Weingut Ökonomierat Rebholz, Dry Riesling, Trocken, Pfalz, Germany 2020

Hansjörg Rebholz was chosen Winemaker of the Year in 2002 and since has been awarded five grapes by Gault-Millau, its highest rating. The estate was awarded ‘Collection of the Year’ in the Gault & Millau 2013. For many years now the estate has been one of the top 10 in Germany, which is certified by all three German wineguides when Rebholz reached the highest possible ratings: five grapes in Gault & Millau, five stars in Vinum wineguide and five stars in Eichelmann wineguide.

The estate has been a member of the Pfalz VDP since 1991 and Hansjörg is President for Pfalz since 1999.

The family’s connection to viticulture dates back historically to the 16th century. All the Rebholz family members over the years had something to do with wine which is hardly surprising since the name Rebholz translates to “wood of the vine”. The Rebholz style started its life as an idea. It matured in the mind of Hansjörgs’ grandfather Eduard who took great exception to the then contemporary taste in wine and countered the unnatural, artificially sweetened blends with his idea of “natural” wine. A trained scientist he researched climate, soils in the vineyards and the appropriate varietals, harvesting periods redefined, methods of vinification replaced by its own strict rules. He even included practical experience of winegrowers in other regions in his research. All of this forms the fundament of the timeless Rebholz style.

There are three distinct terroirs in the estate’s vineyards. In the “South-Pfalz”, where the estate is located, limestone terroir rules and it is ubiquitously in the Im Sonnenschein vineyard where Riesling, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and to lesser amounts Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer and Muskateller are planted. In the prestigious site Ganzhorn another one of the estates Riesling excels on gravels of sandstone. It performs the minor miracle of exquisite peach, apple and apricot aromas sourced from the deluvial shingle of the Queich Brook. Not far away, in the Albersweiler Latt, a legendary Gewürztraminer grows having been planted over 70 years ago in a unique pergola system. Last but not least there is the Kastanienbusch with its rocky, rusty-red soil of the true primary rock showing unrivaled red and grey slate. It simply produces some of the greatest dry Rieslings not only in Germany, but all over the world.

The estate’s 25 ha are farmed bio-dynamically with a production of about 120,000 bottles. It must be known that Hansjörg Rebholz is one of the movers and shakers in the Grosses Gewächs movement in Germany. Nowadays Hansjörg started working with the next generation, his two sons Hans and Valentin. The twins graduated their studies of viticulture & oenology in 2019 and gathered lots of experience within the last years as they learned, trained, developed and worked in several wineries all over the world.