Winemaker Notes
Perfect harmony of ripeness, minerality, fruit and acidity as well as density and balance. Very typical for the vineyard side, the smell is formed from the red slate, which creates hints of smoke, pepper, firestone, hay, tee and herbs. It also has the typical Riesling aromas like citrus, apple, peach and apricot. On the palate it has the same combination of aromas: the grape variety is responsible for the fruity taste and the soil for the herby, spicy minerality. Like all Rebholz wines, this wine has a huge ageing potential.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
There were times, not that long ago, where a wine such as the 2018 Riesling vom Rotliegenden trocken would have been one of the finest dry Rieslings of Germany. Its quality is still the same (if not even better than years ago), but the quality level in Germany has been rising dramatically for 10+ years now. This wine is one for freaks because it is so pure and flinty and doesn't indicate any grams of fat or even flesh but has so much precision and terroir (or Kastanienbusch) character. On the palate, this Riesling reveals Mosel-like juiciness and crystallinity. In fact, the palate is less Apollonian than the nose, but it's also not Dionysian. It's a Rebholz picture-book wine with phenolic grip and mineral tension yet not the tight structure of the vom Buntsandstein twin. The "deuxième vin" of the Kastanienbusch has lots of energy and can play even in the GG class.
Rating: 91+
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.