R' Chardonnay trocken 2023

A Chardonnay that favours coolness over fullness. The nose opens with mineral tones of wet chalk and petrichor, that scent of wet asphalt after a summer rain. The fruit follows only afterwards and stays understated: a touch of stone fruit, citrus, with a subtle smoky note in the upper register.

The grapes come from limestone-influenced parcels around Siebeldingen, at the edge of the Palatinate forest. The deep clay soils carry limestone and gravel, which ensures drainage and explains the wine's mineral character. The Rebholz family farms 26 hectares there across four rock formations, from Rotliegend through variegated sandstone and shale to shell limestone. Hansjörg and Birgit Rebholz now run the estate together with their twin sons Hans and Valentin.

100 percent Chardonnay, pressed in a basket press, fermented in small oak barrels and aged for a total of around 18 months in barrique on the lees. The wine ferments completely dry and is bottled at 13.0% vol. The oak here provides structure, not a layer of spice.

Gripping and compact on entry, with a firm mineral base over which mirabelle, apple and green apricot arrange themselves. Added to this are notes of fresh pastry, a saline minerality, citrus flanks and salted almonds in the finish. Powerful, with great tension and smoky notes, and remarkable length.

In the estate's R line, the Burgundian varietal wines are made in small oak barrels; here the Chardonnay finds its own distinctly Palatinate reading of the variety. The parcels are farmed biodynamically, and the winemaking stays unadorned and bone-dry.