Riesling Osthofen – 2022

Organic Riesling "Ortswein" (Village Wine) from an Oak Barrel from Osthofen

The 2022 Riesling Osthofen from Weingut Karl May is an organic village wine from Rheinhessen, matured in oak barrels. Full-bodied and spicy, with ripe fruit, suppleness, and mineral saltiness. A powerful Riesling for a grand appearance at the dinner table.

Riesling Osthofen 2022 is an organic village wine from the Karl May winery in the Wonnegau region of Rheinhessen, defined by its aging in oak barrels. It grows in the Osthofener Goldberg and Bechtheimer Geyersberg vineyards and displays fullness, spice, and fine suppleness on the palate. A Riesling that confidently holds its own with food.

Honeydew melon, brioche, savory herbs

The nose is lush, featuring ripe pear and red apple, sweet honeydew melon, savory herbs, roasted nuts, and a hint of brioche.

On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, spicy, and creamy, with plenty of suppleness and a mineral saltiness in the long finish. With 3.6 grams of residual sugar, it feels a touch rounder than its austere predecessor, yet remains clearly dry in style. The 12.5 percent alcohol gives it stature without becoming heavy. You don't perceive the six months in oak as a spice bomb, but rather as a quiet depth behind the fruit that gives the wine a long, sustained echo.

With pork, cod, and mature cheese

Served at 10 to 12 degrees in a large glass, this village wine really gets going. If you let it breathe, the fruit blossoms and the spice comes to the fore.

It pairs well with hearty dishes, pan-seared pork with mushrooms in a cream sauce, cod with a nut crust and pumpkin vegetables, or a well-aged hard cheese. Its spice and suppleness effortlessly stand up to robust cuisine—you don't need a red wine here. If you prefer something leaner and fresher, take a look at the Riesling Osthofen 2021 or the light Riesling Estate Wine from Weingut Karl May.

Spontaneously fermented in wood at the May family estate

The grapes grow on old vines on deep loess soils with calcareous marl, farmed organically since 2007. The Osthofener Goldberg gives the wine its salty minerality; the Bechtheimer Geyersberg contributes the ripe fruit and suppleness.

Fritz and Peter May prune early, leaf-thin the fruit zone for more sun, and reduce yields with a green harvest in early summer. The grapes are harvested selectively by hand, often in several passes. The route to the new cellar is short, where the grapes are gently pressed after a brief period of skin contact, and the must is fermented spontaneously in oak barrels without the help of cultured yeasts.

The wine remains on the lees for six months and matures in wood, which grants it power, complexity, and creaminess. The May family has run the winery for seven generations since 1815, across approximately 35 hectares between Bechtheim, Westhofen, and Osthofen. The village wine is the powerful tier between the light estate wine and the great single-vineyard wines. You can find more in the assortment of Weingut Karl May and under our German white wines.

Riesling Osthofen – a wine and its values

• Origin: Wine from Germany
• Region: Rheinhessen
• Category: Village Wine (Ortswein) Osthofen
• Winery: Karl May - Fritz and Peter
• Grape variety: Riesling
• Vintage: 2022
• Screw cap
• 12.5% vol. alcohol
• 7.4 g/l acidity
• 3.6 g/l residual sugar

Organic control body DE-ÖKO-039 – German Agriculture