Let's talk little, let's talk wine
Located on the right bank of the Moselle, the Zeltinger Sonnenuhr vineyard overlooks the village of Zeltingen-Rachtig, in the heart of Germany's Mittelmosel region. This steep slope, facing mainly south and southwest, is composed of decomposed slate soils that store heat and promote slow, progressive ripening of the grapes. The vines, planted on narrow terraces, benefit from the proximity of the river, which regulates temperatures and reflects light, giving rise to wines of great aromatic precision and marked minerality.
The Riesling grapes are harvested manually at late maturity on the steep Zeltinger Sonnenuhr vineyard, with meticulous sorting of the berries. After gentle pressing, the musts ferment slowly with indigenous yeasts in old oak foudres, at low temperatures, to preserve aromatic finesse. Fermentation is stopped to maintain a precise balance between residual sugar and acidity. The wine is then aged on fine lees in these same large wooden containers until bottling, to develop complexity and texture while maintaining great purity.
This wine reveals notes of ripe citrus, green apple and white peach, complemented by delicate floral touches of white flowers and rose, as well as a marked mineral dimension evoking wet stone and slate. On the palate, the wine is both juicy and crystalline, supported by a lively acidity perfectly integrated with moderate sweetness, offering a precise balance, a silky texture and a long, salivating and refined finish.
Where are we traveling?
The Moselle
The Moselle is Germany's most famous wine region and also the third largest in terms of production. The best Moselle Rieslings are among the finest white wines in the world. Light and low in alcohol, they can be intensely aromatic with seductive floral and mineral notes and a wonderful balance of sweetness and acidity. The Moselle has a very cool, northern continental climate, and these slopes are highly effective at maximizing the vines' exposure to sunlight, facilitating grape ripening. The best sites also benefit from solar radiation reflected off the surface of rivers and onto the vines, and from the dark slate soil's ability to absorb heat during the day and release it to the vines at night. One of the drawbacks of these steep-sloping vineyards is that they are inaccessible to machinery, meaning that maintaining them requires up to seven times more manual labor than working on flatter terrain. It goes without saying (as with Côte-Rôtie) that some of the best white grape juices in the world can be extracted from these slopes.
The little history of the country
Germany
Germany has a long and illustrious history of winemaking. The Romans established the country's first vineyards along the banks of the Moselle River, near the present-day city of Trier. By the third century AD, vineyards had spread to various neighboring valleys, primarily those of the Moselle's tributaries. During the Middle Ages, the Christian church, particularly the Cistercian and Benedictine monasteries, had a significant influence on the development of viticulture and the production of quality wine in Germany. Germany has always been renowned for its excellent white wines: slightly sweet, low in alcohol, but always of high quality. However, in recent years, wine drinkers have tended to prefer drier wines. Consequently, the German market has evolved to cater to all tastes with some splendid dry Rieslings and other white wine varieties, such as Pinot Blanc, Gewürztraminer, and Grauburgunder. Warmer summers and milder winters have also favored rosés and reds, with Pinot Noir being the third most planted grape variety in the country. So, take your pick—from traditional Rieslings to great reds, the range is wide and still expanding. The German wine industry lost its way in terms of quality during the 20th century, expanding plantings onto less favorable sites and increasing yields to levels where quality was severely compromised. However, Germany's greatest wine producers were never completely lost, and since the end of the 20th century, considerable efforts have been made to restore Germany's former glory. Yields are now limited by law, and many leading producers have joined forces to form the VDP association (see German Wine Labels). Members of the VDP are bound by a commitment to focus their efforts on quality rather than quantity. In terms of volume, Germany ranks among the top ten countries in the world for annual wine production. Just over 60% of the wine produced is white, and it is widely acknowledged that the white wines from Germany's best vineyards and most reputable producers are among the finest in the world. German red wines are also gaining in popularity and quality, particularly those made from Spätburgunder, the local name for Pinot Noir. The second most popular red grape variety (in terms of planted hectares, at least) is Dornfelder.