9/24/26 - 

Carsten Saalwächter might very well be the rising star of the Rheinhessen, and he's acheiving this all while staying far away from Riesling. In an area that was once so cold that grapes struggled to reach ripeness, he is thriving, and making Silvaner, Weisser Burgunder, Grauerburgunder, and Chardonnay in an almost Burgundian quality. I have seen an array of people compare his wines to Meursault, and specifically to Coche-Dury but I want to challenge that a bit. Yes, the wines contain a very controlled reduction, and yes they have purity, texture, and incredible depth, but they still feel very Germanic in a really special way. While maybe taking inspiration from the great wines of Burgundy, these wines are so bright and lifted with smooth integrated acidity that can only come from a region this cold. The limestone-rich vineyard site of Saalwächter was first developed by Paul Christian Saalwächter in 1853, and today Carsten has taken it to new heights. Located in Ingelheim, Carsten has been running this historic estate since 2017 and very quickly began turning heads. After tasting his lineup in full last week it is no surprise to me why.

Today we have five fantastic white wines from Carsten, starting off strong with two Silvaners. First is the Silvaner Alte Reben, from 50 year old vines on limestone parcels in and around Ingelheim. This wine has incredible purity and is full of minerality, citrus zest and a slight smoky touch. It has a nice body to it with a lasting texture. This is a perfect pairing for a wide variety of food, but also perfect to quench thirst on its own. Silvaner Grauer Stein is his top bottling and comes from the oldest vines of the estate, around 70-years. It spends 2 years in barrel and then additional year in bottle before release. The resulting wine is one of salty density, with a real elegance showcasing exactly how incredible Silvaner can be. It can stand up to time in the cellar, but is also drinking excellent now after a decant. Next is Grauerburgunder, (Pinot Gris) which is a touch reductive on the nose but the wine is so much more than that! Notes of lemon zest, a bit of peach, and white florals. This is bright, joyous and simply really tasty. His Weisser Burgunder is a wine with incredible energy! Pinot Blanc with excellent balance and a bit more fruit presence. The wine has a medium body and weight to it with a bright, mineral finish. Last, but not least is his Chardonnay, which is one of precision with this amazing balance between power and finesse. A wine of incredible acidity and a strong mineral finish.    

Andreas Durst

I will be honest, there are just not enough wines from Andreas Durst to send out its own offer and between the Silvaner/Sylvaner connection and his proximity to the Rheinhessen, combining them with Saalwächter seemed natural enough to me. The wines from Andreas are in the most grand scale somewhat simple in approach but wildly complex once a bottle is opened. He farms less than one hectare of vines by hand on the northern edges of the Pfalz on almost entirely limestone soils using organic methods. Each year he makes a ceramic tank or two of Sylvaner, a barrel of Portugieser, and a few barrels of Pinot Noir. His work in the cellar is minimalistic with natural yeast fermentations and tiny amounts of sulfur. The resulting wines are really stunning. His Pinot Noir is the perfect blend of wild berries with spice and elegance. The Sylvaner is mineral driven, and full of citrus zest with a lifted, long finish. The 'star' of the lineup though is his Portugieser, which comes from 100+ year old, ungrafted vines planted on solid limestone. This is a stunning wine with great acidity, amazing freshness, and a fun rusticity. It has notes of darker berries with a light spice, I really don't know how to compare it to anything else because it is just so unique. 

-Hanna Krilov Cohen

>>>VIEW THE WINES<<<