Winemaker Notes
The Westhofener Riesling bears the new VDP Rheinhessen designation, “Aus Ersten Lagen,” which simply means “from premier cru vineyards.” This is analogous to the Burgundian use of “Premier Cru,” without vineyard designation, when the wine is a blend of two or more climats. These wines may also contain declassified fruit from grand cru sites, however, which is exactly the case with the Westhofener. This wine was selected from maturing parcels (15 years or older) in the Morstein and Brunnenhäuschen vineyards, both of which are classified as Grosse Lage.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
What a fascinating nose of bergamot, mirabelle and passion fruit plus dark herbal notes this stunning dry riesling has. Complex juiciness on the mid-palate, the elegant acidity and very fine tannins interlock beautifully and drive the almost perfectly balanced and stunningly refreshing mineral finish. From biodynamically grown grapes with Respekt certification.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Westhofener Riesling 1G is from the Morstein satellites (that means everything around the core part). The wine opens deep, pure and complex, with the darker tones of the Morstein, yet it's still a bit untamed, or as Philipp Wittmann puts it, "There is still a bit of a workshop smell in this wine," which was just bottled when I tasted it in July. Silky, lush and elegant on the palate, this is a saline and citric, very pure and grippy yet remarkably finessed and light-footed B-Morstein. The texture is very elegant and almost silky, and the finish is grippy and wonderfully untamed. It's an impressive wine. 12.8% alcohol. Natural cork. Rating : 94+
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.
