2022 Weingut Von Othegraven, Riesling Kabinett “Bockstein” Kanzem an der Saar, Germany.
What a refreshing, pure and mineral toned wine this 2022 Bockstein Kabinett by Von Othegraven, a winery I fist tried back in the 1990s, it is a drier style Kabinett and comes from a full VDP Grosse Lage in the remote Saar region. The light framed palate has a range of aromatic and steely flavors going from racy citrus to orchard fruits with key lime, green apple, apricot and melon leading the way, along with flinty stones, chamomile, bitter almond and sweet and sour herbs. There’s just the right amount of pleasing residual sugar here, the wine is 8%, to bring about a balance with the natural acidity and makes for a really good companion to slightly spicy cuisine with a touch of heat, like Asian curries, though it can be enjoyed with cured meats and or sipped on its own. The Bockstein VDP Grosse Lage or Grand Cru is mainly slopes of Devonian slate above the Saar River, not far from the confluence of the Mosel, and gives plenty of pedigree to this easy to love wine. It should be noted, that the Scharzhofberg near Wiltingen, the Ayl Kupp, the Ockfener Bockstein, where this wine was born, and the Kanzemer Altenberg are some of the most famous Riesling sites in the world, set on the Saar, formerly known as “Mosel-Saar-Ruwer”, and made famous by the likes of Egon Müller, Paul Lauer, Von Hövel and Von Othegraven.
The Weingut von Othegraven, a classic producer, is a fine wine-growing estate in the Mosel/Saar wine region with a long wine-growing history that dates back hundreds of years, with the actual label established in the 16th century and in modern times was a founding member of the Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter, better known as the VDP. Now, Günter Jauch and his family are the seventh generation to manage this Kanzem an der Saar estate. The von Othegraven estate mansion, which is a listed historic monument and the park, has an almost English style garden with century-old exotic trees from around the world, as well as top notch wine cellars. Director of winemaking Andreas Barth has brought back the quality level here and since about 2012 these Von Othegraven offerings have regained their highly sought after reputation and this lovely 2022 Kabinett is certainly evidence in the glass of that continued excellence. Barth, who has plenty of cru vineyards to chose from, ferments with native yeasts and goes after a more dry style in most cases, with this Bockstein Kabinett seeing a spontaneous fermentation and aging in all stainless steel tank to preserve clarity and freshness, and even though off dry and fruit driven, the overall keel is crisp and drier, as noted above. It was nice to de-discover Von Othegraven and I really enjoyed this 2022 Bockstein Kabinett, it definitely has me wanting to explore the full range of wines here, especially the upper end of the collection!
($20 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive