Steiner Riesling 17-22 NV

Kai Schätzel sees his type of cultivation as an answer to the questions that climate change poses for viticulture. As early as 2008, he began cultivating his vineyards on the Roter Hang using sustainable, organic and biodynamic elements in order to grow self-sufficient and healthy vines. This includes slowing down the ripening process and using dry farming to bring the vineyards into a new balance. The grapes for the wines are harvested according to the principle of the self-developed 'golden cut'. Around 90-100 days after flowering, the grapes are harvested in several passes exactly when their colour changes from green to golden yellow. At the winery, they are trampled underfoot before being left on the skins for a week and then pressed. In a good 80% of all cases, the must is not pre-clarified before it is gravity-fermented into barrels and half-barrels, where it begins to ferment spontaneously and remains on the lees until bottling.

The 17-22 comes from the years 2017 to 2022 from a solera, i.e. individual batches were matured individually in half-litre barrels and then all vintages were placed together in a 5000-litre barrel. Half of this was filled in autumn, unfiltered, unfined and unsulphurised, while the other half is used as a solera mother and topped up with 23-litre reserves. The wine is matured reductively under flor yeast and is not affected by oxygen.

Rich straw yellow with a silky-matt cloudiness.

The nose of the 17-22 is pure fireworks: fine flor yeasts, roasted nuts and almonds mingle with the aroma of fresh yeast pastries on the way home at four in the morning. There are also herbal notes of camomile and pomaceous fruit of green and yellow apple. The generally mellow flavour and complete absence of striking fruit quickly brings you back down to earth and makes you turn your lips expectantly towards the glass.

A silky, creamy texture and juicy melting flavour on the palate. The orchestral acidity stretches far across the throat with a bright glow, underpinned by fine yeast, it is full-bodied, fluffy and soft on the palate. Structurally defined around the vertical acid nerve, it gives it its specific feel, lightness and rapid tempo. An ethereal, cool finish with a long aftertaste.