Auslese Riesling 2022

Description of Domaine Wittmann

Wittmann Estate is renowned for its commitment to biodynamic viticulture practices, cultivating its vines with total respect for the environment. Located in Germany's Rheinhessen wine region, Wittmann produces high-quality Riesling wines that fully express the unique terroir of this area.

Description of the Cuvée Auslese Riesling

Wittmann's Auslese Riesling cuvée is a careful selection of overripe grapes, resulting in a wine with exquisite sweetness and sharp acidity. This wine embodies the finesse and complexity that Riesling can achieve under careful and passionate vinification.

Aromas of the Cuvée

This vintage reveals an intense bouquet of candied citrus fruits, peach, apricot, as well as floral and honey notes, creating a rich and enticing olfactory harmony.

Characteristics of the Cuvée

• Grape variety: Riesling
• Profile: The wine is characterized by a velvety texture and a long finish. Its perfect balance between sweetness and acidity makes it an excellent wine for laying down.
• Aging Potential: With its remarkable aging potential, this Riesling Auslese can evolve and become more complex over many years in the cellar.

Pairings with this Cuvée

Wittmann's Riesling Auslese is exceptional with spicy Asian dishes, strong cheeses or fruit desserts. It also goes wonderfully well at the end of a meal.

Germany has a long and illustrious history of viticulture. The Romans established the country's first vineyards along the banks of the Moselle River, near the present-day city of Trier. In the third century AD, plantations spread to various neighboring valleys, mainly those of the tributaries of the Moselle. In the Middle Ages, the Christian church, particularly the Cistercian and Benedictine monasteries, had a great influence on the development of viticulture and the production of quality wine in Germany. Germany has always been renowned for its excellent white wines: a little 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 varieties of other white wine, such as Pinot Blanc, Gewurztraminer and Grauburgunder. Hotter summers and milder winters have also favored rosés and reds, with Pinot Noir being the third most planted grape variety in the country. So make your choice, from traditional Rieslings to great reds, the range is wide and still growing. The German wine industry lost its way in terms of quality during the 20th century, expanding plantings to less favorable sites and increasing yields to levels where quality was severely compromised. However, Germany's largest 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 association are required by members to focus their efforts on quality rather than quantity. In terms of volume, Germany is 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 accepted that the white wines from Germany's best sites and most renowned producers are among the greatest in the world. Germany's red wines are also growing in popularity and quality, particularly those from Spätburgunder, the local name for Pinot Noir. The second most popular red grape variety (in terms of hectares planted, at least) is Dornfelder.