Karl May – Westhofener Morstein Riesling – [ORGANIC]

The Karl May Westhofener Morstein Riesling 2021 is an exceptional white wine from the renowned Morstein vineyard in the Wonnegau region of Rheinhessen. Vinum magazine commented, "One Riesling here is better than the next, all wines of great concentration and minerality, whether from Westhofen's Morstein, Bechtheim's Geyersberg, or Osthofen's Goldberg."

The winery is also ranked among Germany's best with 4 stars in the prestigious Eichelmann guide, and their single-vineyard Rieslings Goldberg and Morstein have once again made it onto the list of the best Rieslings of the vintage. The Morstein 2021 received a fantastic 94 James Suckling points.

The famous single vineyard Morstein, located south of Monzernheim and west of Westhofen in Rheinhessen, was first mentioned in a document in 1282 under the name "in loco marstein," which translates to boundary stone or landmark.

The Morstein vineyard, which faces south and lies approximately 150-240m above sea level, covers about 151 hectares of vines. Fertile, deep loess soil with clayey silt, also called pararendzina, originates from the Quaternary period and consists of wind-deposited calcareous dust from the ice ages. This is interspersed with clayey marl with limestone, known as Terra fusca, in the upper layer, formed from the coral reefs of the tertiary primeval sea.

Peter and Fritz May are fortunate to cultivate a parcel of Riesling vines here, planted by their uncle. The choice of Riesling clones is also interesting, as their uncle planted various German clones and clones with Wachau genetics from the Jamek winery, which is also known as "sélection massale."

Due to the relatively high altitude of the parcel, the berries on the twelve-year-old Riesling vines ripen slowly and develop delicate, balanced aromas. The Karl May Morstein Riesling 2020, with its citrus-accented fruit, intense minerality, and tart herbal notes, was awarded 93 Parker points.

The Karl May Morstein is an elegant food companion and a magnificent soloist, which enjoys being poured into a glass after a few years of bottle aging.

Karl May Wine – Preparation

The Karl May Morstein Riesling Osthofen is a single-vineyard wine. The Morstein vineyard in nearby Westhofen enjoys a worldwide reputation. There, on deep loess soils interspersed with calcareous marl, the grapes for the Morstein Riesling grow on old vines in organically managed vineyards.

To harvest perfectly ripe Riesling grapes in autumn, Fritz and Peter May begin in January with gentle pruning and early defoliation of the grape zone for optimal sun exposure, as well as yield reduction through green harvesting in early summer. The selective hand-harvesting of the grapes often takes place in several passes. The journey to the new winery is short, where the grapes are gently processed further. After a short maceration, they are gently pressed, and the must is spontaneously fermented in wooden barrels, where it remains on the lees for 6 months and is then aged in wood. This brings power and complexity, fullness and creaminess to this single-vineyard wine.

Morstein Riesling – A Wine and its Values

• Origin Germany
• Growing Region Rheinhessen
• Vineyard Westhofener Morstein
• Grape Variety Riesling
• 12.5% vol. Alcohol
• 7.5 g/l Acidity
• 1.2 g/l Residual Sugar

Organic Certification Body DE-ÖKO-039 – German Agriculture