Koehler Ruprecht Kallstadter Kabinett Troken 2023

A dry (trocken) Kabinett-level Riesling from Koehler-Ruprecht's Kallstadt plots, including fruit from the limestone-rich Saumagen site. Lime zest, green apple, white peach and Meyer lemon sit over crushed limestone and fresh herbs on the nose, opening with air to wet stone and citrus blossom. The palate is dry, energetic and finely structured, with bright acidity, a pronounced mineral core and a long, saline, precise finish shaped by extended lees aging in large neutral oak casks.

This is the village wine, and in 2023 it was picked across four Kallstadt sites: Steinacker, Annaberg, Kreidkeller and Saumagen. The Saumagen parcel is a south-east slope of loess, marl and limestone where the estate holds four hectares. Some of that fruit was declassified into this bottle.

Picking runs to five passes by hand. The grapes are crushed and left on skins for 12 to 24 hours before the ferment starts on its own. It then rests up to nine months on lees in oval casks of oak or chestnut, from 300 to 2400 litres. No chaptalisation, no enzymes. Dominik Sona runs the estate with cellar master Franziska Schmitt, and they walked out of the VDP after 80 years over labelling rules.

Flatiron finds clementine and mandarin peel and a chalky tang in 2023. Pour it with roast pork, grilled trout or a soft goat cheese.