Kühling-Gillot – Nierstein Pettenthal Riesling GG – [ORGANIC]
The Kühling-Gillot Nierstein Pettenthal Riesling GG 2020 is a VDP. Großes Gewächs from the Pettenthal vineyard site in Rheinhessen. The extreme conditions to which the vines are exposed in Pettenthal are the reason why this Riesling has an almost Burgundian character. As long as the soil provides sufficient nutrients, fruit aromas can develop. In Pettenthal, however, the stone dominates, conjuring up quite different aromas in the wine than the fruit: tobacco, spice, wildness. A fine note of white almonds permeates the wine, which, despite its wildness, is seductively creamy on the palate and rewards with a sheer endless finish.
Kühling-Gillot – Nierstein Pettenthal Riesling
In Nackenheim, the red rock of the subterranean slate band begins to emerge from the earth for the first time and runs along the banks of the Rhine, before this band disappears underground again a few kilometers south in Nierstein. Lined up like a string of pearls and directly exposed to the influence of the Rhine are the unique vineyard sites of Rothenberg, Pettenthal, Hipping, and Ölberg. With the Ölberg, the "Roter Hang" (Red Slope) swings to the west and moves away from the Rhine. These few kilometers between Nackenheim and Nierstein are the heart of Rheinhessen slate Riesling.
The Pettenthal site lies directly south of the Rothenberg. In reality, the two sites merge into one another as part of the Roter Hang, so that their orientation, slope gradient, and soil composition are almost identical. In all likelihood, the name Pettenthal dates back to the time when the vineyards were still owned by the church (Paters Tal = Valley of the Monks). Here, too, red slate clay and red sandstone, the famous "Rotliegendes," predominate.
At approx. 170 meters, the Pettenthal is somewhat higher than the Rothenberg, and the soil is therefore a touch barer, meaning the vines must root very deeply into the soft stone to reach nutrients and minerals. The higher and steeper the plots are, the more difficult the living conditions for the vines. And that is the prerequisite for great wines.
The Kühling-Gillot family, Carolin and Hans Oliver, farm a plot in the Pettenthal with a gradient of more than 70%, the steepest vineyard plot in Rheinhessen. Furthermore, the band of rock that runs through the entire Roter Hang comes to the surface most prominently here. The layer of humus is extremely thin, and nutrients for the vine can only be found deep in the stony soil. Mechanical cultivation is completely impossible. Work here can only be done by hand.
The plot has been farmed according to organic guidelines for several years, and with the 2014 vintage, the soil structure, the stability of the vines, and the quality of the grapes are classified so highly that the Riesling from the Pettenthal vineyard is bottled as a VDP.Großes Gewächs.
The Nierstein Pettenthal Riesling reflects everything for which Rhine wines were famous for so long: the extract of the Riesling grapes gives it body, and the stony, porous clay slate soil opens the wine up, giving it tautness and finesse. The Nierstein Riesling Pettenthal completes the range of sites in the central part of the Roter Hang. Through the latest possible and extremely meticulous selection in the vineyard, combined with perfectly ripened grapes, the finest fruit aromas, a wonderful juiciness, extract, and enormous complexity are married together. A magnificent homage to the Roter Hang in Nierstein.
a wine and its values
- Origin: Wine from Germany
- Region: Rheinhessen
- Grape variety: Riesling
- 12.5% ABV alcohol
- 7.0 g/l acidity
- 2.5 g/l residual sugar
- 92 points Gault Millau
- 90 points Eichelmann
Organic inspection body DE-ÖKO-039 – German Agriculture