A biodynamic Palatinate Riesling from the Deidesheimer Leinhöhle vineyard site, which, with wild yeast, tonneau maturation and minimal sulphur addition, reveals the experimental signature of the N series.
Bottler: Winery Michael Andres, Hauptstr. 33A, 67152 Ruppertsberg/Pfalz / Germany
In the glass
Colour
Bright lemon yellow with pale reflections
Nose
An unusual Riesling aromatic profile featuring rooibos, rosehip and raspberry, alongside whitecurrant, mirabelle and floral notes of Douglas fir and acacia; dark stone, cold smoke and green pepper lend a spicy depth.
Palate
Dense and yellow-fruited, juicy and invigorating with vegetal aromas; juniper, fennel seed and fresh coriander shape the ethereal, atypical finish.
Character
A Riesling beyond convention – spicy, multi-layered and with a distinct identity, holding fruit, acidity and structure in a tense balance.
Pairing
Confit char with fennel and apple salad, lukewarm artichoke hearts with green olive tapenade, or wild boar carpaccio with radicchio salad.
Notes
Spontaneously fermented in tonneau with malolactic fermentation, unfiltered and aged on full lees until June 2022 – part of the experimental N series (Natural, No Filtration, No Limits, Next Level) from biodynamically certified vineyards.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Bright lemon yellow with pale, almost silvery reflections – clear and vibrant in the glass.
Nose
A Riesling that delights in subverting expectations: rooibos and rosehip meet a hint of raspberry, alongside whitecurrant and mirabelle. Floral notes of Douglas fir and acacia lend the bouquet a soft, elegant line. With air and warmth, yellow stone fruits emerge more distinctly, underpinned by dark rock, a trace of cold smoke and green pepper – spicy, distinctive and unusual.
Palate
Dense and yellow-fruited, yet juicy and invigorating. The spice kicks in immediately, supported by a linear structure and precise acidity. A surprising array of vegetal aromas rises from the glass – herbs, young shoots, a whisper of garden after rain.
Finish
Juniper, fennel seed and fresh coriander provide ethereal moments rather atypical for Riesling. Long, cool, with a spicy aftertaste.
Terroir & origin
The parcel lies in the Deidesheimer Leinhöhle, a warm south-facing slope not far from the village boundary of Deidesheim. Michael Andres has run his seven-hectare estate in Ruppertsberg since 1993, today together with his daughter Elena – five individual vineyard sites, every vine known to him, hand-harvested. The soils of the Mittelhaardt are defined by bunter sandstone; since 2006, Andres has been certified biodynamic, pragmatic rather than esoteric.
Grape variety & vinification
Riesling, spontaneously fermented in tonneau, with full malolactic conversion. The wine matures on its gross lees until racking in June 2022; only minimal sulphur addition at bottling, no filtration.
Food recommendations
The spicy, herbal side of this Riesling seeks out unconventional table companions: confit char with fennel and apple salad mirrors the fennel notes; lukewarm artichoke hearts with crisp white bread and green olive tapenade pick up the vegetal spice; wild boar carpaccio with radicchio salad and honey-mustard dressing stands up to the acidity and structure.
Special features
Part of the N series – Natural, No Filtration, No Limits, Next Level. Small batches, maximum freedom in the cellar, spontaneous fermentation without additives. The result: a Riesling that tastes of rosehip and juniper rather than peach and citrus – and finds its very fascination in precisely that.
