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Caroline Diel from Schlossgut Diel on the Nahe

Slate in Pittermännchen, pebbles in Goldloch, iron in Burgberg. Schlossgut Diel in Burg Layen is among the finest that the Nahe has to offer. Caroline Diel runs the VDP estate as its seventh generation. 26 hectares across three Grosse Lagen – each with its own geological fingerprint. Falstaff, Feinschmecker, FAZ: all have named her Winemaker of the Year.

The Pittermännchen measures barely one hectare. Grey Devonian slate, steep and difficult to work. The Rieslings taste of crushed chalk and grapefruit, filigree and playful. The Goldloch extends over thirteen hectares of gravelly clay – here the wines develop a succulent richness, with yellow stone fruits and ripe peach. The Burgberg, finally, lies in a cauldron-shaped depression with iron-rich clay: salty minerality, smoky depth, enormous potential. As early as 1901, all three vineyard sites were documented as first-class – long before the VDP classification system existed.

Winemaker portrait
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More about Diel

Three vineyard sites, three worlds

The Pittermännchen measures barely one hectare. Grey Devonian slate, steep and difficult to work. The Rieslings taste of crushed chalk and grapefruit, filigree and playful. The Goldloch extends over thirteen hectares of gravelly clay – here the wines develop a succulent richness, with yellow stone fruits and ripe peach. The Burgberg, finally, lies in a cauldron-shaped depression with iron-rich clay: salty minerality, smoky depth, enormous potential. As early as 1901, all three vineyard sites were documented as first-class – long before the VDP classification system existed.

Vineyards of Schlossgut Diel on the Nahe

Caroline Diel

She studied oenology in Geisenheim and gained experience at Château Pichon Longueville in Bordeaux and at the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in Burgundy. In 2006 she took over the cellar, and since 2017 she has run the estate together with her husband Sylvain. The Rieslings produced here bear a clear signature: precise, mineral, without frills. Clemens Busch works with similar consistency on the Mosel – both estates belong to the absolute pinnacle of German Riesling producers.

In the cellar

Sixty-five per cent of the 26 hectares are planted with Riesling, the remainder with Spätburgunder, Grauburgunder and Weißburgunder as well as Chardonnay. Selective hand harvesting, gentle pneumatic pressing, spontaneous fermentation with natural yeasts. The Riesling musts mature partly in stainless steel tanks and partly in traditional Stückfässer (1,200-litre casks) made from regional oak. The Pinot varieties are aged in a separate barrique cellar with a reduced proportion of new wood. The estate is a founding member of the Deutsches Barrique Forum and, with its Pinot de Diel, also produces a VDP.SEKT.PRESTIGE – a grower's sparkling wine made from Pinot varieties, matured on the lees for years.

View over the vineyards of Burg Layen on the Nahe

Burg Layen since 1802

Johann Peter Diel acquired Burg Layen from Baron Dalberg, at a time when it was occupied by Napoleonic troops. What began as a mixed agricultural enterprise is today a pure wine estate with five stars from Falstaff and Wein.Plus. Caroline Diel is driving forward the conversion to organic viticulture, and the estate already holds Fair Choice certification. The Goldloch Auslese shows what noble-sweet Riesling can be: a perfect balance between residual sweetness and acidity, a wine for eternity.