Bottler: Winery A. Christmann, Peter-Koch-Str. 43, 67435 Gimmeldingen/Pfalz / Germany
In the glass
Colour
Pale straw yellow.
Nose
Fine notes of fennel seed, white blossoms, mint and verbena, alongside lime, lemon and bergamot; underpinned by smoke, wet stone, almonds and lanolin.
Palate
Dry, profound and complex – vibrant minerality, a salty chalky tone and a silky texture, carried by bubbling energy and dancing lightness.
Character
The tension between two poles: earthy depth meets assured nonchalance. Powerful yet elegant – a Grosses Gewächs with stature, finesse and long-term ageing potential.
Pairing
Ideal with pan-fried turbot or sole, loin of veal with light sauces, as well as mature hard cheese.
Notes
Almost a monopoly: the biodynamic estate Christmann (Respekt-BIODYN certified) owns 95 per cent of the four-hectare Grand Cru vineyard site Idig, with limestone, terra fusca and coloured sandstone soils. Spontaneous fermentation and maturation in large Doppelstück casks shape its silky structure.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Pale straw yellow, clear and luminous in the glass.
Nose
Fine and multi-layered: white blossoms, mint and verbena, accompanied by a delicate hint of fennel seed. Citrus notes of lime, lemon and bergamot meet smoky undertones, wet stone, almonds and a touch of lanolin. Ethereal, profound, and of great finesse.
Palate
This is where the hallmark of great Rieslings reveals itself: the tension between groundedness and dancing lightness. Charming and assured at once, with bubbling energy and vibrant minerality – that salty tone which Steffen Christmann reads directly from the soil lends elegance and a silky texture. Complex, deep, nonchalant.
Finish
Long, precise and with lingering salty freshness – a finale that makes you eager for the next sip.
Terroir & origin
The IDIG vineyard site in Königsbach, first mentioned in the 14th century, is the heart of the estate – once owned by prince-electors, today 95 per cent in Christmann’s hands, effectively a monopoly. The slope falls steeply to the south-southeast; a massive limestone subsoil with terra fusca limestone scree, buntsandstein and basalt shape the wine. One of Germany’s few true grand cru sites.
Grape variety & vinification
Pure Riesling, vinified dry at 12.0% abv. The juice spent several hours on the skins, was fermented spontaneously and at a fairly warm temperature, and matured in a large doppelstück cask.
Food pairings
A wine for a grand entrance: with pan-fried turbot, veal sweetbreads, sole in butter and sage or aged Comté. Equally rewarding on its own.
Special features
The estate has been farming biodynamically since 2003, certified by respekt-BIODYN and EU Organic – the roots run deeper, and the wines gain in tension. Father Steffen (VDP President) and daughter Sophie run the estate together. Steffen’s ideal: the prima ballerina among Rieslings – powerful yet elegant. The 2024 IDIG comes astonishingly close to this vision. A phenomenon.
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