2023 Günther Steinmetz Riesling Wintricher Ohligsberg Rondel

The 2023 Günther Steinmetz Riesling Wintricher Ohligsberg Rondel is a precision-crafted Mosel Riesling from one of the region’s most dramatic steep-slope vineyards. Drawn from a special parcel within the famed Ohligsberg, this cuvée captures Mosel’s classic tension between ripe fruit and razor-edged minerality in a particularly refined, focused style. It offers an early glimpse into the character of the 2023 vintage, with the structure and balance to reward both immediate enjoyment and patient cellaring.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, this Riesling shows a pale lemon color with greenish highlights that hint at its youthful energy and freshness. The nose is detailed and pure, with layers of white peach, lime zest, green apple and crunchy pear, wrapped in notes of white flowers, flint, wet slate and a light herbal lift—think lemon balm and fresh cut hay. On the palate, it is taut, vertical and finely etched, with a crystalline, almost saline minerality that runs through the wine from start to finish. Citrus and stone-fruit flavors—lime, grapefruit and ripe nectarine—are carried by vibrant, mouthwatering acidity, while a hint of smoke and crushed rock underscores the steep-slope slate origins. The finish is long, precise and dry (or very close to it, depending on final style), leaving a lingering impression of citrus peel and stone. While already accessible in its youth for those who enjoy racy, structured Riesling, the wine has excellent aging potential and should develop added complexity, texture and honeyed nuances over the next 8–15 years or more.

Production
Wintricher Ohligsberg is one of the Mosel’s great, south- to southwest-facing steep slate sites, with old, densely rooted vines clinging to thin, rocky soils that force them to dig deep for water and nutrients. This challenging terroir yields naturally low yields of highly concentrated fruit, with marked minerality and tension. Grapes for the Rondel bottling are typically harvested by hand in multiple passes, ensuring only optimally ripe and healthy bunches are selected. In the cellar, Günther Steinmetz follows a largely traditional, low-intervention approach: gentle pressing of whole clusters, spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts—often in traditional large oak casks (Fuder) or stainless steel—and extended time on the fine lees to build texture and integration, all with minimal handling to preserve purity and terroir expression.

Food & Serving
This Mosel Riesling is a versatile food wine that excels alongside delicately prepared dishes where its acidity and minerality can shine. It pairs beautifully with seafood such as oysters, scallops, sushi, poached white fish, and grilled prawns, as well as with fresh goat cheese, light poultry dishes, asparagus, and subtly spiced Asian cuisine (think sashimi, Vietnamese salads or lightly spiced Thai). Serve well-chilled but not icy, ideally at 8–10°C (46–50°F), to allow the aromatics to fully express themselves. A brief splash-decant or 15–20 minutes in the glass can help the wine open up, especially in its first few years, but extended decanting is not strictly necessary given its delicate, finely tuned structure.

Producer
Günther Steinmetz is one of the rising stars of the Mosel, based in the village of Brauneberg and known for a portfolio that showcases some of the region’s steepest and most characterful vineyards. Over the years, the estate has built a reputation for crafting intensely site-expressive Rieslings—often from old vines on blue and gray slate—through meticulous work in the vineyards and a hands-off approach in the cellar. By championing low yields, manual harvesting on precipitous slopes, and spontaneous fermentations, the winery has helped reassert the Mosel’s status as one of the world’s benchmark regions for Riesling. Their single-vineyard bottlings, including those from Wintricher Ohligsberg, are particularly prized by enthusiasts seeking depth, energy and authenticity in German wine.