The Wines

In a typical traditional family wine estate on the Mosel, vineyard and cellar work as well as marketing lie in the hand of one person. Here, there is no separation of responsibility for vineyard and cellar as is common practice in many wine estates and enterprises worldwide.

Everything is handled personally, and runs through the thoughts and heart of one person. The family offers advice, colleagues exchange ideas, and wine lovers provide feedback...yet all are supplementary, for at the end of the day, the main influence on the work of a wine-grower is his or her own personal experience...gained from what succeeded, what was less successful, and what failed. Basically, though, it is the vines and the grapes that provide a clear sense of direction. Winter pruning, tending the vines in the summer and a host of other things come to mind. And during pruning, when once again each vine is individually brought into form, one can't help but imagine the grapes one hopes to have at the end of the season, and sometimes, one can even “see” the finished wine in a glass.

Viticulture relies on the basic prerequisites for Mosel wines that are rich in character. For us this means: steep, slate-dominated vineyards that vary in slope between 30 and 100 percent, and that are planted exclusively with Riesling vines, i.e. relatively restrained rather than prolific producers. We use all means of restraint and necessary intervention while tending the grapes to achieve the lowest yields possible – on average, 50 hl/ha are not to be exceeded. Fertilization is very sparing and only in the form of adding organic matter. Anything that could lead to too many and/or too dense bunches is deliberately avoided.

Selective leaf removal in the grape zone and removal of superfluous bunches at the right point in time are implemented as needed in our vineyards. An entire season’s efforts come to a climax with the harvest, a phase that calls for great patience and nerves of steel. The harvest normally begins in mid-October and can continue well into November, depending on the condition of the grapes and the weather. We harvest in two or three, sometimes even four or five, stages, always with the goal of selecting bunches that are as healthy as possible and that have reached an optimal degree of ripeness. In other words, grapes that will yield classic Riesling wines with a tremendous harmony of flavours...wines that are at once distinctive and complex in expression.

We focus on producing wines with a natural, fruity sweetness. Nowhere but on the Mosel can one produce fruity and lusciously sweet wines with such a fascinating, taut balance of minerals and acidity. Particularly the Piesporters, with their pronounced mineral tones, have an amazing ability to present their “sweetness” in such a way that one can fully enjoy a wine’s fruitiness and aromas without having the slightest impression of an overly sweet wine. This is especially perceptible on the palate after a number of years of bottle aging. We strive to produce wines of great longevity that usually will continue to develop and mature for decades. Time and again it is fascinating to experience how unbelievably fresh these quite mature wines can be.

Restraint and conscientious intervention is also called for in vinification, not least in producing wines with residual sugar that have spontaneously fermented with natural yeasts. Fermentation takes place under controlled, low temperatures, either in stainless steel tanks or in traditional old oak casks – on the Mosel, 1,000-liter “Fuder” casks.

The natural sweetness of our wines is achieved by stopping fermentation. This preserves the pure and complete expression of fruit from an individual site. Kabinett wines are made exclusively from healthy grapes. We aim for very filigree, invigorating wines that are not too voluptuous in style. Spätlese wines are also made from fully ripe, healthy grapes. Despite their fuller body and greater complexity of aromas, we strive for very stimulating, fresh wines with a playful character. Auslese and higher categories of ripeness are usually influenced by noble rot and produced from shrivelled, raisin-like grapes. These top-quality wines always benefit from long aging, not least because they become more interesting year after year – whether to be served as an aperitif or dessert wine, or simply enjoyed on their own.

Our drier wines are fresh and lively in style, with a pronounced acidity and perceptible mineral notes. They often show their quality potential and finesse only after a few years of bottle aging. We do not use the term “trocken” (dry) on labels, because the residual sugar level of the wines does not always fall within the legally defined bounds. Nevertheless, the wines are dry in character. Due to the highly mineral character of Piesport sites, these wines, even with a hint of natural sweetness, seem perfectly dry after a few years of development.

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