2022 Weingut Gunther Steinmetz Riesling 1L, Mosel, Germany Corkhoarder

Stefan Steinmetz is the fourth generation of his family to make wine in Brauneberg, in the Mosel. Stefan is dedicated to “working close to nature,” as he puts it. They practice what they call “natural viticulture,” which means using no fertilizers, herbicides, or insecticides, plus controlling yields and carefully harvesting and sorting by hand. They’ve focused on acquiring  own-rooted Riesling parcels when possible. The Brauneberger Juffer site is the trademark of their winery, and they also own plots in famous sites as Kestener Paulinshofberg, Piesporter Goldtröpfchen, Wintricher Geierslay and Oligsberg, Mülheimer Sonnenlay, Veldenzer, Grafschafter Sonnenberg, and Dhroner Hofberg. The extremely steep slopes in these areas mean that they can only be worked by hand.

In the cellar, Stefan works without any additives–no yeasts, no fining agents, no acidification or deacidification, and no animal proteins whatsoever. Grapes are processed and pressed as gently as possible. Fermentations occur spontaneously in large wood casks or stainless steel tanks. The goal is to bring out the unique signature of each individual vineyard. As Stefan explains, his wines “should reflect the location, the soil, the microclimate and the characteristics of the vines, i.e. all the peculiarities of the environment in which they are grown – and this while incorporating my personality as a winemaker. This over-achieving entry is 100% Riesling from across thirteen different parcels.