Winemaker Notes
Bright yellow, with enticing aromas of yellow fruit, hay, wet stone and a sweet spiciness. On the palate there is impressive complexity paired with hints of tannin and strong acidity. A balance between concentration and lightness.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This mineral masterpiece is very finely nuanced, but it doesn’t mess around, rather it makes a bold statement of intent. Very complex nose of wet stones, rhubarb, white peaches and flowers. Dense yet delicate, structured and filigree, this medium-bodied wine shoots across the palate with a linearity that reminds me of Australian dry riesling, but is married to wonderful wild-herb delicacy. From organically grown grapes with Fair'n Green certification. Drink or hold.
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Vinous
The 2022 Riesling Terra Montosa is a key wine for the estate, first made in 1990 by Georg Breuer as a “second wine” uniting all the steep sites of the estate, i.e., Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland, Berg Roseneck and Berg Schlossberg, Rauenthaler Nonnenberg and Lorcher Pfaffenwies. Terra Montosa is what is left over after the single-site wines have been blended and thus represents excellent value. It was fermented in used Stück and Halbstück. There's a touch of creamy apricot and the ripe, juicy flesh of yellow pear, a certain tenderness, intensity and shine on the nose. This carries right onto the palate where slightly astringent, lemony freshness and pith appear on this light-footed, elegant yet intense wine. This is countered by yeasty, very slightly nutty creaminess from wood fermentation. Linearity, concentration and again, a kind of naked, unadorned, unfrilly straightness characterizes the wine that comes across as honest and clean. The finish has a suspicion of yeasty richness among the slender, restrained expression of 2022. (Bone-dry)
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.