2012 Riesling Birkweiler Kastanienbusch Grosses Gewächs

This recent dinner at SingleThread was one of the most remarkable meals I have had in a very long time. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left, everything was simply perfect. The superb food, welcoming atmosphere and first-class service make SingleThread a must for readers spending time in Northern California wine country.

The Kastanienbusch is certainly the most esteemed site in the southern Pfalz, that part of the winegrowing region near the Alsatian border that is also known as the Palatinate. It is also, at an altitude of 320 meters, one of the highest. A southeast-facing amphitheater, woods at the crest of the hill protect it from westerly winds. Today a full 80 hectares of vineyards are officially allowed to use the name Kastanienbusch, but less than a quarter of those are truly Grosses Gewächs.

Although parts of the entire site have more chalk or colored sandstone, Hansjörg Rebholz’ family has owned a prime cut of about two hectares high up the slopes for over a hundred years. These were replanted in 1950 during the vineyard’s reconstruction. His parcel is composed of weathered slate of a reddish hue from iron deposits that run through it in veins. Wild herbs and bracing minerality are only two of the descriptors often used to describe these Rieslings, 6,000 to 9,000 bottles of which are produced in an average year. As he generally crushes quite late, Hansjörg Rebholz was faced with a rapid spread of botrytis during the 2013 harvest and thus made only a sumptuous Auslese (93) from that vintage, no Grosses Gewächs.

After a stunningly brilliant collection in 2011, Hansjörg Rebholz has surpassed himself in 2012 with an array of wines almost without peer. It should thus come as no surprise that I consider this estate to be the best in the Pfalz and one of the top dozen or so producers in the country, excelling in many disciplines. Rebholz is not only one of the top producers of sparkling wines and a source for elegant weissburgunders, rich chardonnays and bracing rieslings, but his taut pinot noirs, which he only releases after several years of bottle age, are also always at the head of their class. As his style is a touch austere, the wines need time to unfold and are thus not always immediately accessible to the uninitiated. But they merit attention, as a recently opened 1990 Pinot Noir amply attested. (www.oekonomierat-rebholz.de) Also Recommended: 2012 Muskateller Trocken (88), 2012 Weisser Burgunder vom Loesslehm (85), 2012 Siebeldinger Weisser Burgunder vom Muschelkalk (87), 2012 π-no Trocken "R" (90), 2012 Albersweiler Latt Gewurztraminer Auslese (91), 2012 Riesling Trocken Okonomierat (85), 2011 Riesling Kabinett Trocken (86), 2012 Riesling Trocken vom Buntsandstein (87), 2012 Birkweiler Riesling Trocken vom Rotliegenden (89), 2012 Riesling Trocken vom Muschelkalk (88), 2011 Spätburgunder Tradition (88), 2011 Siebeldinger Spätburgunder vom Muschelkalk (92), 2007 π-no Sekt Brut (92). Other wines tasted: 2012 Weisser Burgunder Trocken, 2012 Riesling Trocken.