is grown in the Aulerde vineyard.

An elegantly cool and complex dry Riesling from an exceptional Grosse Lage (grand cru) vineyard in the Rheinhessen region.

This site is high on the slope above the village of Westhofen. Due to its elevation, grapes ripen slowly here, allowing for a very long growing season. The finest portion of Brunnenhäuschen is an old parcel known as “Abtserde,” where Wittmann has 1.2 acres of Riesling. This site has a clayish marl that is rich in limestone. Due to a high iron oxide content, parts of the soil are reddish in color, also referred to as “terra rossa.” The subsoil is interspersed with large limestone rocks.

A powerful but finely structured dry Riesling from a superb Grosse Lage (grand cru) vineyard in the Rheinhessen region.

The Kirchspiel vineyard opens up like an amphitheatre toward the Rhine and receives the sun’s first rays in the morning. Here the vines, with their east to southeast exposure, are sheltered from the cold west winds; this provides the Kirchspiel with a choice microclimate. Our vineyards here are planted mainly in the upper portion of the site, with a gradient of up to thirty per cent.

A monumental dry Riesling from the greatest Grosse Lage (grand cru) vineyard in the southern Rheinhessen region.

The Morstein vineyard is situated on a south-facing slope that ascends from the glacial valley of the Rhine to the rim of a high plateau, reaching a height of 280 meters (920 ft.) above sea level at an inclination of 20 percent. The vines for the Morstein Rieslings lie in a choice, five-hectare (12.3-acre) parcel of the site. Grosses Gewächs (GG) is the term for an estate’s best dry wine from a classified vineyard.