Muller-catoir Burgergargarten Im Breumel Grosses Gewachs Riesling 2021

Grosses Gewächs Riesling from Im Breumel — the Breumel in den Mauern, a walled monopole inside the Haardter Bürgergarten and one of the oldest vineyards in the Pfalz, on primary rock and sandstone. Gentle crush, long skin contact, slow pressing, then a warm stainless-steel ferment. Bone dry but beautifully balanced: a deep, refined bouquet of ripe, juicy fruit with iodine and flinty notes, and a juicy, round, savoury palate cut by animating saline, grippy minerality. Dense, tight and structured — built to reward the cellar. 96 points James Suckling, 94+ Wine Advocate.

The Breumel is the historic heart of the Bürgergarten, a walled clos high on the slope above Haardt. It sits cooler than the rest of the site, on very stony Haardt sandstone. The vines were between 14 and 41 years old, farmed organically, and the parcel is the estate's only Grosses Gewächs.

The wine was fermented cool and aged in stainless steel, so nothing sits between you and the site. The house line is patience. Slow ferments, careful maturing, and bottling as late as they dare. Johann Wilhelm Catoir founded the estate in 1744.

Critics who tasted the 2021 called it young and said the best is still to come. Open it now if you must, with air and a big glass. Better, lay it down for a few years. Pork, smoked trout or an onion tart all sit well beside it.