“After hand harvesting Riesling from their 60-year-old vines, Von Winning ferments the grapes naturally in barrels of various sizes. They don’t introduce any cultured yeasts, so it often takes months for fermentation to complete. Further, the wine is never racked during maturation in barrel, and bottling is done via gravity, without any fining. Because they harnessed the power of nature in a Grand Cru site, this “Kalkofen” GG can blossom for decades if stored properly—these wines can compete with the world’s greatest whites.
That said, the generosity of ‘17 makes for one electrifying, abundantly ripe, minerally explosive Riesling right now. Exotic perfumes pour out of the glass: gardenia, honeysuckle, key lime, citrus blossoms, salted lemon peel, apricot, yellow peach, crushed minerals, herbs, green mango peel, various spices. It makes for one wild ride before your lips even hit the glass. The palate is expansive, ripe, dry, and full-bodied with an energizing, non-stop rush of acidity. Every vigorous sip is full of tension and rich fruit that bounces off a formidable wall of minerals and savory earth. There’s nothing else like. After a 60-minute decant, serve in all-purpose or Burgundy stems around 50-55 degrees and pair it with an exquisite meal—the attached recipe will light up a room. If you’re buying several bottles, remember to stretch them out because “Kalkofen” has a favorably long life ahead of it. Cheers!”
Mark Osburn
sommselect.com
