Winningen Von den Terrassen - Riesling (22)

Riesling | deze 'ortswein' is een blend van percelen op GG ‘Röttgen' (blauw en bruine leisteen met zand en GG Uhlen (grijze leisteen en kalksteen) geassembleerd met 2000 liter uit de Winninger ‘Hamm’ | spontaan vergist en gerijpt op een mix van acaciahout en staaltank | gebotteld na 12 maanden | verfrissende zuren | vuursteen | perzik | intens rijk fruit | prachtige droge finale met ziltig karakter

Knebel

Acht hectare op een prachtig stuk in het noorden van de Mosel, dat is de plek waar Matthias Knebel zijn wijnen verbouwd en maakt. De Blauschiefer en Rotschiefer bodems glooien hier stijl naar boven, een zeer indrukwekkend en eeuwenoud landschap. Matthias staat sinds 2009 aan het roer van het familiewijngoed. Er worden tijdens het proces geen additieven gebruikt (naast sulfiet), de wijnen vergisten spontaan en rijpen een deel op grote eikenhouten foudres. De wijnen die hij maakt zijn loepzuiver, energiek en je proeft de warme terrassen terug in de wijn. Sinds 2017 heeft Knebel zijn intreden gedaan bij de VDP en staat sindsdien bekend als een aanstormend talent voor Duitsland en de Mosel.

Review

Fermented one-fifth in acacia wood, the 2019 Riesling Von den Terrassen is pure, fresh and salty on the nose. Dense and juicy on the palate, this is a concentrated, salty-piquant and persistent dry Riesling of great class, tension and length. Bottled at the end of July. Tasted in September 2020. 93/100 Stephen Reinhardt

Matthias Knebel believes that the dryness of last summer can only be countered by good work in the vineyards. Herbicide-free for about 10 years, working the soil, canopy management and a meticulously selective harvest with a trained harvest team guarantee balanced and elegant wines even in years like 2018 and 2019. "The team in spring/summer is the same as in autumn, which makes a lot easier, because our people already know the critical corners and know what they have to pay top attention to. Even within a plot, everything can be good for a few rows, but then suddenly the problem areas follow. You can see that and you can taste it. Fortunately, our people are on their toes, nothing escapes them," Knebel said. However, the processing of the grapes has recently changed according to the increasingly warm and dry vintages. While a few years ago the grapes were macerated for many hours, this hasn't happened the last two years, because the often higher pH levels would harm the racy Riesling character. As a result, the pressing pressure of the increasingly whole clusters is lower today, and more experiments are being made with fractionation of the must. "The aim is to produce cool, slender and elegant Rieslings with a still-concise acid structure and great finesse," he said. Knebel can no longer really identify with the softer and broader style of late-harvested, low-acidity grapes that were once cultivated here. Of the last two vintages, 2019 is the more exciting due to its piquant acidity, although 2018 is also a successful vintage. "We are always learning to try to do a little better every year. In 2018, we did well, but in 2019 we did even better. These wines have more tension, and that's what we are looking for."