Von Winning, Deidesheimer Grainhübel, Grosses Gewächs 2023

Made from grapes grown in one of the most historic and consistently sought-after vineyards in Germany, this is one of the Grand Cru sites that Von Winning are so privileged and proud to be able to access.

Just outside of the town in which the winery is located, Deidesheim, lies this wonderful south-facing vineyard that has mentions of its quality dating back to 1412

Sandstone, marly clay, and tertiary limestone soils give more delicate and light-bodied characters than many of the other Grand Crus, but this is still Riesling that has an enormous volume of flavour and quality. In that regard, it is treated like the finest wines in the world: spontaneous fermentation and long, patient aging on the lees in French oak 500-litre oak barrels (tonneaux), the nose initially reveals fine almond notes, along with hints of white tea, intense blossom, and vibrant notes of white peach, all wrapped-up in a cool herbal character that is almost minty and lemon balm-like. On the palate, it is juicy and precise, with a lively acidity and a long, spicy-fruity finish.

This is one of the best white wines in the world.

The hands-off approach in the winery is almost mirrored in the vineyard, but for he excessive care that the vines receive. Sure, no treatments, none of the preparations allowed under Organic viticulture: these are vines that are left to nature and though monitored and pruned, are left very much to do their best - just as they have done for centuries.

This is an historically famous and celebrated vineyard that has been maintained by its handful of tenants for as long as wine has been in this part of the world, which is nigh-on 1000 years. The assumption is that the records from 1412 were only a summation of what had already been best-practice since wines was started in the region, five hundred years or so before. 

The end result is a wine that will age and develop because of its sensational structure, minerality and the phenolic content that is latent in the grapes when they get to the winery. And they are only in such great condition because of the holistic approach of the Von Winning team. What a gift these wines are.

If you don't know wines from this winery yet, get to!

One of Germany’s longest-running wineries, Weingut von Winning was founded in 1849 and given a new lease of life by Achim Niederberger in 2007. Bringing on board winemaker Stephan Attman and, in time, Andreas Hütwohl, the project was one of clear and brilliant simplicity: the wines from Pfalz were some of the most famous and expensive wines available in the 1850s.

• Why?
• What were they like?
• Why does no one really drink them as much any more?

The answers were fairly obvious:

1. They were amazing
2. They were amazing;
3. They became sweet and mass-produced and lost all sense of terroir and authenticity.

The "New" Von Winning then was a clear plan to resurrect old winemaking techniques using the best grapes and single vineyards available, which, as it turned out, was fairly easy because the best grapes were quite literally on their doorstep. These wines then are fermented in large wooden barrels that are 1,200 litres in capacity and oval in shape, they are a traditional German barrel called Stücke, literally 'pieces'.

These have no oak flavour impact, but allow for the Riesling to be really expressive and lose the twangy metallic texture that can come from some stainless steel only fermented wines. As we've got to know them, the wines that they make from a dizzying number of different vineyard names have offered myriad views of Riesling through the same multi-faceted crystal.