Riesling Hallgarten Alte Reben 2023 1500ml Magnum

A dry Riesling from Hallgarten that favours clarity over opulence. Lime and grapefruit set the tone, joined by white peach and green apple, with a cool, stony note underneath. The old vines lend density, yet the wine remains lean.

The Peter Jakob Kühn estate is located in Oestrich-Winkel in the Rheingau, founded in 1786 by Jacobus Kühn, whose first name still lends its entry-level wine its name today. Peter Bernhard and Viktoria run the house in the twelfth generation; the family has never relinquished the estate. Across 21 hectares, almost exclusively Riesling vines are planted, in the vineyards Doosberg, Klosterberg, Lenchen, St. Nikolaus, Hendelberg and Jungfer. Slate and quartzite underpin the estate's wines.

Riesling, varietally pure, dry, 12.5% vol. The vines are farmed according to Demeter biodynamic principles; the estate has held the certification since 2009. Sheep grazing between the rows, horn manure and valerian were seen as eccentric in the Rheingau of the early 2000s. In the cellar, the same restraint applies: spontaneous fermentation, no fining, minimal use of sulphur, no heavy oak influence and no extended ageing. Peter Bernhard worked at Zind-Humbrecht in Alsace and with Burgundy producers, bringing back a finer sense for acid structure and extraction.

Dry and taut, with a clear line of acidity and dense extract. The finish is long, saline and stony, oak plays no role, the fruit shows openly.

Demeter-certified, with the logo on the label. Bottled as a 1.5-litre magnum at the Peter Jakob Kühn estate, Mühlstrasse 70, Oestrich-Winkel.