2022 Weingut Von Winning, Riesling Trocken, Ungeheuer, Grosses Gewächs, Pfalz Germany.
As per normal with this wine, Von Winning’s 2022 Ungeheuer really takes off when allowed to breathe and I think it has huge potential for even more magic in the coming decade, it is an outstanding GG that delivers Grand Cru White Burgundy class along with its Riesling purity and mineral intensity, I just love what Stephan Attmann has done with these profound dry Rieslings. Still remarkably fresh and tight, but you can feel the underlying concentration and depth here and it unwinds to display this vineyards classic and steely profile of lemon curd, apricot, white peach and mango fruits as well as wet stones, saline, spearmint, leesy hazelnut and lime blossom accents. Von Winning as reported far and wide, and of course by me in recent years, is one of Germany’s greatest and most unique wine estates, based in the Pfalz and with a no compromise sense of purpose in everything wine they do, from their basic state Riesling to their Grosses Gewachs, like this gorgeous and textural Ungeheuer GG, and it’s worth noting they also make one of the world’s great Sauvignon Blancs along with a sublime collection of Pinot Noir and sparkling Sekt(s)! Vigneron and cellar master Stephan Attmann has put tremendous effort and focus into the vines here with the Von Winning Riesling vines trained in the same way as you’d find in Meursault or Montrachet and he admits he is heavily influenced by the Cote d’Or and the great wines of Burgundy and his winemaking is also inspired by the fabled French region with barrel fermentation and lees aging with a very dry focus. Von Winnings set of GGs is almost unmatched, with Leinhohle, Langenmorgen, Grainhubel and this Ungeheuer being exceptional, along with the very famous Kirchenstück, maybe the most expensive vineyard site in Germany, and the exotic Kalkofen, to name a few.
The Von Winning estate, as reported far and wide, and of course by me in recent years, is one of Germany’s greatest and most unique wine estates, based in the Pfalz and with a no compromise sense of purpose in everything wine they do, from their basic state Riesling to their Grosses Gewachs, like this gorgeous and textural Ungeheuer GG, and it’s worth noting they also make one of the world’s great Sauvignon Blancs along with a sublime collection of Pinot Noir and sparkling Sekt(s)! Vigneron and cellar master Stephan Attmann has put tremendous effort and focus into the vines here with the Von Winning Riesling vines trained in the same way as you’d find in Meursault or Montrachet and he admits he is heavily influenced by the Cote d’Or and the great wines of Burgundy and his winemaking is also inspired by the fabled French region with barrel fermentation and lees aging with a very dry focus. Attmann, who has said his winemaking technique is not doing the wrong things at the wrong time, uses a gentle touch in the cellar allowing his top dry wines to go through indigenous yeast fermentations in cask and uses no additions with an all gravity flow press room, with his Grosses Gewächs wines ferment and age in 500mL French barrels, though he has refined his usage in recent times preferring less new oak, which is clearly the case here. As i mentioned in my recent reviews, I was thrilled to meet up with Stephan Attmann this Summer and taste through the latest efforts here in the States by Von Winning, which are imported by Skurnik Wines, and I was again blown away by his collection, including the top Kirchenstück GG, this Ungeheuer obviously, and the mentioned Sauvignon Blancs, plus my favorite village and Premier Crus! From Von Winning’s basic estate bottlings to these GGs, there’s a quality wine for everyone and in case you’ve not yet experienced this estate, you are truly missing out!
($79 Est.) 96 Points, grapelive