Description
The Zellertal has seen winegrowing since the 8th century, placing it squarely among the oldest winegrowing regions anywhere in Germany. Nevertheless, it was all but forgotten in the 20th century until H.O. Spanier chose it, after the Frauenberg and Schwarzer Herrgott, as his next project to restore to the consciousness of wine lovers. The Kreuzberg lies just below the Schwarzer Herrgott and in fact looks up to the Herrgott’s black Kreuz (‘cross’), earning it the name “Zellertal Kreuzberg.” Geologically, the Zellertal Kreuzberg is just as unique as the Schwarzer Herrgott, standing on a massive bank of limestone running from Rheinhessen’s Frauenberg into the Pfalz portion of the Zellertal and known for producing wines of an incredibly
mineral character. The Kreuzberg Riesling has been classified as a GG since the 2020 vintage, thus making it the first Großes Gewächs from the Pfalz in our portfolio. Hand harvested and wild fermented, the Kreuzberg Riesling is raised in traditional Halbstück barrels and matured on the fine lees until the summer after harvest. The wine winks with shades of pale straw in the glass, and soon overcomes its initial hesitation to reveal that it is anything but reliant on primary fruits. It is notably stony and austere, with salty aromas redolent of a refreshing sea breeze and underscored with aromas of sage and goutweed. Refined and complex, the palate balances an concentrated extracts and reductive fruit against a notably salty soul. Using the tremendous tension and momentum, it blends finesse and elegance with the distinctive minerality of the Zellertal’s limestone soils. A clear occasion to bring out the big glasses, to best enjoy its tremendous development potential. The 2021 Zeller Kreuzberg Riesling GG is exclusively being offered at the VDP.AUCTIONS in Bad Kreuznach.