Toast with the Griesel Sekt Riesling Tradition Brut 2022

The Griesel Sekt Riesling Tradition Brut 2022 is a suitable introduction to the world of enjoyment offered by Sekthaus Griesel. The Riesling sparkling wine has aromas of green apple and ripe quince, with notes of candied kumquats and fragrant jasmine, rounded off by hints of fine yeast braid. On the palate, the impressively fine perlage is immediately present, creating a pleasantly soft mouthfeel. It lingers, carrying the acidity and the slightly tart, spicy notes from the oak, until an invigorating freshness remains at the end.

Griesel – how the Riesling Sekt is made

The grapes for this Griesel Riesling Sekt grow on soils along the Hessische Bergstraße, characterized by a high granite content, forcing the vines to dig deep into the earth. This, combined with the cool winds from the nearby Odenwald, ensures a good acid structure and minerality in the base wines.

The Riesling grapes were hand-picked in September 2022 and then very gently pressed. As in Champagne, Niko Brandner understands the importance of gentle pressing, because the less tannins and wax from the grape skins enter the must, the finer and more persistent the perlage in the sparkling wine can become later. Only about 50% of the juice present in the berries is pressed.

In the cellar, Niko Brandner gives things time, allowing the grapes to ferment spontaneously and undergo malolactic fermentation, in which the malic acid in the wine is converted into milder lactic acid, giving the wine a special mouthfeel and creaminess. Cellar master Brandner combines large and small stainless steel and wooden barrels for aging, as well as 10% Reserve Perpetuelle (base wine from previous vintages), which gives the sparkling wine more complexity.

One year later, on August 5th, 2023, the Riesling is bottled without filtration or fining and tirage is added to induce the second fermentation in the bottle. The dosage was 3g/l. Now it is allowed to rest and mature for another 20 months on its fine lees in the cellar built in 1904, being regularly riddled and the bottles gradually inverted, until finally, during disgorgement, the yeast plug is removed from the bottle and the Griesel Riesling Sekt finally goes on sale at the end of March 2025.

Tradition – Time and Enjoyment

A Griesel Sekt with the "Tradition" classification is produced using traditional bottle fermentation. After bottling the base wine, it matures on the lees for at least 20 months and undergoes the second fermentation, the conversion of wine to sparkling wine. The long yeast contact ensures a fine perlage and notes of brioche, of fine yeast dough, in the Griesel Sekt Tradition.