Winemaker Notes
A cuvée from sites of Kiedrich, notes of kumquat & candied citrus fruit & orange.
Organically grown
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Gently does it! Plenty of Asian pear, mirabelle and quince here, but also subtle earthy notes that add some mystery to this soft and caressing dry riesling. Then the generous but subtle finish makes your heart melt.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Bottled five days before I tasted it at the end of May this year, the 2019 Kiedrich Riesling Trocken opens with an excitingly stony, flinty, lemony and characterful bouquet with orange aromas and fine brioche notes. Silky, lean and elegant on the palate, this is a pure and refined Riesling with remarkable finesse, energy and piquancy on the finish. It is very clear and light-footed yet complex and with a grippy finish. This is a classic with a touch of Mosel finesse and lightness. Very stimulating.
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.
Practically one long and bucolic hillside along the northern bank of the Rhein River, the Rheingau stretches the entirety of the river’s east to west spread from Hocheim to Rüdesheim.
Variations in elevation, soil types, and proximity to the Rhine cause great diversity in Rheingau Riesling. Some of the better Rieslings in warmer years come from the cooler and breezier sites at higher elevations. In cooler years, sites closer to the river may perform better.
In the village of Rüdesheim, slopes are steep and soils are stony slate with quartzite; Rieslings are rich and spicy, intense in stone fruit and show depth and character with age. World class Rieslings come from farther east on the river through Geisenheim, Johannisberg, Winkel, Oestrich and past Erbach as well, where soils of loess, sand, and marl alternate. Long-living, floral-driven and mineral-rich Rieslings come from the best of these sites.
Rheingau growers became early activists in promoting the dry style of Riesling, low yields and the classification of top vineyards, or Erstes Gewächs (first growths). Proximity to the metropolitan markets of Mainz, Wiesbaden, and Frankfurt keeps Rheingau in high reputation. While dry wines are the style here, Rheingau isn’t short of some amazing Auslesen, Beerenauslesen, and Trockenbeerenauslesen.
Rheingau doesn’t mess with many other grapes—in fact 79% of its total area is dedicated to Riesling. But it produces some fine Pinot noir, especially concentrated in Assmannshausen, a bit farther west from Rüdesheim.