Kirchberg Oberrotweil Chardonnay GG 2023

Wine Description for Kirchberg Oberrotweil Chardonnay GG 2023 by Franz Keller

Colour & Appearance

Luminous golden yellow with bright reflections – a wine that already promises maturity and substance visually.

Nose

Complex and multi-layered: Initially spicy and warm with Braeburn apple, Cox Orange and candied pear. Then quince compote, grilled corn and popcorn unfold – Burgundian notes reminiscent of fine bâtonnage. Beneath lies a layer of golden fruit: peach, grapefruit, unripe mango. Herbal spice from marjoram, oregano and parsley combines with white pepper and pimento. A pastry note – shortbread, butterscotch – and subtle smokiness with lightly roasted coffee round out the aromatic spectrum.

Palate

Here the true nature of this Grand Cru reveals itself: powerful, razor-sharp and with an extraordinarily fine yet dominant tannin structure that almost suggests skin contact. This phenolic structure coats the mouth completely – a texture rarely experienced in Chardonnay. The fruit appears brighter than on the nose: mango, baked apple, grilled pineapple, complemented by turmeric, roasted hazelnuts and chopped almonds. The acidity is present but still integrated in its youth. A deliberately contoured, tension-laden wine with edges and character.

Finish

Long and aromatic, characterised by marjoram and tarragon. The phenolic structure remains present and lends the finish grip and persistence.

Terroir & Origin

The Kirchberg in Oberrotweil at Kaiserstuhl is exposed to the south-west – open towards Burgundy. The pale, calcareous soil provides the mineral foundation for this concentrated Chardonnay. The vines are genetically descended from the finest vineyard sites of Burgundy and were planted in the early 1990s.

Grape Variety & Vinification

Chardonnay, aged for twelve months in 250-litre oak barrels (35% new wood), followed by six months on the lees in steel tank. Moderate alcohol of 12.5% vol. – a sign of elegance and precision.

Food Pairing Suggestions

Pan-fried turbot with nut butter, guinea fowl with morels, calf’s sweetbreads in Madeira sauce, Comté or aged Gruyère. A wine that demands substantial, aromatic cuisine.

Special Characteristics

A Grand Cru that deliberately sets itself apart from agreeable mainstream Chardonnay. The phenolic structure is unusual and polarising – a wine for connoisseurs that requires time and rewards it.