ALTENBERG Großes Gewächs

The foundation for this top-quality dry Riesling was fully ripened grapes from vines grown on the typical, iron-rich red slate soil of the Kanzemer Altenberg – the largest contiguous steep slope vineyard in Europe. After a short maceration period, a portion of the must was then aged in large wooden casks. This dry Grand Cru impresses with its multifaceted, profound aromatics and remarkable structure. The bouquet is complex and sophisticated: ripe citrus notes of grapefruit and candied lemon mingle with smoky hints of flint, accompanied by delicately roasted walnuts, light tobacco, and a touch of red pepper. Dried hay flowers lend the nose an almost ethereal lightness, while sage and rosemary provide a herbaceous depth. On the palate, the wine is distinctive and precise: tautly structured with noticeably grippy phenolics that lend it seriousness and excellent structure. With a little aeration, the wine opens up increasingly, gaining in juiciness, yet remaining uncompromisingly dry, cool, and purist in expression. The long, gripping finish testifies to inner tension and aging potential.

A sophisticated, structured Riesling with a herbaceous depth that pairs excellently with roasted poultry, grilled vegetables or a creamy goat cheese risotto.

ALTENBERG | VDP.GROSSE LAGE®

Like a monumental cliff face, the Kanzemer Altenberg vineyard stands in perfect south-southeast orientation. As in all Othegraven vineyards, Devonian slate is the defining element, in the Altenberg with traces of iron oxide. A noble wine grows here, mineral and warm at the same time, with inner grandeur and utterly self-contained.