Gunderloch – Nierstein Riesling – VDP.ERSTE LAGE
The Gunderloch Nierstein Riesling 2019 is an elegant, impressive wine from the top Nierstein vineyards of Weingut Gunderloch in Rheinhessen.
The Nierstein Riesling is terroir-driven in the best sense. The Rotliegend clay slate soils here display a wonderful minerality of their own, which is captivating: warm-spicy with a wealth of exotic fruit notes. Typical for the Nierstein vineyards, which produce very mineral wines with balancing acidity, is the red berry aroma, which meets green apple, peach notes, and lemon zest. A smoky spiciness, reminiscent of wet stone, nut, and yeast, culminates in a mouth-watering saltiness.
Dense and self-contained, the Gunderloch Nierstein Riesling is a good companion to white poultry, fruity salads, as well as mussels and light fish dishes.
Nierstein – Wine Production
Nierstein is a small municipality in Rheinhessen. It is home to Germany's oldest vineyard, the Glöck single vineyard, which was first documented in 742. The Nierstein Riesling is a wine from Erste Lagen (first growth vineyards), specifically from the Nierstein vineyards of Pettenthal and Hipping. On the glowing red soils of the Roter Hang, Riesling grapes grow in steep vineyards that capture the sun's rays virtually all day long. The rock is heavily weathered, and the finely crumbly structure of the clay slate produces wines with lively elegance and a lighter structure.
The 2019 vintage and its growing season started early. Growth was somewhat slowed by the dry soil conditions. After flowering, the vines received sufficient rain in a mild summer with only a few hot days. The harvest at the beginning of September, under beautiful late summer weather, allowed for a calm and very precise picking. The 2019 wines present themselves as light and lively, carried by an elegant, fresh fruitiness.
The vineyards are cultivated close to nature, gently worked and cared for. Gentle pruning, natural fertilization, yield reduction through cluster splitting and thinning, selective, manual harvesting in several passes are obligatory here. Fermentation takes place at controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks. The wines remain on the fine lees until spring, which gives them stability and good aging potential and supports aroma development. Subsequent aging in 600-liter wooden barrels perfects the characteristic Gunderloch taste: cool mineral, with crystal-clear fruit and well-integrated acidity.
Riesling – a wine and its values
- Origin Wine from Germany
- Growing region Rheinhessen
- Grape variety Riesling
- 11.5% vol. Alcohol
- 7.5 g/l acidity
- 4.0 g/l residual sugar