Kastanienbusch Riesling GG 2023

A cool, finely etched Riesling of great power that nevertheless never feels austere. The nose offers plenty of spice and stone, blond tobacco, ripe lemons, blood oranges and grapefruit with its peel, underpinned by a pulpy, extract-rich layer of thyme, nettle and calendula.

The Kastanienbusch vineyard lies west of Birkweiler on the edge of a natural basin that shelters it from the cool winds off the Pfälzer Wald forest. At 320 metres above sea level, it is the highest GG vineyard site in the Pfalz. The subsoil is defined by iron-rich Rotliegend, along with loose deposits of granite, slate and melaphyre; the slope drops away at a gradient of 30 to 35%. Ökonomierat Rebholz's parcels belong to the site's original plot.

Pure Riesling, vinified dry. After destemming, the must spent around 24 hours on the skins. This was followed by settling and natural sedimentation, fermentation in stainless steel and six months' ageing on fine lees. Hansjörg Rebholz farms the Siebeldingen estate's 26 hectares biodynamically and always lets his wines ferment through completely.

Juicy, almost gulpable and open, carried by white-fleshed fruit and citrus notes. The acid structure of the 2023 vintage combines generosity with tension. Towards the finish the wine grows ever firmer, with a light extract grip, plenty of minerality and a distinct salinity.

The Kastanienbusch ranks among the estate's top VDP sites; for the 2017 vintage, Gault&Millau awarded this Grosses Gewächs 100 points. 12.5% vol.