2021 Von Winning Riesling 'Ungeheuer' Grosses Gewachs, Pfalz

Von Winning produces some of the finest dry wines in the Pfalz, if not all of Germany. Each wine, from an entry-level Riesling to the heralded Grosses Gewachs, is a microcosm of the Pfalz’s unique mineral profile, and of the fastidious winemaking at the estate. Although the domaine was established in the 1860s, its fortunes rose in 2007 when Stephan Attman was appointed head winemaker. Stephan chose to abandon the stainless steel fermentation typically favored for Riesling and return to the old way of fermenting in wood, a practice that encourages structure and complexity. V-W has vines in some of the most revered terroir in the Pfalz, including 8 different GG sites—no where else can you taste Riesling grown on such a diverse set of terroirs, including limestone, sandstone and volcanic basalt. They are all fermented in large (typically old) oak barrels. The fermentation is long and slow, and the wines are aged on their lees for 1.5-2 years, producing a fascinating texture, simultaneously rich and ethereally fleeting. The GGs of von Winning have virtually unlimited aging potential; there is a perfect balance struck between acidity, minerality and concentrated fruit.