2022 Pinot Noir Assmannshausen Höllenberg Grosses Gewächs

August Kesseler shows his 2023 Rieslings and a memorable, stunning collection of 2022 Pinot Noirs–the best I ever tasted at the estate. He remembers the dryness of 2022 and the low water levels of the Rhine. Kesseler praises the porous mica-schist soils of the Assmannshäuser Höllenberg vineyard, which allow the Pinot Noir roots to reach the water. He is quick to add that because of the dryness, they dramatically trimmed yields to help the vines support the little fruit that was there. “We had the greatest luck in the world when, on September 7, 2022, we got just enough rain. Photosynthesis could continue, but none of the fruit split. We harvested between September 7 and 14,” he notes. “Then more rain came, which would have broken the neck of the Pinot Noirs.” About the 2023 Rieslings, Kesseler draws a comparison to his home-grown tomatoes, which struggled to ripen. “Just like in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022, we had heat until the middle of August–from then onwards, we had a six-week period of rain. Because Riesling had a loose fruit set, it dealt excellently with this rainy period, which was followed by a Bilderbuchherbst,” or a picture book harvest. “It was one of the quickest harvests ever, in bright sunshine throughout, with very healthy grapes.” In steep, stony sites like Rüdesheimer Schlossberg, rain was a boon. The result is expressive Rieslings with moderate alcohols of real clarity. Pinot Noir in 2023 (to be tasted next year), on the other hand, suffered immensely. The 2023 rain left me with a laughing and a crying eye, for Riesling and Pinot Noir, respectively.