Osthofen Goldberg Riesling – 2021

Organic Riesling from the Osthofen Goldberg limestone site

The 2021 Osthofen Goldberg Riesling from the Karl May winery is a dry, organic single-vineyard wine from a Grosse Lage site in Rheinhessen. Powerful and intense, with ripe fruit and cool, salty limestone aromatics. A single-vineyard wine of international standing.

2021 Osthofen Goldberg Riesling is a dry, organic single-vineyard wine from the Karl May winery, sourced from the Goldberg limestone site, a Grosse Lage in Rheinhessen. It is powerful and intense on the palate, carried by a cool, salty limestone aroma. A great Riesling from a great terroir.

Ripe pear, apricot kernel, salty limestone aromatics

On the nose, there is ripe pear and a hint of apple strudel, accompanied by apricot kernel, savory herbs, and fresh citrus notes, with a fine, almost smoky tone in the background.

On the palate, the Goldberg is punchy, powerful, and persistent; a cool, salty limestone aroma rounds out the profile. With 13.5 percent alcohol, it has stature, while the 7.2 grams of acidity keep it fresh, and with only 1.6 grams of residual sugar, it remains clearly dry. You can taste the limestone subsoil here—this is the entire charm of this site. Bold, salty, mineral—that is how the Goldberg presents itself in the glass while remaining elegant.

Pairs with veal fillet with chanterelles and aged cheese

In a large glass and served at 10 to 12 degrees Celsius, the Goldberg performs elegantly despite its volume.

It loves bolder dishes: veal fillet with chanterelles and polenta, cod with savoy cabbage in a white wine sauce, or a well-aged cheese. Its power and salty freshness effortlessly handle even hearty sauces, so you won't feel the need for a red wine at the table. A more delicate counterpart is the Bechtheim Geyersberg Riesling from the Karl May winery, an Erste Lage wine.

An old castle site, organically farmed by the May family

A chapel once stood on the Goldberg in the 6th century, later followed by an imperial castle, which was documented until 1195.

The grapes, grown on 37-year-old vines, come from this ancient vineyard at the edge of the Wonnegau. Limestone subsoils with layers of loam and loess form the foundation of the vineyards, which have been farmed organically since 2007. It is precisely this limestone minerality that gives the Goldberg its charm. The old vines belonging to Fritz and Peter May root deeply and draw from the stone what makes the wine so cool and salty.

In the cellar, the grapes are pressed gently and the must is fermented spontaneously in stainless steel tanks, where it rests on the lees for several months and is aged in steel. Unlike the Morstein, the Goldberg does not see wood, which keeps the limestone aromatics clear and cool, adding finesse and elegance to the single-vineyard wine.

The Goldberg has already received gold with 95 points at the Decanter World Wine Awards, and the Eichelmann guide ranks the winery among Germany’s best with four stars. Give the wine some air in the glass, and it will reveal its full depth. See more from the Karl May winery range and our German white wines. Truly impressive.

Osthofen Goldberg Riesling – a wine and its viticultural values

• Origin: Wine from Germany
• Growing region: Rheinhessen
• Vineyard site: Osthofener Goldberg
• Winery: Karl May - Fritz and Peter
• Grape variety: Riesling
• Vintage: 2021
• 13.5% vol. alcohol
• 7.2 g/l acidity
• 1.6 g/l residual sugar
• Awarded Gold with 95 points at the 2016 Decanter World Wine Awards

Organic control body: DE-ÖKO-039 – German Agriculture