Winemaker Notes
The Pfalz Riesling is produced from the grapes of first pickings in our classified sites. These are always picked on the perfect degree of ripeness limiting the amount of fruit acid to a moderate level. The wine unites the minerality, finesse and elegant fruit of the sandstone soils in Gimmeldingen, Deidesheim and Ruppertsberg.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Christmann's 2018 Riesling Pfalz opens clear, fresh and herbal on the stony and crystalline nose, with hazelnut aromas. Clear and (bone) dry on the palate yet with a yeasty texture and fine concentration, this is a refreshing, linear, persistently salty and pure Riesling with moderate 11.7% alcohol but a lot of character and length. Tasted in Gimmeldingen, December 2019.
Riesling possesses a remarkable ability to reflect the character of wherever it is grown while still maintaining its identity. A regal variety of incredible purity and precision, this versatile grape can be just as enjoyable dry or sweet, young or old, still or sparkling and can age longer than nearly any other white variety. Somm Secret—Given how difficult it is to discern the level of sweetness in a Riesling from the label, here are some clues to find the dry ones. First, look for the world “trocken.” (“Halbtrocken” or “feinherb” mean off-dry.) Also a higher abv usually indicates a drier Riesling.
This sunny and relatively dry region served for many years as a German tourist mecca and was associated with low cost, cheerful wines. But since the 1980s, it has gained a reputation as one of Germany’s more innovative regions, which has led to increased international demand.