Riesling Hallgarten Hendelberg Kabinett 2024

Wine description for Riesling Hallgarten Hendelberg Kabinett 2024 by Peter Jakob Kühn

Colour & appearance

Sparkling pale golden yellow with green reflections — even in the glass, this Riesling appears both lively and cool.

Nose

Open, aromatic, multi-layered: ripe pear and vineyard peach meet lime and orange, while flashes of mango and passion fruit emerge. Above them floats a scent of lemon balm, elderflower and verbena. An earthy undercurrent hints at depth — you will want to keep nosing it for a long time before taking a sip.

Palate

Juicy and textured, carried by a stimulating, finely drawn acidity. Alongside the fruit, zesty grapefruit joins in, while distinct salty nuances give the wine contour and drive. A Kabinett that pleasantly challenges the drinker rather than seeking to please — and one that remains feather-light at ten per cent alcohol.

Finish

Long, salty-mineral, with lingering citrus fruit and herbal spice. Fantastic ageing potential: those who bring patience will be rewarded.

Terroir & origin

The Hendelberg in Hallgarten is a solitary site in the central Rheingau: around 40 per cent gradient with a south-south-west exposure, phyllite slate with colourfully shimmering mica, and vineyards climbing up to 300 metres. The steep angle captures full sun in spring and autumn while softening the radiation in high summer — a growing dynamic all of its own that you can taste in the glass. The Peter Jakob Kühn estate in Oestrich-Winkel, in family hands since 1786, cultivates its 21 hectares according to Demeter guidelines — what was considered eccentricity in the conservative Rheingau in 2004 is now the benchmark.

Grape variety & vinification

Pure Riesling, Erste Lage, 100 per cent hand-harvested, gentle whole-bunch pressing, spontaneous fermentation with natural yeasts and 16 months on the gross lees in large wooden casks. Cellar work follows the principle of restraint: the wine finds its own way, the winemaker merely accompanies it.

Food recommendations

The ideal companion for dishes with fruity components and salty minerality: pan-fried pike-perch with lime butter, Thai curry with mango, autumn vegetables with feta or guinea fowl in lemon sauce. Also a small celebration alongside spicy goat’s cheese.

Special features

The interplay of phyllite slate terroir and biodynamic cultivation (Demeter since 2009) makes this Hendelberg a Riesling of crystalline clarity: fruit-intensive yet never sweetish, with an acidity that carries the residual sugar elegantly — Rheingau handwriting, twelfth generation.